Mick Thomas has never been one to play the game the way the industry wants it played. As the former frontman of ARIA Award-winning folk-rock stalwarts Weddings Parties Anything, Thomas has always championed the power of songs as shared experiences. Now, with his long-running outfit Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission, he’s doubling down on that idea with the release of a new single, ‘A Mighty Ride’, and a run of in-store shows designed to remind fans, and the industry, what human connection in music really looks like.
The single lands ahead of the new album ‘GoComeBack’, out 31 October via Coolin’ By Sound, and before the band’s GoTourComeBack national tour, which kicks off 7 November and runs right through to New Year’s Day.
Sung by Brooke Taylor of the Roving Commission, ‘A Mighty Ride’ is a celebration of Melbourne itself, opening with the clang of a No. 96 tram bell before launching into a joyous rock romp that bridges the north-south divide of the city.
“The song presents a light-hearted call for unity in a time of division,” Thomas says. “Both sides are good. Both sides rock.”
Taylor’s lead vocal gives the track a fresh dynamic in the band’s catalogue, adding to the Commission’s reputation for weaving individual voices into a larger communal sound.
Before the album lands, Thomas and select members of the band will head out for a string of record store appearances under the banner GoIn-StoreComeBack. The idea is simple: cut through the noise of algorithms, playlists, and endless digital churn by showing up in the places where fans actually discover and buy music.
As Thomas bluntly puts it, “Spotify are underpaying musicians, turning our brains to mush with their stinky algorithm, and sinking your hard-earned dollars into AI military tech. So, we’ll go where it matters, into the record shops to play music. It’ll be fun. Time to get out there and shake some babies and kiss some hands.”
The tour will also stop at smaller venues for intimate side shows in towns not included on the larger GoTourComeBack run.
‘GoComeBack’ continues Thomas’ legacy of storytelling albums. Recorded at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios in Auckland with award-winning producer Steven Schram (Paul Kelly, San Cisco, Crowded House), the record splits thematically across two sides. Go explores travel, distance, and dislocation, while ComeBack celebrates the beauty of the everyday and the importance of home.
The album follows the EP ‘First Step in a Homeward Direction’, which debuted at #1 on the AIR Chart in June and was supported by a sold-out national run.
The full band-featuring Dave Foley (Tex Perkins, The Killjoys), Ben Franz (The Waifs, Tim Rogers), Jen Anderson, Mark “Squeezebox” Wally, and Brooke Taylor-bring a mix of grit, melody, and folk-rock flair that has defined Thomas’ career since the late ’80s.
Thomas, who co-founded Weddings Parties Anything in Melbourne in 1984, was at the heart of one of Australia’s most influential pub-rock bands. The group blended punk energy with folk storytelling, winning an ARIA Award for Best New Talent in 1988 and building a cult following with songs like ‘Father’s Day’, ‘Away Away’ and ‘The Infanticide of Marie Farrar’. Since the band’s split in 1998, Thomas has released a string of solo and band albums, established himself as one of Australia’s finest songwriters, and become a perennial presence in the country’s touring circuit-especially at Christmas, where his annual shows are near-institutional.
‘GoComeBack’ adds another chapter to that story. As Thomas says: “It’s a trip.”
Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission – Tour Dates
GoIn-StoreComeBack (In-Stores & Promo Shows)
Fri Oct 3 – Toowoomba, Volcanic Brewery w/ Nine Year Sister (ticketed) QLD
Sat Oct 4 – Brisbane, Sonic Sherpa 4.00pm QLD (in-store)
Sat Oct 11 – Adelaide, Clarity 4.00pm SA (in-store)
Sun Oct 12 – Adelaide Hills, Three Brothers Arms w/ Jacob Jake (ticketed) SA
Sat Oct 18 – Sydney, Egg Records 4.00pm NSW (in-store)
Fri Oct 24 – Dodges Ferry Hotel, TAS (ticketed)
Sat Oct 25 – Hobart, Tommy Gun Records 4.00pm TAS (in-store)
Sun Nov 20 – Invite-only listening party, Merri Creek Tavern, VIC
GoTourComeBack (National Tour)
Fri Nov 7 – Shiraz Republic, Cornella VIC
Sat Nov 8 – Young St Tavern, Frankston VIC
Sun Nov 9 – Memo, Healesville VIC
Fri Nov 14 – Birregurra Hall VIC
Sat Nov 15 – Eureka, Geelong VIC *** w/ The Ferriters
Sun Nov 16 – Burrinja, Upwey VIC
Fri Nov 21 – Kings Beach Tavern, QLD
Sat Nov 22 – Wallaby Hotel, Mudgereeba QLD
Sun Nov 23 – Lefty’s, Brisbane QLD
Thu Nov 27 – Smith’s Alternative, ACT
Fri Nov 28 – The Servo, Port Kembla NSW
Sat Nov 29 – Marrickville Bowlo, NSW
Sun Nov 30 – QIRKZ in the Hunter, NSW
Fri Dec 5 – Murray Delta Juke Joint, Goolwa SA
Sat Dec 6 – Wheatsheaf, Adelaide (x2 shows) SA
Sun Dec 7 – Wheatsheaf, Adelaide SA
Fri Dec 12 – The River, Margaret River WA
Sat Dec 13 & Sun Dec 14 – Oxford Hotel, Leederville WA
Thu Dec 18 – Arco Bar, Heatherton VIC
Fri Dec 19 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC
Sat Dec 20 – Corner Hotel, Richmond VIC + Jules Sheldon and the Boundary Riders
Thu Jan 1 – Archies Creek, VIC + Hana and Jessie-Lee’s Bad Habits + Danny Walsh Banned + Queen of Hearts Mariachi + M.C. Ian Bland
Tickets: www.mickthomas.com
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