Shooting Our Mouths Off

Every James announcement is worth celebrating, but this one comes with an extra sense of excitement as the band prepare to return to Australia and New Zealand later this year. While James have long enjoyed a dedicated fanbase across Australia, they didn’t perform there for the first time until 2016. The success of that tour prompted a return in 2018 in support of Living In Extraordinary Times, and now the band are set to reconnect with audiences across the region once again.

The tour begins in Perth on Thursday 8th October before heading east to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, then crossing the Tasman for a final stop in Auckland on Thursday 15th October. While the run is short and sweet at just five dates, it reaches a substantial audience, with performances scheduled in some of Australasia’s largest venues. Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena is the biggest on the itinerary, with a capacity of 7,500, while Auckland’s The Civic is the most intimate, accommodating around 2,400 fans.

Following the success of last year’s North American tour, which saw the band perform Laid in full, they’ll once again be revisiting the album on this run. However, it would be a mistake to expect a note-for-note recreation each night. The band are likely to keep things fresh, weaving the Laid tracks alongside hits and deeper cuts in a setlist that will evolve from show to show. If the North American run proved anything, it’s that these songs still have plenty left to give. The material arrived revitalised, with the band uncovering new nuances and fresh momentum in songs that have been part of their catalogue for more than 30 years.

Support at the Australian dates comes from Razorlight, who previously joined the band on the Yummy arena tour in 2024. Returning to Australia for the first time in over fifteen years, their appearance coincides with the 20th anniversary of their acclaimed self-titled album. Razorlight will not, however, be appearing at the Auckland show.

There’s a presale for tickets on Tuesday 30th June, 9am local, which you can sign up to here. General sale is on Thursday 2nd July, 9am local. VIP Soundcheck Experience packages will be available, which include one general admission ticket to the show, an exclusive VIP soundcheck and Q&A experience with the band before the show, a VIP A3 Tour Poster, and a VIP Laminate.