Bernard Fanning is commemorating the 20th anniversary of his beloved solo album, Tea & Sympathy, with an extensive national tour.
Last night (26 February), the singer—both solo and of Powderfinger and Fanning Dempsey National Park—took to Sydney’s State Theatre to perform the album, and also discuss ideas behind the songs when revisiting them in 2026.
And, of course, the singer of Powderfinger’s Like A Dog and The Day You Come and Fanning Dempsey National Park’s Born Expecting has some thoughts on politics, some of which apparently upset a punter at the show last night.
In Kathy McCabe’s gig review and report for the Courier Mail, it was reported that halfway through the show, Fanning sat behind a keyboard and discussed the inspirations behind the song he was about to cover, Simon & Garfunkel’s Kathy’s Song.
However, as he attempted to discuss the relationship between art and music in an increasingly confusing, troubled time, with US President Donald Trump constantly in the headlines, Fanning was rudely interrupted by a punter.
“I was thinking about this today… I accidentally was watching the news and the fuckwit pumpkin came on and started yelling at everybody, and it made me think about how we’re so bombarded by information…” Fanning said, receiving applause and cheers from the crowd.
There was one concertgoer, however, who yelled something like, “We’re here for the music, mate.”
Pretending not to have heard that statement, Fanning said, “I can’t hear you, mate.”
He continued, “And if you don’t want me to talk, that’s okay, you can get fucked.”
Elsewhere in the show, Fanning discussed the woes of ending a long-term relationship and beginning another one with his future wife, Andrea—who lived in Spain at the time—and how those experiences shaped his debut solo album.
Once again, he was interrupted by the punter. Keeping it together, Fanning continued, “Anyone who’s been through that situation of a long-distance relationship, it’s really hard, and it makes you kind of unashamedly sentimental.
“This is the point that I was getting to, mate, if you don’t fucking mind, is that it’s okay to be sentimental in times like these because the world is a difficult place to navigate at the moment. So, take comfort in beauty and art and truth.”
While Fanning was patient throughout the night, McCabe reports that eventually, he told the heckler to “fuck off” and leave the show, which they did.
Fanning’s Tea & Sympathy 20th anniversary tour began at Sydney’s State Theatre last night—an extra show that was added to the run due to phenomenal demand.
The shows continue in Adelaide, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Thirroul, Canberra, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, with a performance also scheduled as part of the new South Bank music series, On The Banks.
You can find remaining tickets to the tour here.
Reacting to the additional shows announced, Fanning said back in November, “I’m blown away by the amount of people trying to get tickets to these shows around the country.
“We’ve managed to add new shows in Sydney, Melbourne and the Sunny Coast, but they may sell out just as fast. Stand by, Brissie, we're working on something else for you. Get in quick if you’re up for it. I’d love to see you there!”
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
