Australian funk-rock favourites Skunkhour will return to the stage this winter for a one-night-only Sydney show, bringing their genre-bending grooves to Manning Bar on June 20th, with special guests Swoop joining the bill.

The show marks a rare chance to see the influential Sydney outfit live, with fans promised a set packed with the songs that helped cement Skunkhour as one of Australia’s most distinctive musical acts.

Emerging in the mid-’90s, Skunkhour carved out their own lane by fusing funk, rock, hip-hop and soul into a sound that was unmistakably theirs. Their records stood out at a time when Australian alternative music was exploding in new directions, and their electrifying live shows quickly turned them into cult heroes.

Decades later, the band’s performances still carry the same rhythmic punch and infectious energy that made them festival favourites in the first place.

Expect a set loaded with fan favourites including “Up to Our Necks in It”, “Home”, “Kick in the Door”, “Weightlessness”, and “Breathing Through My Eyes”, all delivered with the groove-heavy firepower that has long defined their sound.

Joining the night as special guests are fellow ’90s favourites Swoop, whose infectious blend of funk, pop and dance made them one of the era’s most recognisable Australian acts. The ARIA-nominated group scored a Certified Gold hit with “Apple Eyes” and built a reputation for upbeat, feel-good anthems like “Do It”, along with their take on Roy Ayers’ soul classic “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”.

The show also comes at a poignant time for Skunkhour and their fans. Last year, the band shared the news that founding drummer Michael Sutherland had passed away suddenly. In a statement, the group remembered Sutherland as “a highly creative drummer” whose contributions to the band’s songwriting and recordings were central to shaping their sound.

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“It is with great sadness that we relay the passing of founding member, long term drummer, and our brother Michael Sutherland,” the band wrote at the time. “He had a wicked sense of humour and a very sharp intellect. He will be missed.”

Sutherland had been part of the group since its earliest days in Sydney’s early ’90s scene, helping lay the rhythmic foundations for albums including Skunkhour (1993) and Feed (1994) — the latter featuring their signature track “Up to Our Necks in It”, later recognised in Double J’s list of the 50 Best Australian Albums of the ’90s.

Skunkhour

with special guests Swoop

Pre-sale tickets: Monday, March 16th at 10am
General public on sale: Wednesday, March 18th at 10am
Tickets will be available via Metropolis Touring

Saturday, June 20th
Manning Bar, Sydney