360 ANNOUNCES PART 2 OF BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR, JOINED BY SPECIAL GUEST DREST
Off the back of a killer 12 date regional run through Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT for Part 1 of his Back To Life tour last month, beloved Australian rapper 360 will continue to conquer in 2024, today announcing 12 new dates in March and April for Part 2 of his regional takeover. Previously embarking on a fully sold out run of shows, his first in just under six years last June, Part 2 of 360’s ongoing regional tour will kick off on Thursday 14 March at Blazes Showroom in Tamworth, swinging through New South Wales and Tasmania, before finishing up in Western Australia at Dunsborough Tavern on Saturday 20 April, with special guest drest supporting on the full run.
Tickets go on-sale to the general public at 9am local time on Friday 15 December. Fans are invited to pre-register now at 360music.com.au to access pre-sale tickets from 9am local time on Thursday 14 December.
Returning to stages in November for the first half of his Back To Life regional tour, 360 also joined forces with Support Act for some of the run, with a donation of $1 per ticket purchased matched by a further $1 from Live at your Local being donated to the music industry charity, Support Act. And with the first part of the Back To Life tour officially now done and dusted, the positivity and memories grown throughout that run will firmly flow into the upcoming 2024 shows, as 360 poignantly shares, “Part 1 was so good, though I’m not going to lie, after the first tour in June I was nervous because I felt so rusty still. I had to shake off a lot of cobwebs and it got in my head a bit, I felt stiff, I struggled loosening up and having fun performing. But this tour – that feeling has completely gone, thankfully. Now I’ve been just vibing with the music, having fun and feeling like I used to back in the day. It’s taken a lot of work to get here, but it’s so good to be back.”
An ARIA Award-winning, multi-platinum pioneer, 360’s art has consistently resonated globally throughout his career, thanks largely due to his honest, authentic and self-aware nature as well as his inescapably likeable sonic flair. Closing out the year and gazing towards 2024 tapping into his own life and broader society, 360’s culturally conscious state of flow has also been heavily inspired in 2023 by the likes of Danheim, Hans Zimmer, Nicholas Britell, Mac Richter and Dustin O’Halloran. “I listen to them when I’m zoning out,” 360 reveals, “and picturing the life I want to create for myself”. Returning with gusto in 2023, 360 is undeniably back, better than ever before – and his hard-fought and inspiring journey to finding peace and strength against the odds has exuberantly flowed over into his creations as well as his live performances, as 360 reveals, “I was in a horrible place, I had a whole bunch of music I was making but the lack of self-confidence and social anxiety had wreaked havoc on my frame of mind. I wanted to stay indoors and avoid the world, I lost the spark to live and be better. But this year I made a conscious choice to turn things around and take back control of my life, so it’s been a mixture of things. It started with a ton of therapy every week, understanding my issues inside and out. Then that evolved into working with a life coach. I had to figure out the exact man I wanted to be and stop living like a little boy, so that’s what I’m in the process of doing right now. A lot of it is about doing the work I would usually avoid doing at all costs. I’m not a confrontational person and I let that get out of hand to the point I wouldn’t stand up for myself or communicate honestly. So learning to be more assertive, to have trust in myself and actually love myself again. Also, I can’t stress the importance of the fitness side of things, smashing the gym regularly and eating healthy has done way more than any medication has…so this has been the process to coming back to life.”
An artist who has never been one to do anything in halves, the prolific rapper swiftly cemented himself on the Australian scene via his 2008 debut album What You See Is What You Get, before the game-changing 2011 release Falling & Flying catapulted 360 into a whole new stratosphere. Hailed for its emotive weight, authenticity and genre-fluid finesse, Falling & Flying paved the way for 360’s continued domination with 2014’s Utopia and 2017’s Vintage Modern firmly sealing his legacy. But amongst his renowned battle rapping dexterity, searing creative innovation and collaborations, 360’s path has simultaneously been lined with mountains, from an accident in 2010 that almost upended the release of Falling & Flying to his battle with addiction and mental health issues in later years; all moments in time that ultimately helped guide and strengthen 360’s resolve, leading him to new music as well as his triumphant return to performing earlier this year. Now primed and focused on a horde of upcoming projects, 360 will also imminently be joined on Part 2 of the Back To Life regional tour with drest – a young singer-songwriter hailing from the small farming town of Finley in New South Wales, and currently based in Melbourne. Weaving a melting pot of indie, rock, pop, and rap, drest’s dazzling sonic amalgamation is equally connective and fresh, with sold out shows across Australia alongside 360 in his wake, his own headline shows and a recent single heavenwillwait out in the world.
