It’s not often that the stars align to bring two of Melbourne’s most iconic bands back into the touring circuit simultaneously. Even rarer is the chance to see them perform together.
Models and Boom Crash Opera are joining forces for their Double A Side Tour starting this November. Originally planned as a special one-off double header at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday, November 3, the overwhelming response from ticket sales has turned this single event into a national Australian tour.
From November through May 2025, Models and Boom Crash Opera will perform across the country, hitting cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Thirroul, Adelaide, and, of course, Melbourne.
Models and Boom Crash Opera
- Sunday, November 3
- Corner Hotel, Richmond
- Tickets here
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The announcement of their show at the Corner Hotel drew immense enthusiasm, highlighting the iconic status of both bands. Despite forming six years apart, Models and Boom Crash Opera are emblematic of Melbourne’s homegrown music scene where they established their roots.
Over the last four or five decades, much has changed in Melbourne’s music landscape, but these two bands are entrenched in the Hall of Fame of locally made, internationally loved music. Their reunion speaks to the enduring appetite audiences have for their classic sound.
Along with their contemporaries The Birthday Party, Models changed the landscape of Australian music, carving innovative singles in to the alternative rock scen and epitomising Melbourne’s new wave obsession. They challenged the status quo from the outset (refusing to even release a single off their debut album) and found great success in both Australia and the US during the 1980s, as exemplified by their arguable magnum opus, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, storming up the Billboard charts in 1985.
Melbourne remains as interested as ever, with the recent RISING festival garnering crowds at The Capitol to watch their seminal performance as part of the Australian Made tour back in 1987. They are and always have been a force majeure live.
Meanwhile, Boom Crash Opera remain a symbol of Australian longevity, still touring strong after a whopping 40 years in the business. With Peter Farnan and Dale Ryder still at the helm, the undeniable pop hooks of songs like Onion Skin and Dancing in the Storm – in addition to their strong continued recording output – ensure that every Boom Crash Opera performance is an occasion to be savoured.
Seasoned readers will fondly remember them as frequent guests on Molly Meldrum’s famed music show, Countdown, performing their timeless Aussie hits such as Hands Up In The Air, Her Charity, City Flat and Great Wall. They’ve continued to notch milestones nearly every year, with their performance at last year’s AFL Grand Final delighting millions around the country.
Despite tempted band break-ups and hiatuses, both groups have remained remarkably consistent. Boom Crash Opera’s current members include Farnan, Peter Maslen, John Favaro and Ryder, most of whom were there at the band’s formation in 1984. Models consist of Sean Kelly, Mark Ferrie, Andrew Duffield and Ash Davies, nearly all original members from 1979.
With over four decades of music to draw from, fans can expect a mix of old and new. Even the classics will sound fresh, with reviewers consistently acknowledging that both bands are adept at keeping their sounds sharp.
Prepare for a tour filled with beloved hits, forgotten gems, and newfound favourites. This tour offers the rare chance to see two legendary bands on the same stage, on the same day, for the price of one. The music gods are truly looking over us.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience the late 20th-century music scene in all its punk-rock, pub-rock, and pop-rock glory, now is your chance. Melbourne’s music scene wouldn’t be what it is today without these two iconic bands. Grab a ticket, join the tour, and witness the history that Models and Boom Crash Opera have made—and are making again.
You can get tickets to Models and Boom Crash Opera in Melbourne here.
This article was made in partnership with Models and Boom Crash Opera.
