WHEN KEV MET BOB RIDES AGAIN: AUSTRALIA’S BELOVED MUSICAL ICONS KEVIN MITCHELL AND BOB EVANS REUNITE FOR HISTORIC NATIONAL TOUR IN NOV/DEC
Off the back of the monumental success of the inaugural When Kev Met Bob tour last year, Australia’s beloved musical icons Kevin Mitchell and Bob Evans are reuniting for another momentous national tour in November and December, returning to capital cities and playing at a haul of new regional markets. Igniting audiences with its innovative blend of rock and melodic folk, and playing to sold-out venues across the country in 2023, Kev is thrilled to announce the return of the tour, aptly titled When Kev Met Bob Rides Again, with tickets onsale now from www.bobevans.com.au.
Two great singer-songwriters, Kevin Mitchell—frontman of the iconic post-grunge ‘90s rock band Jebediah, and treasured folk artist Bob Evans—both men driven by an unrelenting curiosity and desire to push boundaries. The fact they’re one and the same individual hardly matters, to Kev and Bob it’s all about the music.
When Kev Met Bob Rides Again will launch across the country, kicking off in Brunswick Heads on November 14, before making stops at Gold Coast, Brisbane, Belgrave (Victoria), Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Caringbah, Bulli and Sydney, finally, returning to Kev’s adopted hometown of Melbourne for a grand finale at the Northcote Social Club on December 14.
Fans can expect a captivating performance that spans over 30 years of music, blending the high-energy rock anthems of Kev’s seminal masterwork, Jebediah, with the reflective, acoustic melodies of his ARIA award-winning alter ego Bob Evans, featuring a carefully curated selection of fan favourites, alongside new additions from Mitchell’s extensive 12 album catalogue.
The tour will blur the lines between Kev and Bob’s unique styles, swapping out electric and acoustic instruments as needed. For diehard fans of both acts, the upcoming shows will be a celebration of what makes these two artists so special and revered by music fans across the country. “Last year I took the plunge with something that had been at the back of my mind for many years, playing a show that combined my Jebediah and Bob Evans songs together for the first time ever,” explains Kev. “For nearly 30 years I had kept them completely separate but now felt ready to step into a new era. The result was much more than I had expected, sold out shows and a peculiar feeling of completeness that was new. Simply put, it was the most satisfying run of shows I had done in years, and I knew straight away that I had to do it again. So why not now, at the end of 2024? In a year where Jebediah released their first new album in over a decade and with so many other Jebs and Bob songs to choose from, this new round of When Kev Met Bob shows will revisit the best moments from the last tour and add a whole batch of different songs into the mix, stretching all the way back to 1996 and right up to the present”.
When Kev Met Bob Rides Again is not just a return of a successful tour; it is a testament to Mitchell’s enduring love for music and his dedication to his craft. Kev’s alter-ego Bob was born even as Mitchell was at the height of his success with radio and festival mainstay Jebediah. While the band was recording their second album Of Someday Shambles in 1999, Kev began penning songs under his Bob Evans moniker. Since then, Bob has won multiple ARIA awards across his six-album career, with his most recent Tomorrowland released in 2021, and Jebediah just this year released OIKS, the band’s first new album in 13 years, with OIKS catapulting their iconic past and present into a dazzling new era. Over nearly three decades, Kev has continued to push the boundaries of his artistry, from the fuzz pedal guitar-driven energy of Jebediah’s alt-rock to the semi-acoustic stylings of Bob Evans.
When Kev Met Bob Rides Again promises to be an unmissable event, offering a unique opportunity to see two of Australia’s most beloved musical personas in the flesh, as one artist delivers a performance at the height of his creative achievement.
Decades of musical excellence and innovation once again culminate in a concert for the ages. When Kev Met Bob Rides Again promises to be an extraordinary tribute to one of this country’s best loved troubadours.
Tickets to When Kev Met Bob Rides Again are on sale now from www.bobevans.com.au.
