On Monday, Mushroom Group and Visit Victoria turned the lights back on in the State of music, announcing 2021 SOUNDS BETTER TOGETHER, a concert series spanning eight days at some of Victoria’s most spectacular venues.
Today, a further five gigs have been added to the program between Saturday 23 and Saturday 30 January, taking in iconic venues around the State from the stunning Forum Melbourne to Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal, Warrnambool’s The Whalers Hotel, San Remo’s Westernport Hotel and St Kilda’s famous Prince Bandroom and Esplanade Hotel.
Kicking off in a matter of days, the just-announced shows will star a selection of Australia’s finest talent; Something for Kate with Hayley Mary, The Living End with Bakers Eddy, Ross Wilson with Fergus James, Pierce Brothers with Shannen James, Alex Lahey with Scott Darlow, and Didirri and Mia Wray. These great lineups join already announced artists Jimmy Barnes, Tones And I, Missy Higgins, The Teskey Brothers, James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite, Vika & Linda, Deborah Conway, Gordi, D’Arcy Spiller and Darlinghurst.
Tickets to attend these newly announced intimate concerts are on sale today at 12 noon AEDT, and are priced between an incredible $20 to $49.90*.![]()
Michael Gudinski, Mushroom Group Founder & Chairman said: “We’re thrilled to be taking 2021 Sounds Better Together to even more venues and regions around this great state. Music lovers will be able to catch incredible performances from some of our country’s greatest artists, and with all tickets under $50, these shows really are going to be something special that I hope everyone can make it along to”.
Victorian audiences showed exactly why they’ve been dubbed the State of music, with tickets to Something for Kate’s show at St Kilda’s Prince Bandroom this Sunday selling out within minutes of going on sale on Tuesday.
Appearing at Monday’s press conference in Melbourne, Something for Kate’s frontman Paul Dempsey said, “We are overjoyed to be a part of this series, the opportunity to play an intimate club show in our hometown is something we have been dreaming of for a year now and it’s going to be very special to take the stage at the legendary Prince of Wales. We can’t wait!” ![]() ![]()
One of the country’s most respected artists, Ross Wilson is a cornerstone of Australian rock music. With an illustrious career spanning over 50 years, Wilson has been twice inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame; both as a solo artist and as a member of Daddy Cool. From his acclaimed solo work, to fronting Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock, Wilson’s work stands the test of time and with explosive on-stage charisma, he’s set to blow the roof off Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Wednesday 27 January.
He’s toured with Ed Sheeran, hit the stage at Splendour In The Grass and sold out headline shows around the country; Fergus James is a star on the rise. With his latest single ‘Good Man’, James delivers a world class pop anthem, emerging as a multi-faceted artist ready to take on the world.
Prior to his performance with Ross Wilson at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday evening, Fergus James will play a special pop-up show at Castlemaine’s Bridge Hotel. It will be first in, best dressed, so Castlemaine locals, get in quickly from 6pm!![]() ![]()
Alex Lahey is joined by Scott Darlow at The Espy on Monday. The singer-songwriter has a sardonic streak and flair for crafting relatable pop-punk anti-anthems, which has garnered her fans the world over. She broke through in 2016 with the guitar-based ‘You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me’, which serves up equal portions of hooks and attitude, and followed up with two acclaimed studio albums, 2017’s I Love You Like A Brother and 2019’s The Best Of Luck Club.
Since entering the Australian music scene in 2003, Yorta Yorta descendent Scott Darlow has been a mainstay of Australia’s Indigenous and independent music industry. The versatile singer-songwriter, guitarist, and didgeridoo player, who signed to Mushroom’s Reclusive Records last year, has sold more than 50,000 albums worldwide and has toured extensively through Australia, Asia and the USA. His just-released single ‘Forgotten Australia’, is a reminder for Australians to embrace their togetherness and come together to celebrate the things that make our country and its people special.
“I’m stoked to be playing with Alex Lahey at the Espy on January 25! The Espy was THE venue I wanted to play as a teenager coming up. To be playing there with an artist as amazing as Alex is unreal, and I can’t wait to get on stage next week! It’s gonna be rad!”, said Scott.![]() ![]() Australian punk rock royalty, The Living End take on Melbourne’s stunning Forum next week, alongside Bakers Eddy. The trio has released eight studio albums, most recently 2018’s Wunderbar, have an APRA Award and multiple ARIA Awards under their belt, and have notched up multi-Gold and Platinum singles and chart-topping albums. Known for their infectious energy, they’ll bring the heat when they hit the stage on Wednesday 27 January.