Alongside drest in 2024, 360 is primed to continue bringing his exhilarating live show around regional Australia, with the Back To Life Part 2 tour guaranteed to satiate past, present and future fans of the magnetic rap maverick. Expect unapologetic and heartfelt storytelling from an artist who can tackle any style and make it his own. And hitting some familiar and less travelled locales next March and April, prepare for some incredible moments from one of Australia’s most engaging modern artists, who is as excited to be back and thriving, as much as his legions of fans are excited to have him back. “I am working on an album, collab projects, and I intend to jump back into the arena of rap battling as well,” 360 reveals. “I’ll be doing a bunch of other shit too, like showing certain steps I’ve taken to get myself better, I really wanna show others who are stuck in a rut that if they need a way out, this is how I’ve done it, but you’ve gotta put in the hard work. It’s fucking good to be back.”Tickets to the Back To Life Regional Tour Part 2 go on sale at 9am local time on Friday 15 December from 360music.com.au.
360 – BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR PART 2
Tickets available from 360music.com.au
THU 14 MAR | BLAZES SHOWROOM, TAMWORTH NSW | 18+
FRI 15 MAR | FINNIAN’S, PORT MACQUARIE NSW | 18+
SAT 16 MAR | KING STREET, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
THU 04 APR | MIRANDA HOTEL, MIRANDA NSW | 18+
FRI 05 APR | SHOAL BAY COUNTRY CLUB, SHOAL BAY NSW | 18+
SAT 06 APR | DRIFTERS WHARF, CENTRAL COAST NSW | 18+
THU 11 APR | ROYAL OAK HOTEL , LAUNCESTON TAS | 18+
FRI 12 APR | PUB ROCK DINER, DEVONPORT TAS | 18+
SAT 13 APR | REPUBLIC BAR, HOBART TAS | 18+
THU 18 APR | LEISURE INN, ROCKINGHAM WA | 18+
FRI 19 APR | THE CARINE, DUNCRAIG WA | 18+
SAT 20 APR | THE DUNSBOROUGH TAVERN, DUNSBOROUGH WA | 18+
CUB ANNOUNCES ‘LIV LOUD’ TO SUPPORT AUSMUSIC T-SHIRT DAY, FEATURING YOU AM I, BOY & BEAR, TOUCH SENSITIVE, CROOKED COLOURS, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, HOCKEY DAD, KELI HOLIDAY AND MORE
Carlton & United Breweries will support the local live music and hospitality industries to the tune of around $100,000 as part of CUB’s LIV LOUD 2023 program collaboration with Ausmusic T-Shirt Day next month.
Around 40 venues across the country are participating in the program’s inaugural year, with each venue to receive a cash grant to host live events on off-peak days throughout November.
Breakout artists such as Pacific Avenue and radio personality Matty O’Gorman will play alongside some of Australia’s leading acts such as You Am I, Boy & Bear and Touch Sensitive.
Additionally, CUB will donate funds directly to charity Support Act in December to further assist their incredible work delivering crises relief support, mental health programs and more across the country.
CUB Artists & Events Manager Marcus Knight said CUB’s LIV LOUD 2023 builds on its long-standing tradition of supporting a vibrant live music industry.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Support Act to deliver this initiative and continue our long-standing tradition of supporting Aussie pubs.
“Venues will use the grants to bring these events to life, including paying the performers, production costs and hiring some extra staff. This will help bring punters through the door on off-peak nights when they might otherwise have stayed at home and help ensure they have a great time. Bands, trivia nights and live performances are a quintessential part of the pub. LIV LOUD 2023 not only supports them, but the broader hospitality industry too.”
Thrilled to be a part of LIV LOUD, Boy & Bear lead singer Dave Hosking said: “We are really looking forward to playing as part of the inaugural LIV LOUD lineup alongside so many other great acts supporting Ausmusic month, AusmusicT-shirt day and Support Act. And it’s so good to see so many gigs and tours coming out to regional venues after such a rollercoaster few years for the music industry.”
AusmusicT-Shirt Day, scheduled for November 30 this year, is coordinated by Support Act annually to raise urgently-needed funds for music workers in crisis. Aussies can show their support by buying an Aussie music t-shirt throughout November, making a donation to Support Act or setting up a team to fundraise.
Support Act’s CEO Clive Miller said: “We welcome this wonderful initiative from CUB to promote and celebrate live music during Ausmusic Month and encourage fundraising for the Ausmusic T-Shirt Day campaign. LIV LOUD 2023 creates opportunities for live performers and hospitality staff while giving people a terrific night out and supporting a good cause. It really is a win-win all round.”
Marcus Knight added: “CUB are proud to partner with Ausmusic T-Shirt Day and Support Act in 2023 uniting with Australian artists and the hospitality sector who consistently service the Australian community. We acknowledge and support the critical service of Support Act in the delivery of crisis relief to musicians, managers, crew and music workers.”
For all tickets and further information about LIV LOUD 2023, visit CUB ‘LIV LOUD’
For more information about Ausmusic T-Shirt Day visit www.ausmusictshirtday.org.au
DIESEL ANNOUNCES 2024 AUSTRALIAN FOREVER TOUR NEW ALBUM ‘BOOTLEG MELANCHOLY’ OUT NOW
Ahead of releasing his sixteenth studio album tomorrow, Australian icon Diesel has today announced a special run of shows in 2024, with the Forever Tour set to kick off in January next year celebrating Diesel’s brand new outing, the multifaceted masterpiece Bootleg Melancholy – available to preorder now.
