Ben Ottewell and Ian Ball – the co-founders, co-lead vocalists and chief songwriters of Gomez – have announced an 11-date Australian tour, set to take place from late October into mid-November 2024. The tour, in which Ottewell and Ball will perform on-stage together as a duo, is to celebrate the 25th anniversaries of both the band’s 1998 debut Bring It On and its 1999 follow-up Liquid Skin.
As is customary with the duo’s tours, they will be supported by longtime collaborator Buddy. In addition to playing his own solo set to open each show, he will also join Ottewell and Ball on-stage during their set for select songs – including songs from the album the trio made under the moniker of Handbags, which is available only on vinyl at the shows themselves.
Gomez – ‘Whippin’ Picadilly’
Bring It On was first released in April of 1998, with Liquid Skin following 17 months later in September 1999. Both albums have gone on to receive platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry, with Liquid Skin also marking their first top-10 chart position both in the UK and in Australia.
Gomez first toured Australia in 2000 in support of the aforementioned Liquid Skin, and returned frequently throughout the 2000s. Their last tour before undergoing a hiatus was in Australia circa November 2019. COVID years notwithstanding, at least one member of Gomez has toured Australia practically every year for the last two decades – both Ottewell and Ball have toured the country individually as solo artists, playing songs from their own albums as well as Gomez songs.
Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball 2024 Australian Tour
- Thursday, October 31st – Freo.Social, Fremantle WA
- Saturday, November 2nd – Town Hall, Meeniyan VIC
- Sunday, November 3rd – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC
- Monday, November 4th – Lorne Theatre, Lorne VIC
- Thursday, November 7th – Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne VIC
- Saturday, November 9th – Tanks Art Centre, Cairns QLD
- Sunday, November 10th – Old Museum, Brisbane QLD
- Tuesday, November 12th – Eltham Hotel, Eltham NSW
- Wednesday, November 13th – M-Arts Precinct, Murwillumbah NSW
- Thursday, November 14th – Adelaide UniBar, Adelaide SA
- Friday, November 15th – Factory Theatre, Sydney NSW
A pre-sale for the tour will begin from 9am local time on Wednesday, April 17th. Tickets for all shows will go on general sale from Friday, April 19th – again at 9am local time. All ticketing information can be accessed via Love Police.
Further Reading
Love Letter To A Record: Gomez’s Ian Ball On The Notwist’s ‘Neon Golden’
