Twenty-four years since they first ripped across the Tasman with a fury of fuzzed-out riffs and denim-clad swagger, New Zealand’s rock and roll export The Datsuns are bringing their unrelenting brand of garage rock back to Australia in March 2026.
The Cambridge-bred four-piece, long hailed as one of the loudest and most incendiary live acts to come out of Aotearoa, are gearing up for a four-date run that will take them through Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Fans can expect a setlist that pays homage to their entire catalogue – from their 2002 self-titled debut that caught fire worldwide, through to a taste of their upcoming eighth studio record.
Formed in 1998 after years of teenage jam sessions under the name Trinket, the band became The Datsuns when Rudolf “Dolf” de Borst (vocals, bass), Phil Somervell (guitar) and Christian Livingstone (guitar) teamed up with drummer Matt Osment. Within months they were storming battle of the bands contests, winning over sweaty pubs, and even opening for Sweden’s Hellacopters.
By 2000, they were self-releasing singles on their Hellsquad Records label, including the seven-inch Super Gyration, before catching the attention of the UK scene. When they relocated to London in 2002, everything blew up. That same year, their self-titled debut went to number one in New Zealand and cracked the UK Top 20.
Singles like In Love and Harmonic Generator cemented their reputation, while Lars Ulrich of Metallica championed them on MTV’s Headbangers Ball. Tours with Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age, The White Stripes and a slot on Ozzfest followed.
The Datsuns’ discography reads like a timeline of rock excess. Their sophomore effort Outta Sight/Outta Mind (2004), produced by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, reached the NZ Top 10 and pushed their sound into more ambitious territory. Smoke & Mirrors (2006) yielded the NZ Top 30 hit Stuck Here For Days, while Headstunts (2008) saw the band double down on riff-heavy swagger. Later releases – Death Rattle Boogie (2012), Deep Sleep (2014), and Eye To Eye (2021) – proved they were in it for the long haul, capable of evolving without losing their bite.
Over the years, line-up changes behind the drum kit brought new energy. Today, Swedish powerhouse Adam Lindmark drives the engine room alongside Dolf de Borst’s bass rumble, while Livingstone and Somervell provide the relentless twin-guitar attack that has always defined the Datsuns’ sound.
The tour will also preview tracks from their upcoming eighth album, due in 2026. Leading the charge is the single Ugly Leather, a jagged, snarling number that captures everything The Datsuns are about: raw riffage, sweat-soaked urgency and unapologetic.
“We’ve always been about keeping it loose but tight – the chaos that somehow locks in,” says de Borst. “Ugly Leather is a taste of where we’re going, but it’s still very much The Datsuns.”
Australian Tour Dates – March 2026
Wed 25 March – The Gov, Adelaide
Thu 26 March – Crowbar, Brisbane
Fri 27 March – Crowbar, Sydney
Sat 28 March – Croxton, Melbourne
Pre-sale early bird tickets go live Friday 3 October at 10am with no booking fees, while general sale kicks off
Tuesday 7 October at 10am via hardlinemedia.net.
