We absolutely love Up The Guts. The bands who play it, the people involved, and everything it’s about – we love it all. And judging by the reception the outback rock tour copped from regional towns and capital cities alike when it tore through the heart of Australia last year, the rest of the country appreciates it just as much.
In 2016, Up The Guts took local faves like Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, ScotDrakula and more on a long tour from Hobart to Darwin, giving gig-starved parts of the country a dash of live music on every stop, and getting even more out of the experience in return. This year, the lineup is looking even better than last year, with some new names jumping on board and some Guts veterans returning for another go.
Two of Melbourne’s favourite emerging rock trios Dumb Punts and Loose Tooth are joined by rising indie quarter Neighbourhood Youth for this year’s epic run, and will be joined by returning road-trippers Jack Parsons of The Pretty Littles, Jo Syme of Big Scary, and Joe Alexander of Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, pretty much making for an all-star tour.
It’ll all kick off on August 10 with a launch show at Melbourne rock haunt The Tote, giving the bands a chance to escape the tail end of the Melbourne winter for a (hopefully) warmer excursion inland, taking in 18 shows along the way and running a dozen music workshops for aspiring performers.
This year’s road map looks a little different, and will now kick off with a Vic leg of Ballarat, Bendigo and Warrnambool, before heading to SA’s Mt Gambier, Adelaide, Jamestown, Whyalla, Quorn and Coober Pedy. Finally, it’ll strike up the heart of Australia through the NT, touring through Santa Teresa, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Barunga, Ngukurr, Katherine and Grove Hill, before wrapping it all up in Darwin.
To get an idea of what they’ll all be in for, check out parts one, two and three of our tour diary last year with Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, find out more on the website, and be sure to give the tour your full support if it swings by your town this year.
