New York Queen of No Wave icon Lydia Lunch returns to Australia in June 2026 with Andrew Coates of Black Cab to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Alan Vega’s passing
by Paul Cashmere
Lydia Lunch, the indomitable force behind New York’s No Wave scene, is set to bring the songs of synth-punk pioneers Suicide and the late Alan Vega to Australian audiences for the first time. The tour, featuring Andrew Coates of Melbourne electronic stalwarts Black Cab, will span Australia and New Zealand, honouring a decade since Vega’s passing in 2016.
Lunch’s connection to Suicide dates back to the 1970s, when she moved from Rochester to New York as a teenager and encountered the duo of vocalist Alan Vega and multi-instrumentalist Martin Rev at the legendary Max’s Kansas City. She soon forged a creative bond with the pair, performing live alongside them, most notably on the harrowing track ‘Frankie Teardrop’. Their collaboration extended into the studio, with Lunch recording a duet with Vega on his solo album Sniper, alongside French experimental artist Marc Hurtado.
Since Vega’s death, Lunch has dedicated herself to keeping his work alive through tribute performances, often collaborating with Hurtado. Their most recent project, the live album Metempsychosis: Reincarnate the Music of Alan Vega + Suicide, showcases a raw, electrifying homage to the late frontman’s revolutionary sound.
The Australian leg of this project was first teased during Lunch’s 2024 Spoken Word tour when she performed an impromptu show at Melbourne’s Tote, backed by Black Cab. The concert sold out in three days, prompting Lunch and Coates to expand the tribute into a full tour for 2026. The Melbourne date will feature the full Black Cab lineup, with Coates and James Lee joining Lunch on stage.
Lunch’s work, both past and present, has always defied commercial conventions. As a provocateur, she has explored themes ranging from political and sexual power dynamics to intimate examinations of human fragility. Her voice has remained central to New York’s experimental scene since forming Teenage Jesus and the Jerks in the late 1970s. She has since released an extensive catalogue spanning music, spoken word, literature, and film, including collaborations with Sonic Youth, Nick Cave, Rowland S. Howard, Henry Rollins, and Einstürzende Neubauten.
Andrew Coates brings his own expansive experience to the tribute. As co-founder of Black Cab, he has navigated the realms of psychedelic kraut rock and electronic experimentation, performing at major festivals and sharing stages with the likes of Tangerine Dream and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Coates’ work with Lunch in Melbourne and their prior performances of Suicide material underscores his intimate understanding of the duo’s sonic language.
This tour promises more than a nostalgic tribute. It is an offering, a reckoning with the primal, confrontational energy of 1970s New York, filtered through Lunch’s fearless interpretation and Coates’ electronic textures. Audiences can expect a performance steeped in passion, intensity, and historical resonance.
Lydia Lunch Performs The Songs Of Suicide And Alan Vega – Tour Dates
Sun 14 June – Meow, Wellington, NZ (as part of Lōemis)
Wed 17 June – The Tote, Melbourne (with Black Cab)
Sat 20 June – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
Sun 21 June – Factory Floor, Sydney
Wed 24 June – Ed Castle, Adelaide
Thurs 25 June – The Milk Bar, Perth
Tickets go on sale Monday, March 30 at 9:00AM AEDT via pressplaypresents.com
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