Paul Dempsey will take his Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II show across regional Australia after a sold out capital city run, bringing his unpredictable, singalong-driven performances to audiences nationwide
by Paul Cashmere
After a sold out capital city tour that marked the biggest headline run of his solo career to date, Paul Dempsey is taking Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II back on the road, this time heading deep into regional Australia for an extended national run.
The Something For Kate frontman will launch the Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II Regional Tour in Frankston on May 1, before moving through Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia, the ACT and New South Wales, wrapping up in Coffs Harbour on August 1. The concept remains deliberately loose, built around spontaneity, audience energy and a setlist that shifts from night to night.
Dempsey described the first run of shows as a turning point for the project. “I had a blast on the Shotgun Karaoke tour last year, but it wasn’t long enough. I can’t wait to get out for the extended version and play all over the country. The atmosphere at these shows has been ridiculously fun,” he said.
The Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II album, released in 2025 through EMI, arrived during a transitional period for Dempsey. It followed the collaborative Fanning Dempsey National Park project and sits ahead of work on the next Something For Kate album. Like its predecessor, the record leans into reinterpretation, reframing well known songs through Dempsey’s understated, emotionally precise delivery.
Across his career, Dempsey has built a reputation for reshaping material, whether through his own songwriting with Something For Kate or through carefully chosen covers that reveal new emotional weight in familiar songs. That instinct sits at the centre of the Shotgun Karaoke concept, where structure is secondary to feel and the performance evolves in real time.
Audiences can expect a broad selection of material that stretches well beyond the recorded tracklisting. Songs such as If I Could Turn Back Time, Twist In My Sobriety, Boys Of Summer and Because The Night have featured alongside deeper cuts and left field selections. Past performances have also drawn from artists as varied as David Bowie, Jeff Buckley and Max Q, underscoring the wide musical palette Dempsey brings to the stage.
The format encourages participation, blurring the line between performer and audience. Each show builds its own momentum, with Dempsey adapting to the room and allowing the night to unfold organically. It is a format that aligns with his long standing ability to make intimate performances feel expansive, a quality that has defined Something For Kate’s live presence since the band emerged from Melbourne’s alternative scene in the mid 1990s.
Joining Dempsey on the tour is Naarm-based, Boorloo-raised singer-songwriter Kaitlin Keegan. Her work sits in the indie-folk space, built on detailed storytelling and a focus on everyday moments. Her forthcoming single 20 Something continues that trajectory, pairing melodic clarity with reflective lyricism.
Paul Dempsey Shotgun Karaoke Volume II Regional Tour Dates
Friday 1 May, Frankston, Pier Bandroom
Friday 8 May, Castlemaine, Theatre Royal
Friday 15 May, Forth, Forth Pub
Saturday 16 May, Hobart, Altar Bar
Friday 12 June, Barwon Heads, Barwon Heads Hotel
Saturday 13 June, Warrnambool, Whalers Hotel
Friday 19 June, Sunshine Coast, Kings Beach Tavern
Saturday 20 June, Gold Coast, HOTA Home Of The Arts, All Ages
Friday 26 June, Fremantle, Freo Social
Saturday 27 June, Margaret River, The River
Friday 3 July, Meeniyan, Meeniyan Town Hall, All Ages
Saturday 11 July, Newcastle, Bar On The Hill
Sunday 12 July, Port Macquarie, Finnian’s Tavern
Friday 17 July, Canberra, The Playhouse, All Ages
Saturday 18 July, Thirroul, Anita’s Theatre, All Ages
Thursday 23 July, Cairns, Tanks Arts Centre, M15+
Friday 24 July, Townsville, The Warehouse
Friday 31 July, Gosford, Drifters Wharf
Saturday 1 August, Coffs Harbour, Hoey Moey
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