Mick Thomas discusses the return of GoChristmasComeback, the enduring appeal of Weddings Parties Anything songs, Jen Anderson’s influence on his current setlists, his literary songwriting influences and his work bringing historical stories to the stage.
Mick Thomas has spent more than four decades turning Australian characters, places and everyday experiences into songs. As the principal songwriter of Weddings Parties Anything and through his extensive solo career and work with Roving Commission, Thomas has developed a repertoire that often sits somewhere between folk storytelling, rock’n’roll and literary observation.
That history is again informing his live work as Thomas brings back the GoChristmasComeback shows, a seasonal extension of the GoComeback title that has followed a number of his projects and tours. Christmas has long had a place in the Thomas repertoire, including Christmas Day At Spencer’s, and he sees the end of the year as a particularly natural time for Australian bands to tour.
In this conversation with Paul Cashmere, Thomas looks back at the evolution of Weddings Parties Anything, the songs that remain fixtures in his live sets and the return of Jen Anderson to the lineup. He also discusses why he believes songs can become more valuable when audiences demand to hear them repeatedly.
Thomas explains the literary roots of his songwriting, including the influence of Australian writers such as Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, while also discussing his interest in contemporary Australian songwriters.
The conversation then moves into theatre, including Vandemonian Lags and The Tank, and the different possibilities that emerge when songs are written as part of a larger dramatic narrative rather than existing individually.
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