Latest news with #EskimoJoe
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Matchbox Twenty star Rob Thomas announces Australian tour: 'One of my favourite places in the world'
Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas has announced he will be heading to Australia and New Zealand later this year for a solo headline tour. The 53-year-old American rocker will be touring his forthcoming solo album All Night Days and paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of his 2005 debut solo album, Something To Be. Thomas will land Down Under in October and kick off with two back-to-back shows in Perth, before heading to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In New Zealand, he will play shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. 'Aussie fans have always been incredible to me,' he said. 'I can't wait to come back and share these songs - old and new - on what's going to be a very special run of shows across one of my favourite places in the world.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, This will mark Thomas' first solo tour in Australia in 2019 - although he toured with Matchbox Twenty in 2024. The singer will be supported by an all star line-up of Australian opening acts, including Boy & Bear, Eskimo Joe, Little Quirks and Sara Berki. Tickets went on sale via Ticketek on Thursday, May 29 and appear to be affected by dynamic pricing online. The of General Admission standing tickets starts from $183 and seated tickets range from between $200 to $342. No concerts appear to be entirely sold-out at the time of writing. However, the $1526 'Guitar experience' has sold out in Adelaide. According to a statement from the artist, fans can expect a 'career-spanning set' that will include solo hits like 'Lonely No More' and 'This is How a Heart Breaks', as well as Matchbox Twenty classics such as '3AM' and 'Unwell'. In recent years, Rob has said his infamous 2016 blunder during his Melbourne tour is 'the greatest thing' that's ever happened to him. At the time, Rob joked about drinking through his jet lag until 'I think I'm a black Australian'. 'It changed a huge part of my life, it brought so many new friends into my life, it gave me a new awareness,' he told Confidential. 'It's never too late to start being on the right side of history,' Rob added. In 2016, mid-way through his performance at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, the singer offered a racially insensitive quip about the way in which he deals with long-haul flights. 'I drink til I think I'm Australian. And then I keep drinking til I think I'm a black Australian (sic),' he said. In footage obtained by TMZ at the time, the audience can be heard groaning and booing in response to Rob's remarks. Several hours after the live show, Rob took to Facebook with a heartfelt apology. 'After the show in Melbourne tonight while backstage with some of my Australian friends, it was brought to my attention that I said something that is racist and insensitive' he wrote. 'Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarising social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol.' He continued: 'When I was made aware of it, the ground fell out beneath me, and I realised that people may now see me as the exact opposite of who I am. I'm sitting here in my hotel room completely gutted that a joke that I made was much more relevant to the times in Australia than I realised. 'I know that words are just words, but to those I offended, I deeply, DEEPLY apologise! Everyone who knows me is aware that for the past 20 years I have been a fervent supporter of civil rights, so I am incredibly embarrassed by my ignorance. I feel like a fool and apologise to all Australians.' The American rock star boasts legions of fans across the globe. But Rob previously expressed that he is 'uncool' during an interview with Courier Mail. 'There's an inherent coolness in knowing you're not cool,' the singer told the publication. 'When I say I'm not cool, I don't mean that as a knock against me, I mean it against cool people. It's tongue-in-cheek. I'm a f***ing rock star. That's cool!' he added. While he has enjoyed a rather 'cushy' career, he recalled how his father spent his life 'working a job he hated.' 'I get paid to explain to people why they should care about my music... that's a pretty cushy job,' a grateful Rob said.
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Little doctors take over at Perth Children's Hospital's Kids' Clinic to raise funds for sick children
A team of little doctors took out their stethoscopes and traded places with their healthcare heroes to raise vital funds for WA's sickest kids. The Perth Children's Hospital Foundation held the heartwarming Kids' Clinic on Friday, allowing kids to grab their clipboards and flip the script. Noah Hamilton — who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis when he was two — said the day was about promoting PCHF and showing 'even sick kids can do things'. The 11-year-old ran an eye test station and even checked the eyesight of Eskimo Joe's Kav Temperley. 'It is amazing to be here, especially for the kids. You've got a bunch of kids who are dealing with all kinds of really intense stuff on a day-to-day basis, and for them to have a bit of control over being the doctors is really cool for their headspace, 'Mr Temperley said. Liv Cripps — cancer survivor and wife of West Coast Eagles star Jamie Cripps — was another renowned star patient. Eight-year-old Anastasia Trucia — who lives with cerebral palsy — ran Ms Cripps' favourite station, where people had to 'blow into (balloons) until the timer finishes.' 'Blowing up all those balloons was very tricky, I was very out of breath afterwards,' Ms Cripps said. Perth Children's Hospital Foundation CEO Carrick Robinson said the day celebrated recovery and resilience. 'Seeing our Little Doctors smiling, confident and thriving is a powerful symbol of why we do what we do,' he said. The Kids' Clinic served as a reminder of the urgent need for support during PCHF's Tax Appeal, which runs until June 30. Each donation made during this time will be doubled, helping the Foundation raise over $400,000 to fund state-of-the-art medical equipment. To support PCHF's Tax Appeal and double your impact, visit before June 30.
