Bernard Fanning has revealed a special one-off performance to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Tea & Sympathy.
The five-time ARIA Award winner will mark the milestone at Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre on Friday, October 31. The gig will also raise funds for charity Youngcare, which Fanning has been a long-time ambassador for.
Tea & Sympathy marked a major shift in Fanning’s musical direction following Powderfinger’s 2004 hiatus. Recorded the following year, Fanning moved away from the band’s classic rock sound to instead record more folk and blues-inspired music.
Featuring standout tracks like “Songbird” and “Wish You Well”—ranked #57 on triple j’s Hottest 100 of Australian Songs—the triple-platinum Tea & Sympathy earned ARIA Awards for Album of the Year, Best Cover Art, and Best Video, while Fanning was named Best Male Artist.
Fanning described the one-off performance at QPAC as a “full circle moment”, having played at the venue during the album’s tour.
“I’m so proud to celebrate this record. I really had no expectations for it to be anything but a little side project to keep me busy while Powderfinger was on a break,” said Fanning.
He added that while “Wish You Well” has an “optimistic facade” and simple instrumentation, he believes the overarching themes of heartbreak is what “really struck a chord with people.”
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“The songs came from such a raw and honest place, so I guess that’s why. A whistleable melody and a bit of toe-tappin’ never hurt anybody either,” said Fanning.
“Come and sing along with us and help support Youngcare.”
To coincide with the show, Fanning is also set to release a special 20th anniversary edition of Tea & Sympathy on vinyl and CD.
“There’s a whole other record’s worth of songs here that go with the original album. Some outtakes, demos and fabulous covers of my tunes by other artists,” he said.
“In a world that is so filled with disruption, cold violence and complexity, it feels right to get back to some home spun simplicity and warmth.”
The special edition will released on October 31 through Universal Music Australia. Preorders are available now, here.
Pre-sale tickets through QPAC and Fanning are available from 9am Thursday, August 14. General tickets go on sale at 9am the following day.
For more information on tickets, click here.
