*** PREMIUM FRONT ROW SEATING SOLD OUT ***
*** PREMIUM SECOND ROW SEATING & GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS REMAIN ***
“There are no riches but the riches of love. And there’s nothing you can’t rise above”. Whether it’s the sustaining invocation to his young son, or the pain and desperation of our forgotten peoples, songwriter and activist Les Thomas sings true to the heart of every listener. His intense lyrical style, and impassioned musical presentation enthral with deftly woven stories that we can’t walk away from. A must see artist”.
In the winter of 2016, Les Thomas experienced the most harrowing crisis of his life. Like some modern day Don Quixote, he was pushed to his emotional and psychological limits during a campaign to close the Don Dale youth detention centre. In the immediate aftermath and near-hospitalisation, he wrote a song called Man on Fire that poetically captured how it affected him, his family and his fellow activists. The song is about drawing on those painful lessons in a way that can give hope and eventually “to the prize, we rise again.”
Anyone who’s been through an ordeal with extreme highs and lows can relate to, with a chorus that takes off like a spaceship.
It’s frequently the most requested song in Les’s sets and he always knew this would be the lead single for his next album.
Now it’s time to make this song launch official with a very special debut full band show featuring his producer Stephen Grady on bass, Justin Olson on drums and Joshua Jones on lead guitar.
The evening will also include a premiere screening of the Man on Fire video clip, filmed on location in the forests of Warburton by Ryan Tews and featuring a suitably powerful vintage road machine that has to be seen to be believed.
Check out some of Les Thomas below:
The Circus (Acoustic) - Les Thomas
Supporting on the night is Teresa Duffy-Richards. "Teresa's depth and artistry is astonishingly beyond her years and is one of the most exciting voices in alt-country this country has heard in a long time - absolutely gorgeous!" - Kath Devaney, ABC Country
Teresa Duffy-Richards' songs are steeped in the vast traditions of folk and country music. She and partner Joshua Jones create a rousing live duo show with acoustic guitars, banjo and dobro, often compared to the likes of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. But ultimately it is the timeless songwriting of old world and 20th century troubadours and Tennessee-reared yodellers, that inspires much of her work.
Doors open at 7pm and tickets can be purchased below:
See you there :)