WHEN KEV MET BOB RIDES AGAIN NATIONAL TOUR
Presented by Select Music and Catherine Haridy Management
THU 14 NOV | BRUNSWICK PICTURE HOUSE, BRUNSWICK HEADS NSW | 15+ | supported by Liv Marlton
Tickets available from www.eventfinda.com.au | 1800 710 499 | All Eventfinda Outlets
FRI 15 NOV | MO’S DESERT CLUBHOUSE, GOLD COAST QLD | 18+| supported by Liv Marlton and Bronte Eve
Tickets available from www.mosdesertclubhouse.com | 0480 170 681 | Venue
SAT 16 NOV | THE BRIGHTSIDE, BRISBANE QLD | 18+| supported by Katie Wighton
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 22 NOV | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC | 18+| supported by Amaya Laucirica
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 29 NOV | ROSEMOUNT HOTEL, PERTH WA | 18+| supported by Artfool
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 30 NOV | GRACE EMILY HOTEL, ADELAIDE SA | 18+| supported by Katie Pomery
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THU 5 DEC | FLAMINGOS LIVE, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www. | 02 4956 2066 | Venue
FRI 6 DEC | LANSDOWNE HOTEL, SYDNEY NSW | 18+| supported by Georgia Mooney
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 7 DEC | HUXLEYS, CARINGBAH NSW | 18+| supported by Georgia Mooney
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 8 DEC | HERITAGE HOTEL, BULLI NSW | 18+| supported by Georgia Mooney
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 14 DEC | NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB | MELBOURNE VIC | 18+| supported by Amaya Laucirica
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
BULLY HAY SHARES STIRRING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘BUSHFIRE MOON’ + DEBUT ALBUM ‘BLACK DOGS AND SONGBIRDS’ DUE OUT OCTOBER 30
Embracing Australian rock with swooning acoustic adornment, the brand new single Bushfire Moon out today from Tasmania singer-songwriter Bully Hay is a stirring new cut taken from his forthcoming debut album Black Dogs And Songbirds, due out on Wednesday October 30. Also accompanied today by a striking music video reflecting actual events, Bushfire Moon is a reflective yet charming outing from this gifted Australian creative and storyteller, with production courtesy of the legendary Jeff Martin of The Tea Party fame.
With each song on the upcoming full length album Black Dogs And Songbirds channelling their own unique sonic flavours, Bushfire Moon effortlessly, and inadvertently, found its way into semi-country-meets-singer-songwriter terrain, with some classic Australian rock undercurrents also flourishing in the steady hands of Bully Hay, aka Jonathon Coleman. Taking inspiration from some of the greats, including Paul Kelly, Bruce Springsteen, Crowded House and Eddie Vedder, Bushfire Moon was also ultimately motivated by real-world events in the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated parts of Bully Hay’s home state. “Bushfire Moon came to me after the Dunalley bushfires in Tasmania a few years ago,” shares Bully Hay. “The fire wiped out most of the Tasman Peninsula and caused a lot of damage and disruption. It ended up cutting off a lot of people from the rest of the island to the point where people could only get on and off the peninsula by boat. So, the community had to band together to get help to those that needed it. It felt like just about anyone that had a boat was ferrying supplies and people back and forth for days because the roads were all blocked with debris from the fires. I had this fictional story in my head inspired by those events of a volunteer firefighter right in the thick of it, fighting the fires and totally exhausted. At some point he knows it’s a lost cause. The situation is hopeless and too far gone and he needs to get out of there. All he can think of is finding his love and he sets out, determined to find her amongst all the chaos.”
Produced, recorded and mixed by Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), who Bully Hay will also support on his Australian tour starting tonight and closing out in October, Bushfire Moon is ultimately “at its core, an acoustic guitar ballad that builds with layers of electric guitars and subtly intertwines a touch of violin”, brought together Bully Hay himself on guitars and vocals, Martin on guitar, Hellhound Brown on slide guitar, Drew Castles on drums, Ben Conicella on bass, and Luke Moller on strings. And also teaming up with Thomas Roach of Roach Media to bring the accompanying visuals for Bushfire Moon to life, the new music video snapshots the unique reality of bushfires in Australia, as Bully Hay elaborates, “We kept it simple with this one and just took the Australian landscape, lit it on fire (not literally, just found footage of it on fire!) and projected that onto me playing through the song. As traumatic as bushfires are, there is something quintessentially Australian about our country where fire is both the great destroyer and creator. So, we wanted that to be a focus of the video.”