The Living End’s Chris Cheney said, “To say we are delighted at having an actual real life Victorian show booked is an understatement! This is going to be a very special gig for many reasons and we’re thankful to the ‘2021 Sounds Better Together’ folks who made this happen. See you at the gig next week and it will get loud!”
Formed in Wellington, New Zealand, Bakers Eddy’s fun and fast sound quickly grew them a fanbase off-shore. Relocating to Melbourne in 2017, they’ve covered the festival circuit – NYE on the Hill, Festival Of The Sun, and Party In The Paddock to name a few – and shared stages with the likes of The Rubens, Gang of Youths, The Bennies and many more. Bakers Eddy are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated debut album in 2021.
Bakers Eddy said, “Proper excited to be supporting such an iconic Australian band, The Living End, at The Forum – a venue we have had on our goals list for a while now!”![]() ![]() As well as appearing at the Mt Duneed Estate and Mallacoota shows respectively, exciting emerging Victorian artists Didirri and Mia Wray join forces to play at Warrnambool’s The Whalers Hotel on Thursday 28 January.
Returning to his hometown for a special evening of music, Didirri captivates with his live performance. His ethereal vocals, and poetic, candid songwriting are garnering him global attention from fans and critics.
In 2020, Mia Wray made a grand debut with her single ‘Work For Me’. Her soulful voice has drawn comparison to the likes of Lorde and Meg Mac, but Mia Wray is carving her own path. Released yesterday, Mia’s new single ‘Never Gonna Be The Same’ is a no-holds-barred ode to empowerment, reinforcing her as a talent to watch in 2021.![]() ![]() For years now twin brothers Jack and Patrick Pierce’s high energy duo Pierce Brothers has been a staple of the Australian indie-folk/blues and roots scene, captivating festival goers and headlining sold out venues the world over. Exploding onto the world stage in 2014, the brothers started their journey as buskers before building audiences and touring the world. Their anticipated sophomore album Into The Great Unknown is due for release on March 5, 2021.
Pierce Brothers said, “We’re thrilled to be back onstage playing music after such a massive forced hiatus, and we’re so lucky that we’ve been given the opportunity to do so. It’s amazing that we’ve come together as a community so well to finally be able to put on COVIDSafe events safely and it’s something we don’t take for granted. We’ll also be able to finally play some of the new tunes from our upcoming album which is just so exciting!”
Quickly establishing herself as one of the country’s most exciting new songwriters, Shannen James takes listeners on a dreamy pop journey through the sparkling emotions of youth. Her latest EP Arrows has been embraced by fans and industry alike with radio play across the likes of triple j, triple j unearthed and a combined 2 Million Spotify streams.
Shannen said, “Really looking forward to being a part of the Sounds Better Together series along with the Pierce Brothers and playing live again! I’m sure I speak for everyone in saying we’ve all been hanging out for live music to start back up and think it’s going to make for a really special year of shows.”
For all 2021 SOUNDS BETTER TOGETHER events, a COVIDSafe event plan has been approved by the Victorian Public Health Advisory Panel, Chief Health Officer (CHO) and the Major Events Taskforce.
2021 SOUNDS BETTER TOGETHER – outdoor venues:
To ensure a COVIDSafe event the following will be implemented:
Reduced capacity shows
Digital tickets – this ensures all contact details are recorded even when a ticket is forwarded or sold to another patron
Regular touchpoint cleaning
Additional Bar, Food & Sanitary facilities – to minimise queuing
Additional Staffing – Security and Event staff to help manage social distancing onsite
COVIDSafe officer to ensure compliance
Hand Sanitiser stations
Increased communications to patrons and staff
Event staff health check and training
Additional medical facilities and staffing
“Buy together to stay together” – Shows will be reserved allocated seating only (we have increased the row widths to ensure social distancing between groups)
2021 SOUNDS BETTER TOGETHER – indoor venues:
Events will be operating in a COVIDSafe environment. For full details please contact the individual venues directly.
Important COVID Information: Given the current locations of outbreaks in the NSW region, anyone coming into Victoria from the NSW border region should check the NSW Health website and follow the instructions listed. Individuals can not attend if they have been outside the NSW bubble region.
Tickets to attend these special 2021 SOUNDS BETTER TOGETHER concerts are priced between an incredible $20 to $49.90* with the new shows on-sale from Thursday 21 January 12noon AEDT.
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