Ten years on from their ARIA-nominated debut Blue Planet Eyes, The Preatures are giving fans one last chance to celebrate, unveiling a new live album, an archival exhibition, and a string of encore performances before heading back into the studio.
After wrapping a sold-out 15-date national tour that reunited the original lineup — Isabella Manfredi, Jack Moffitt, Thomas Champion, Luke Davison, and returning guitarist Gideon Bensen — the Sydney outfit will open The Preatures Exhibition & Pop-Up Store at Rainbow Studios in Darlinghurst on Sunday, December 7th.
The event will showcase a decade’s worth of the band’s history, from handwritten lyrics and tour memorabilia to instruments and iconic stage outfits that helped define their sound and style.
The afternoon will also include a live Q&A hosted by former triple j presenter Dom Alessio, who was the first to spin The Preatures on radio.
The exhibition coincides with the release of Blue Planet Eyes Live!, a limited-edition double LP recorded at Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre during the group’s recent anniversary tour. Mixed by guitarist Jack Moffitt, the album captures the band’s trademark mix of swaggering pop and rock-and-roll energy, from the electric pulse of “Is This How You Feel?” to the feverish drive of “Rock and Roll Rave” and a soulful cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine”.
“A few shows into the tour we realised just how special this moment was,” says frontwoman Isabella Manfredi. “We ended up recording almost all the shows on the tour, but Melbourne really stood out as a hero performance. It was a sensational crowd, almost supernatural in feeling, and we wanted the essence of that audience to live on through the record forever.”
Courtesy of Impressed Recordings, Blue Planet Eyes Live! will be available to stream from Friday, December 12th, with collectors’ vinyl available in Negroni Glass, Blood Orange, and Bar Stool Black colourways.
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Originally released in 2014, Blue Planet Eyes introduced The Preatures’ infectious fusion of ’60s R&B and country-tinged pop-rock to the world. The album debuted at No. 4 on the ARIA charts, earned four ARIA nominations and a J Award nod, and spawned triple j Hottest 100 hits “Is This How You Feel?” (No. 9, 2013) and “Somebody’s Talking” (No. 29, 2014).
That success catapulted the band from sweaty club stages to major festival bills, including Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, and Coachella, and TV appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and beyond.
With the 10-year celebrations reigniting one of Australia’s most beloved modern rock acts, The Preatures will return to Melbourne’s Croxton Bandroom on Friday, November 28th, for an encore performance of Blue Planet Eyes in full. Rising punk duo Public Figures will open the show, following a public search for a local support act.
The Preatures are also set to appear at Party in the Paddock and Twilight at Taronga in February, marking fans’ last chance to see their Blue Planet Eyes set before the band begins work on their third studio album.