Joining earlier singles Wash Off The World and the upcoming new album’s title track, Black Dogs And Songbirds, Bushfire Moon furthers the core notions of change, self-reflection and life’s highs and lows in general beating at the heart of Bully Hay’s debut full length. Along with Bully Hay and Jeff Martin’s incredible fingerprints across the entire album, Black Dogs And Songbirds also brought onboard Paul Pilsneniks (Silverchair, Dope Lemon, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) on engineering, and Grammy Award-nominated Joe Carra (The Teskey Brothers) on mastering duties, as well as sonic inspiration spanning Soundgarden riffs, Rage Against the Machine basslines, Jeff Buckley, Paul Kelly, Powderfinger, Crowded House, The War On Drugs and, fittingly, Jeff Martin’s own band The Tea Party. Opening with buoyant empowerment via Wash Off The World, Bully Hay bursts into vivid view with heartrending melodics, acoustic flourishes and a glistening sonic reflection of the ocean itself in all of its cleansing and naturally wild beauty. From here, Bully Hay flits between wistful twangs (Breathing Out and I Can Be Your Lover), pensive, stripped-back ruminations (Black Dogs And Songbirds), swooning country hues (Bushfire Moon), an indie love ballad that melts and charms with measured simplicity (The World Is On Fire But You Look So Great), potent storytelling set against swelling textures (Cinnamon Perfume Cabernet), as well as injections of Aussie rock, both upbeat (Flinders Street Station. And whether diving headfirst into woozy and heavier territory (Arrest The Youth and Such Confidence) or buffeting across the album’s gossamer closing track (I Know What You’re Saying Love), Bully Hay not only showcases his dexterous abilities across a sea of different genre elements; he also effortlessly captures the entire gamut of the human existence in 11 powerful tracks.
“All of the song themes are taken from real life inspiration and reflection,” shares Bully Hay of Black Dogs And Songbirds. “Musically, I’m definitely a product of my listening habits and these vary so much from classical and folk music to grunge and metal, rock and acoustic singer songwriters. So perhaps this is why the songs vary a lot in style and are tricky to pinpoint. It’s a very self-reflective album. Most of the songs are about change and dealing with those changes in different ways. That could be rejecting change, embracing change or just noticing that something is happening whether you like it or not. Being true to yourself and recognising your own flaws and unpacking them. The songs differ quite a lot in style and feel. So, the album itself takes the listener on quite a journey. One of the songs on the album (Cinnamon Perfume Cabernet) has a lyric in there: “You cannot have the light without a little bit of darkness” and this very much sums up the experience of listening to this album. There are plenty of moments of light and shade and a little in between. Sums up the highs and lows of life in general.”
A sixth-generation Tassie boy currently based in Southern Tasmania, Bully Hay’s upbringing saw him utterly immersed in music, with his musical family helping to ignite his lifelong passion at an early age. Ultimately sparking his desire to become a musician by his father, who introduced Bully Hay to some chords on the guitar at the tender age of 14, the rest well and truly was history, with the self-taught Coleman going on to learn music by ear, and performed in bands and as a solo artist for the years to follow. Settling on the moniker Bully Hay for his solo endeavours, the name was inspired by Coleman’s uncle who was one of “The Rats of Tobruk” in World War II.
Ahead of the upcoming release of Black Dogs And Songbirds on October 30, Bully Hay will perform some solo acoustic shows supporting Jeff Martin on his Australian solo tour, with Martin performing interpretations of classic David Bowie songs on his Aussie run. Kicking off tonight in Belgrave, Martin and Bully Hay will trek to Melbourne, Adelaide and Cronulla, before closing out on Thursday October 24 in Newcastle. For Bully Hay, the chance to not only tour with Martin but also strip back his own live show is the perfect complement to the origins and creative journey for Black Dogs And Songbirds, as Bully Hay explains, “I couldn’t be more pumped about these shows. Normally these songs would be performed as a 5-6 piece band. But I’m hitting the road first in reverse and supporting Jeff in a solo acoustic format. I love playing these songs solo. In fact, every single song on the album began with just me on an acoustic guitar so it feels very natural. You can expect these songs stripped back and distilled into rather intimate versions. Often, it’s easier to connect with the audience when it’s just you and your guitar. As for Jeff jumping on stage, I would say there’s a strong possibility, but you’ll have to come along and find out!”
And with a national tour with his full band also on the cards following the release of Black Dogs And Songbirds, the best for Bully Hay seems only yet to come.
