Hunters & Collectors are coming to Fremantle! Catch this unique and special concert event in the courtyard of the historic Fremantle Prison under the stars on Friday, 7th October 2022.
Before headlining the sold-out Red Hot Summer event, Hunters & Collectors, will be rocking Fremantle with their good mates, The Stems and Chris Cheney. This exceptional performance is set to be an unforgettable evening in an iconic Freo location, with local beverages and food trucks on hand and stacked with classic thumping Aussie rock.
Hunters & Collectors made their live debut on 15th May 1981 at the Seaview Ballroom in Melbourne. Hunters and Collectors quickly earned a reputation as the ‘next big thing’ and the band to experience live through chaotic, intense live performances. They were signed up by Mushroom Records label White, which they remained with for the entirety of their existence. The January 1982 debut EP World Of Stone (World Of Stone / Watcher / Loinclothing) gave the Hunna’s an early taste of success, spending eight weeks in the Australian top 100, peaking at number 50. The self-titled debut studio album came out in mid-1982, selling reasonably well in Australia (#14, eventually selling Gold) and New Zealand. The album put a focus on brilliant instrumental sections featuring everything from the massive brass section to an empty gas cylinder. It features the seven and a half minute song that is regarded as the band’s first truly excellent song, Talking To A Stranger, which was released as a 7″ single and reached #59 in Australia. The single was also eventually released in the UK in various forms. The obscure but brilliant display of confusion and imagery, directed by Richard Lowenstein, in the video clip for Talking To A Stranger is also regarded as a classic. Hunters & Collectors’ anthemic tracks such as Holy Grail, Throw Your Arms Around Me, and When The River Runs Dry have become iconic to Australian rock.
The Stems made their debut in March 1984, and the band epitomised 80’s Australian indie rock, becoming one of only a handful of bands to crack the local mainstream charts with a string of classic garage rock singles. In doing so, they influenced a host of new local bands who would go on to emulate their brand of garage rock and roll. Their debut album First Sight Violets Are Blue, released in 1987 by Mushroom Records, received national and international acclaim, becoming one of the best-selling Australian albums of that year. Rolling Stone were to later name it one of the top 100 Australian releases of all time.
The group formally disbanded following their debut but reformed in 2003. They have continued to make popular live appearances, and in recent years their back catalogue has been lovingly reissued and supported by tours of both Australia and Europe. However, following Covid, their Australian and European dates projected for 2020 were cancelled, and like so many bands, they went into a hiatus. That will finally come to an end when they make this special support appearance this October at Fremantle Prison. 2018 WAM Hall of Fame inductees, The Stems, are happy to announce their first Perth show since 2019, supporting Hunters & Collectors. The line-up will feature original members Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews, and Dave ‘Huck’ Shaw, along with Even’s Ashley Naylor guesting on second guitar for the night.
Chris Cheney is well known as the frontman and guitar slinger of the iconic Australian punk rock band, The Living End. The Living End debuted their first album in 1994. Since then, Chris Cheney and his bandmates Scott Owen and Andy Strachan have notched up seven top-five albums, six ARIA Awards, and built a reputation as one of Australia’s hottest live bands.
In 2020 Chris Cheney and his family relocated to Melbourne due to the pandemic. While riding out the Victorian capital’s discombobulating lockdowns, he continued to write and record, completing around 60 songs. The strongest ten were chosen for the impressive debut solo album, The Storm Before The Calm. It’s a world away from the rock urgency of Prisoner Of Society and White Noise and reveals a vulnerability even the most ardent Living End fan hasn’t seen from Cheney.
HUNTERS & COLLECTORS
FREMANTLE PRISON, FREMANTLE WA
Friday 7th October 2022
Gates open from 6.00pm
18+ event
Tickets on sale Thursday 7th July at 10.00am (Perth time)
Tickets are available at:
www.ticketmaster.com.au