Can you believe it’s been ten years since Aussie troubadours Bob Evans and Josh Pyke first went on tour together?
Well it has, and to celebrate the lads are hitting the road together again on a national co-headline tour.
You may have seen their fun, promotional video recently with Josh calling Bob (aka Kevin Mitchell) after looking at a poster from their show ten years ago and asking him whether he wants to go on tour again. If so, then you know exactly how the pair came up with the idea.
“Late last year I was rifling through a bunch of old memorabilia and I came across the original poster of the first tour and I looked at the date and was just blown away by the fact that it was 2006 and [I] hadn’t really reflected on the fact that it had been ten years… So I just called Kev up and said: ‘I don’t know what you’re going to be doing in a year… but if you could include doing this tour in 2016 I think it would be really fun’,” Josh explains.
“I saw it as a great opportunity to do a bunch of shows after making a record, with someone who I like spending time with… I really wanted to make sure that we made it happen,” adds Kevin.
Although Josh and Kevin are recreating their show from ten years ago, a lot has changed since then. They now have a massive catalogue of material between them, so the set has had to change. “The first time we did [the tour] it was very much two different sets and we kind of collaborated on a few different things,” Josh says.
“But this time we’re doing two sets and we’re on stage together almost all the time and basically acting as a back-up musician and performer for the other person’s songs.
“I think that’s going to prove to create some pretty funny moments because I’m pretty sure I’m going to fuck up quite a lot,” jokes Josh.
With ten year’s worth of new material between them as well as being a decade older, they say they haven’t really changed that much, except for their looks. “I don’t know how this happened but in the last ten years we’ve both kind of got more attractive as well,” Kevin says. “Neither of us really know how that happened. I for one don’t know how the hell I’ve got more good looking because I’ve abused my body so much in that time.
“I probably haven’t changed that much though… I think if anything maybe just the jokes have gotten worse,” Kevin adds.
“By the time we do this it’s kind of like there’s 30 years of touring experience between us,” continues Josh. “So if anything, I think our instincts about how to keep a performance flowing have been honed over the years, by which I mean to say, we are guaranteed to be excellent.”
At this stage, the pair are busy becoming familiar with each other’s material before meeting for rehearsals in a few weeks. “At this moment in time we’re both just kind of doing all of the base work and trying to remember lyrics and learning the chords and all that kind of stuff,” Kevin says.
“I’m struggling a little bit with some of Josh’s high vocals. There are some songs that are right up there. I’ll be singing a lot of falsetto harmonies. I’m going to be like a fucking Bee Gee.”
With a lot on their plates separately and together Josh will be keeping busy working on some new material next year while Kevin will be getting together for some Jebediah shows. “Once I’ve got to the point where I’m completely sick of myself, which will probably be around April, pretty much just in time for Easter I’ll probably want to slit my wrist so I’ll probably get together with the Jebediah guys and see if we can rekindle some of our former magic,” says Kevin.
Both Kevin and Josh are excited to be reunited and play a fun string of shows and you can guarantee some pretty entertaining banter between them on tour.
“I really want it to be a celebration and a whole lot of fun and have a full on engagement with the audience and also with Kev,” says Josh.
“I think it’s going to be a real crowd pleasing set,” says Kevin.
Another Evening With Josh Pyke And Bob Evans National Tour
Thu 24 Nov - The Gov (Adelaide)Fri 25 Nov - The Pretoria (Mannum)
Sat 26 Nov - Clancys Fishpub (Dunsborough)
Sun 27 Nov - Live At The Orchard (Perth)
Fri 02 Dec - Brisbane Powerhouse
Sat 03 Dec – Solbar (Sunshine Coast)
Sun 04 Dec – Soundlounge (Gold Coast)
Thu 08 Dec - 48 Watt St (Newcastle)
Fri 09 Dec - The Factory (Sydney)
Sat 10 Dec - The Street Theatre (Canberra)
Thu 15 Dec - Sooki Lounge (Belgrave)
Fri 16 Dec - Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