Perth Now
23-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Little doctors take over at PCH to raise funds for sick kids
A team of little doctors took out their stethoscopes and traded places with their healthcare heroes to raise vital funds for WA's sickest kids. The Perth Children's Hospital Foundation held the heartwarming Kids' Clinic on Friday, allowing kids to grab their clipboards and flip the script. Noah Hamilton — who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis when he was two — said the day was about promoting PCHF and showing 'even sick kids can do things'. The 11-year-old ran an eye test station and even checked the eyesight of Eskimo Joe's Kav Temperley. 'It is amazing to be here, especially for the kids. You've got a bunch of kids who are dealing with all kinds of really intense stuff on a day-to-day basis, and for them to have a bit of control over being the doctors is really cool for their headspace, 'Mr Temperley said. Liv Cripps — cancer survivor and wife of West Coast Eagles star Jamie Cripps — was another renowned star patient. Eight-year-old Anastasia Trucia — who lives with cerebral palsy — ran Ms Cripps' favourite station, where people had to 'blow into (balloons) until the timer finishes.' 'Blowing up all those balloons was very tricky, I was very out of breath afterwards,' Ms Cripps said. Maddie Toki, 6, and Betsy Shaw. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian Perth Children's Hospital Foundation CEO Carrick Robinson said the day celebrated recovery and resilience. 'Seeing our Little Doctors smiling, confident and thriving is a powerful symbol of why we do what we do,' he said. The Kids' Clinic served as a reminder of the urgent need for support during PCHF's Tax Appeal, which runs until June 30. Each donation made during this time will be doubled, helping the Foundation raise over $400,000 to fund state-of-the-art medical equipment. To support PCHF's Tax Appeal and double your impact, visit before June 30.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Heartbreaking story behind famous Aussie song revealed
Eskimo Joe's lead singer Kav Temperly has revealed that one of the band's most famous songs was inspired by the tragic death of Australian actor Heath Ledger. The 46-year-old musician took fans on a trip down memory lane on Monday as he sat in a garage studio to explain how he wrote Foreign Land. The hit song peaked at number 13 on the ARIA charts in 2009, and the following year won Most Played Australian Work and Rock Work of the Year at the APRAs. In a video shared to TikTok, Temperly said he'd been inspired by a CD called The Sounds of Turkey, purchased from a local music shop. 'I found this little sample in the middle of one of these big long 10-minute instrumental jams,' he began. 'And I put it onto my computer and I made a little loop and put the microphone onto my drums and did my best Led Zeppelin impression. 'I had this cool little idea but then we had to go away to New York to do this amazing gala performance at Lincoln Memorial Centre. It was big deal because we were going to be performing in front of a whole lot of dignitaries and we were on the red carpet when a very official-looking came up to me and said, "Just to let you know, Heath Ledger has just died." The news of the Hollywood star's death left the entire band grief stricken. 'We were pretty taken aback because he was this young, very talented guy from Perth, Western Australia where we were from,' Temperly said. 'It turned out he'd died streets away from where I was walking that day [in New York]. We were pretty affected by it - as was everyone at the ceremony.' When he and the band returned to Perth, Temperly was still thinking about Ledger in the recording studio and changed his mind about the song they originally had planned. 'We were going to write this big rock'n'roll record and I pressed play on my little tune with Turkish drum beat and my little loop and they said, "cool idea but that's not really a song." 'I just started to sing this very sad A-minor, C, F progression over the top of this sample and lo-and-behond it worked. 'This idea of Heath Ledger was going around in our heads, so I stood in front of the microphone and Joel said, "Just go for it, just sing anything that comes into your head." 'And this is what came into my head, "I smell the blood of an Australian. Try to understand me if you can",' he sung. Ledger died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications on 22 January, 2008, in the New York neighbourhood of SoHo. Specifically, he died from a combination of painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills.
Perth Now
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Heartbreaking Heath Ledger connection to hit Aussie song
More than 15 years after Eskimo Joe's hit song Foreign Land was released, band member Kav Temperley has revealed how the tragic death of acting legend and fellow West Aussie Heath Ledger inspired the single. The 46-year-old recalled the moment he found out about Ledger's passing in 2008, saying he was just streets away from the movie star's house in America on the day he died. 'We had to go away to New York to do this amazing gala performance at the Lincoln Memorial Center,' Tamperley said. 'And you know, it was a big deal because we were going to be performing in front of a whole lot of dignitaries and we were just walking the red carpet on our way into this show when this very official looking man came up to me and said, 'Just to let you know that Heath Ledger has just died'. The band — Temperley, Stuart MacLeod and Joel Quartermain — were left shocked. 'We were pretty taken aback because he was this very young, very talented guy from Perth, Western Australia, where we were from,' Temperley said. 'And it turned out he died streets away from where I was walking that day ... we were pretty affected by his death, as was everyone at the ceremony.' The next day, Temperley was sitting in a hotel room trying to write a song when details of Ledger's life and death started being discussed on TV. He said hearing about Ledger's life prompted him to think about the impacts of fame and when he returned to Perth, he shared his thoughts with MacLeod and Quartermain. 'You know, when you get pushed through this fame shaped hole, you kind of come out a little bit sideways and you're grasping at something that's real,' he said. When the band couldn't come up with lyrics for the bridge of the new song, Temperley was encouraged by Quartermain to just sing whatever was in his head. Australian band Eskimo Joe. Credit: Supplied / RegionalHUB 'This idea of Heath Ledger was going around in our heads, so I stood in front of the microphone and Joel said, 'Just go for it, just sing anything that comes into your head'. 'And this is what came into my head, 'I smell the blood of an Australian. Try to understand me if you can'.' Fans of the band were surprised to hear the story behind the song, with many thanking Temperley for sharing details. 'Means more to me now. Thanks Kav,' one said. Another commented: 'Great song with such a sad subject. Every time I hear it, I think of Heath Ledger.' A third added: 'Omg Kav ! I'm crying x thank you for sharing this, such an amazing song now is so much more poignant.'
