As lead singer, songwriter and guitarist with iconic bands Weddings, Parties, Anything, The Sure Thing and now the Roving Commission, and even as a solo performer, Mick Thomas has always tapped into the Australian psyche with ease as the everyman, delivering quality, intriguing musical tales we can all relate to. After more than four decades in the music business, Thomas is as busy as ever with a couple of particularly active months ahead. As well as co-owning the funky Merri Creek Tavern in Northcote, Mick is back out on the road in May with Vandemonian Lags, the epic all-star “convict musical” and then a June tour with The Roving Commission, promoting their upcoming new EP.
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mick Thomas at the Merri Creek Tavern for an in-depth 2 part chat as our Musician of the Month for May. Photos by Jason Rosewarne
In part one we discuss Mick’s journey into the music industry and his time with Weddings Parties Anything.
In part two, we discuss Vandemonian Lags and the new Roving Commission tour and recordings
VANDEMONIAN LAGS: New Musical Theatre from the Tasmanian Convict Underbelly
Starring Brian Nankervis, Mick Thomas, Tim Rogers, Jeff Lang, Ben Salter, Sal Kimber, Darren Hanlon, Shelley Short, Van Walker and introducing Claire Anne Taylor backed by an all-star band featuring Weddings Parties Anything’s Jen Anderson, Mark Wallace, and Michael Barclay with Craig Pilkington
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MELBOURNE, BENDIGO, BALLARAT & FRANKSTON THIS MAY, EXPERIENCE AN EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL JOURNEY BASED ON DRAMATIC TRUE STORIES FROM TASMANIA’S CONVICT PAST
For only the fourth time in twelve years has the stellar cast of Vandemonian Lags been gathered together to perform the acclaimed theatrical piece that presents an extraordinary musical journey based on dramatic true stories from Tasmania’s convict past.
Starring Brian Nankervis, Mick Thomas, Tim Rogers, Jeff Lang, Ben Salter, Sal Kimber, Darren Hanlon, Shelley Short, Van Walker and introducing Claire Anne Taylor backed by an all-star band featuring Weddings Parties Anything’s Jen Anderson, Mark Wallace, and Michael Barclay with Craig Pilkington, Vandemonian Lags was previously a centrepiece of the inaugural DARK MOFO festival in Hobart in 2013. It last played at Port Fairy Folk Festival in 2019, was the subject of a concert album and feature film and is now set to play in Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat and Frankston for the first time in May.
The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 gave rise to an amazing exodus from Van Diemen’s Land. Convicts and ex-convicts crossed Bass Strait in their thousands. Many of the ‘Vandemonians’ fell to crime and quickly tred on the goldfields. In 1852 the Victorian Government passed the Convicts Prevention Act with the express aim of preventing any further introduction of the prison population to the booming colony. Needless to say, the act was a complete failure!
Vandemonian Lags dates
Thursday 22nd May 7:30pm Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – Tix
Friday 23rd May 7:30pm Melbourne Recital Centre – Tix
Saturday 24th May 7:30pm Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat – Tix
Sunday 25th May 3:30pm Frankston Arts Centre – Tix
Tickets at www.caravanmusic.com.au
Convict past explored and myths busted in all-star musical Vandemonian Lags – ABC News
www.facebook.com/VandemonianLags
www.caravanmusic.com.au
www.instagram.com/caravanmusicclub
MICK THOMAS ANNOUNCES NEW EP AND TOUR WITH ROVING COMMISSION
Coolin’ By Sound Records and Press Play Presents Present
Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission The Tour For Everything….
Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission have announced a new seven track maxi single (that’s an ‘EP’ for those who don’t remember Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons’ So Young and Loud & Clear 7-tracker) First Step in a Homeward Direction, the title track of which will be the first single from a new album out in the second half of the year. The release of the EP in May will be followed by dates in Perth/Fremantle, Sydney, Melbourne and the Wimmera in May.
In Mick and the band’s grand tradition of supporting their favourite songwriters and giving their fans their money’s worth, the new EP, in addition to the title track, includes newly recorded covers of songs by Charles Jenkins, Spencer P. Jones & Kim Salmon, Carla Geneve, David Beniuk, Paul Woseen/Screaming Jets as well as a new version of an old song of Mick’s from Weddings Parties Anything’s final album.