Bushfire Moon is out today.
Black Dogs And Songbirds is due out Wednesday October 30.
BULLY HAY – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Acoustic Solo Shows supporting Jeff Martin
FRI 20 SEP | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
SAT 21 SEP | CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
SAT 5 OCT | JIVE, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from Moshtix
WED 23 OCT | BRASS MONKEY, CRONULLA NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
THU 24 OCT | KING STREET WAREHOUSE, NEWCASTLE, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
J-MILLA AND YUNG MILLA TO BRING ‘SAME BLOOD’ TO BIGSOUND 2024
Off the back of their live debut at AMAZON Music’s extraordinary Blak Loud showcase earlier this month, First Nations rap lords, J-MILLA and Yung Milla are now primed to turn BIGSOUND on its head with their SAME BLOOD showcase at Sound Garden on Tuesday 3 September. Undeniably set to be the hip hop party of the year, SAME BLOOD is an explosive live collaboration of rhyme, dance and style between the Marranunggu bruthas who have forged their own unique paths to prominence in the NT and beyond. Following BIGSOUND, the bruthas will take SAME BLOOD to the general public at the LIKE A BOSS MUSIC FESTIVAL on Saturday 7 September, before heading to SXSW Sydney.
Born to the traditional owners of the Litchfield National Park, the Milla brothers grew up rough in the southern suburbs of Darwin, overcoming intergenerational trauma and hardscrabble street life to find powerful voices, explosive stage presence and phenomenal clout as inspiration to a legion of Top End youth.
J-MILLA found his salvation in storytelling as a teen hellbent on redemption, using his passion like a weapon to maintain a healthy mental state for himself and his younger brother, Levi. My People and Unlock the System forged a platform for First Nations justice and social awareness. His latest, Boomerang (watch BOOMERANG), samples the Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, another intentional step in his deft mix of social comment and bangin’ club vibes.
Speaking about the AMAZON Blak Loud showcase, J-MILLA says, “There’s a dynamic between us bros that’s hard to define, but the crowd that night, they could see it and that’s gangsta. This is what we’ll be bringing to BIGSOUND and more.”
Yung Milla followed his brother’s lead, but not his footsteps. While J found new footing via a private school scholarship in Adelaide, young Levi continued to draw his resolve as an artist from the challenging urban landscape of Palmerston: ripe territory for a hip hop truthteller determined to right wrongs and rise via killer tracks Better Days, Land Down Under, They Don’t Know, and his new anthem of transcendence, Shine (watch SHINE). Yung Milla will also showcase his solo set at the INCUBATED showcase on Wednesday 4.45pm at JBL Live Stage at BIGSOUND.
Yung Milla says, “Not only are we blood brothers, we’re best friends, we’ve come from struggle and gone through a lot of things together that most people never see. Then to be on stage performing to industry VIPs feels pretty good, like a blessing.”
SAME BLOOD brings all this to the party and more: classic cuts remixed, re-energised and spiced with brand new collaborations from their sometimes-troubled crossroads. Stay tuned for the national unveiling of the brothers’ debut track early next year, inspired by the tragic murder of their cousin, and continuing an uncompromising rise from a world of violence and temptation to a righteous pursuit of justice and glory.
In four short years, J-MILLA has amassed a slew of awards, collaborations and media accolades, carving a path for Yung Milla to escalate thephenomenon dubbed in regional NT communities as “Milla-Mania”.
Earlier this month, the brothers showcased their solo sets at Live Nation’s Ones to Watch and now, for only the second time, SAME BLOOD brings them together with a handpicked posse of dancers and road-hardened energy to blow the hip-hop party fuse for 2024.
Happy Mag calls J-MILLA “a dominant force in hip hop”. triple j calls Yung Milla “hot shit”. We’re calling Same Blood the hip hop party of the year.
TUES 3 SEP | SAME BLOOD, SOUNDGARDEN | FORTITUDE VALLEY, BRISBANE, QLD | 10PM
WED 4 SEP | YUNG MILLA, INCUBATED SHOWCASE | JBL LIVE STAGE, BRUNZ MALL | FORTITUDE VALLEY, BRISBANE, QLD | 4.45PM
SAT 7 SEP | SAME BLOOD, LIKE A BOSS MUSIC FESTIVAL, THE STATION | SUNSHINE COAST, QLD