Set to perform across Australia next January at Avoca Beach, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Margaret River, Sydney and Brisbane, including an appearance at the hallowed Sydney Opera House while in New South Wales, pre-sale tickets to these unforgettable evenings will be available for Diesel and venue members from 10am on Thursday 19 October until Sunday 22 October, with general public tickets on sale from Thursday 26 October at 9am AEDT. To keep up to date with all things Diesel, including upcoming tour pre-sale opportunities, head to dieselmusic.com.au/mailinglist.
All of the myriad talents of Diesel‘s musical abilities coalesce on Bootleg Melancholy, an unabashedly exuberant 14-track LP that is at once the most diverse and most cohesive album Diesel has recorded to date. Loaded with hooks, these songs greet with the warmth and familiarity of a good friend, songs about family, mortality, childhood, and dreams. Travelling across time, place, and memory, this is rousing yet reflective pop music that celebrates the joys of everyday life while braving the difficult stuff – the challenges we all eventually face – with insights and tenderness. Featuring the single Forever, the listener is going to take from Bootleg Melancholy what they best need, whether the pop rush of an infectious chorus, the reassurances of a heartening lyric sung with Diesel’s trademark soulfulness, or the satisfying interjection of some exhilarating solos on vintage guitars. And for Diesel, this album finally feels like a return to some form of normality after the previous few years and releases, as he explains, “After recording and releasing two albums in a pandemic, it feels great to be releasing this new album! I’m not sure what normal is, but it feels great to be still doing this with others around me. It’s always inspiring for me to see the excitement of people, especially as the recording process starts out as very insular, in this case a one-man journey. It’s always a challenge to put into words what something sounds like, but I feel like there are a lot of influences going on, probably more than any record I’ve made but somehow it feels the most cohesive at the same time.”
Spending the pandemic years revisiting artists like TLC, Elliot Smith, Leon Bridges, Khruangbin and Angel Olsen, Diesel also dove deep into guitar sounds and the first three Prince albums as he worked towards new material amidst a backdrop of extreme uncertainty. Recording, mixing and mastering his latest album entirely on his own, with drummer Lee Moloney appearing on some of the tracks and Bernie Bremond on saxophone for Never Giving Up, Bootleg Melancholy is as much an exercise in catharsis and joy as it is a snapshot of Diesel’s own personal journey; a reflection on places past tread during a time when travel seemed a distant memory, as Diesel reveals, “I would describe this album as almost a travel log recall of all the places I’ve been or lived in, I kind of had to as we weren’t going anywhere! There are also a lot of bright sounding songs with quite close to the bone lyrics, I like to have that juxtaposition.”
One of Australia’s greatest success stories, the American-born Diesel, aka Mark Lizotte, has spent three decades weaving an effortlessly magic musical touch into his rock and blues-fuelled sounds, both as part of the band Johnny Diesel & The Injectors and, more recently, as a solo artist. With multiple #1 ARIA charting albums under his belt, six ARIA award wins and millions of streams alongside a legion of fans, Diesel’s creative skillset also expands beyond his own projects, with the talented artist also renowned for his work as a producer and multi-instrumentalist.
Now set to wow fans once again with his new album Bootleg Melancholy this week, Diesel is definitely not slowing down as 2023 draws to a close, with his extensive national tour in early 2024 marking just the beginning of another exceptional year for this creative powerhouse. “It’s always exciting bringing a song into the live realm,” shares Diesel of the upcoming 2024 Australian tour. “A lot of times I want to record it again after touring it! It’s also like bringing new friends into the fold with old friends. And I’m most excited to feel the reaction from the audience with the new songs, it’s always a ‘butterflies in the stomach’ kind of feeling – but I thrive on that.”
Diesel’s Forever Australian tour commences in January 2024, tickets on sale Thursday 26 October from 9am from dieselmusic.com.au
Bootleg Melancholy is set for release Friday 13 October via Bloodlines, and is available to preorder now.
DIESEL – FOREVER NATIONAL TOUR DATES
SAT 13 JAN 24 | AVOCA BEACH THEATRE, AVOCA BEACH NSW | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from dieselmusic.com.au
SAT 24 FEB | DUNSTAN PLAYHOUSE, FESTIVAL CENTRE, ADELAIDE SA | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
FRI 01 MAR | ATHENAEUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets
FRI 22 MAR | REGAL THEATRE SUBIACO, PERTH WA | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com.au | 132 849 | All Ticketek Outlets
SAT 23 MAR | HEART THEATRE, MARGARET RIVER WA | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from dieselmusic.com.au
FRI 12 APR | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY NSW | AA | 8-10.15pm
Tickets available from dieselmusic.com.au
SAT 13 APR | THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE QLD | AA | 8:00-10.15pm
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | 1300 446 925 | All Ticketmaster Outlets