October 2024 Mick and the band headed to Neil Finn’s prestigious Roundhead Studios in Auckland to record with award winning producer Steven Schram. First Step in a Homeward Direction (seven track maxi single) is the first offering from this inspired collaboration. It’s an all guns blazing rocking ballad – both triumphant and fragile – concerning the vagaries of the touring life and featuring all the musical assets the Roving Commission has to offer. The strings, the harmonies, the counterpoint lead vocals, the gnashing guitars and the swirling keyboards – all underpinned with a rhythmic sensibility as forceful as it is subtle and stylish. There’s another six tracks on the record – all covers from various contemporaries of the band including a lost track from Spencer P. Jones and Kim Salmon, one from the band’s WA buddy Carla Geneve and to close the record, a version of the Screaming Jets’ ‘Helping Hand’ – as surprising as it is poignant.
To get the record out there the band are making a quick trip ‘round the country in June. It’s the dead of winter so it will be good to have a heartwarming new batch of tunes on offer along side the familiar cannon of tunes Mick’s audience have come to expect. This year’s Port Fairy Folk Festival saw the Roving Commission handle the big stages with serious confidence and aplomb. The shows in June will be a great chance for the band to continue their quiet ascendancy as one of the country’s great touring acts.
All shows with special guest Skyscraper Stan (except Banyena)
JUNE
Fri 6 – Mojos Fremantle WA – Tix
Sat 7 – Lyric Lane Maylands WA – Tix
Fri 13 – Camelot Lounge Marrickville NSW – Tix
Sat 14 – Camelot Lounge Marrickville NSW – Tix
Fri 20 – Bird’s Basement Melbourne – Tix
Sat 21 – Banyena (Wimmera – Vic)
Winter Solstice Ball w/ Brooke Taylor and the PSGQ & Danny Walsh – SOLD OUT ALREADY!
Brand new seven track Maxi-single First Step in a Homeward Direction (The Cure For Everything) vinyl and CD out in May on Coolin’ By Sound Records
THE SONGS:
First Step in a Homeward Direction: Scenes from the touring life. The self-doubt, the financial uncertainty, the negative pressure on your relationships. But it’s worth it. It has to be worth it. The moment that you turn for home is everything. It’s the moment that you take your first step in a homeward direction.
Across the Nullarbor: This is a Charles Jenkins song released on his mighty ‘Blue Atlas’ record in 2008. Sung here by Brooke Taylor it’s a masterpiece of lazy phrasing and obtuse lyrics. It’s the only song MIck ever performed with Spencer P. Jones.
‘She had a show on community radio, I tuned in and fell for her even more…..’
Loose Ends: Continuing on with the Spencer P. Jones theme this is a song Spencer wrote with Kim Salmon for their Runaways album which came out in 2013. Kim claims the record never got much promotion or attention due to other releases they were involved in around the time. A great pity.
They had no way of knowing loose ends would sink their ship, unfinished business had them in its grip….
Walkerville: This came out on the Weddings final album Riveresque in 1996. This time around we tried to imagine how it might have sounded if it had been on Neil Young’s Harvest album – right between ‘Heart of Gold’ and ‘Old Man’.
I never thought that I’d be finding love down here in South Gippsland – but that is where I found it and for that I must give thanks….
Yesterday’s Clothes: A Carla Geneve tune that Mick realised the only way he was going to get to hear it live was to do it himself.
All the best songs are sad, I been thinking ‘bout my dog, I been missing my dad….
A Swim in the Ocean: Introduced at the 2005 Illawarra Folk Festival as his hometown’s “premier singer/songwriter” David Beniuk now lives and works out of Hobart. The spoken word bits at the end of A Swim in the Ocean come directly from the writing of Karen Blixen who is best know as the author of Out of Africa and Babette’s Feast.
Stress strangles the shoulders, I counted half a dozen things that didn’t work out today, tomorrow they’ll be one day more difficult…..
Helping Hand: And to finish the selection one from the sadly departed Paul Woseen – originally performed by the Screaming Jets.
Sometimes, things get a little crazy, sometimes, I am just a little hazy….
Vinyl and CD out in May on Coolin’ By Sound Records
www.coolinbysound.com.au
www.mickthomas.com
www.facebook.com/MickThomasMusic/
mickthomas.bandcamp.com
