BIRDS of Tokyo will begin Rockin' the Regions in their new tour which will kick off at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on August 7.
Presented by Live Entertainment Western Australia, the concert in Bunbury will be the first off the rank before the Birds head to Albany, Broome, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton.
Birds of Tokyo is an Australian alternative rock band who formed in Perth, Western Australia in 2004.
The Mail recently caught up with band member Glenn Sarangapany, lead keyboard and backing vocals, who said visiting Bunbury was exciting and nostalgic for the band as performing across the regions went back to the bands origins.
"Playing across regional Western Australia is how we started playing live. Doing the old run to Bunbury, Dunsborough and Margaret River. That's how you did it when we first started."
"Bunbury is pretty much my favourite place in the world to play. Also because I had my first date with my wife at the Prince of Wales Hotel. It's total nostalgia for me."
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Joining the band just three years after its conception, Mr Sarangapany played as a session keyboardist when Birds of Tokyo performed at the Big Day Out concert in 2007.
"I sort of just hung around after that and never left. I didn't really give them a choice in it, I just kept coming to shows," Mr Sarangapany laughed.
"The best memories of our early tours when we were all teenagers, was going to a gig and just thinking there is nothing better than playing at the Prince of Wales in Bunbury. That was the height of music and you just couldn't get any bigger than that."
Mr Sarangapany said because of various restrictions on live music as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rockin' the Regions tour had a lot of uncertainty around it.
"It was a bit of a fingers crossed situation. It was like, it might happen but it might not. But when it got locked in I did a little happy dance."
Being able to play live and go to a gig as either a performer or as a punter is unbelievable. I feel like that's been held up and taken away from all of us for so long.
- Glenn Sarangapany
He said like any other band, Birds of Tokyo tried to adapt quickly to restrictions and the inability to perform live for their fans.
"When Covid first hit we did the same thing as everyone else really. You try and get through it, you do your very best and try to come up with other strategies to create some new music and reach out to your fans. But being online isn't the same experience."
"Being able to play live and go to a gig as either a performer or as a punter is unbelievable. I feel like that's been held up and taken away from all of us for so long."
"Everyone's coming together to just do what they can but it's really great to be able to play and go on a tour and do a regional run. I've been looking forward to this for ages."
Tickets to Bunbury Birds of Tokyo performance can be purchased at https://www.bunburyentertainment.com/.
Pip Waller
After working in film and television production in Perth, I returned to my hometown of Bunbury to further my skill set as a journalist. I am passionate about the empowerment of women and giving a voice to the unheard members of our community. You can contact me at pip.waller@austcommunitymedia.com.au
After working in film and television production in Perth, I returned to my hometown of Bunbury to further my skill set as a journalist. I am passionate about the empowerment of women and giving a voice to the unheard members of our community. You can contact me at pip.waller@austcommunitymedia.com.au
