Veteran London dance duo Groove Armada call time for the final time on their legendary live show, but not before returning Down Under for a string of sold-out dates.
Debuting in 1997, Groove Armada have proven to be one of the most influential forces in dance music.Since meeting at university in the '90s, Tom Findlay and Andy Cato have attained critical acclaim and commercial success, achieving three UK Top 10 albums, three Grammy nominations, a BRIT nomination and a chain of hit singles.
To mark their 25th anniversary, the powerhouse electro-dance act are set to tour Australia for the first time in over a decade, playing headline shows in Sydney (x2), Brisbane and Perth and appearing at Adelaide's Harvest Rock festival.
"We didn't anticipate being back on the road with a live band at all, and certainly didn't anticipate coming back to Australia, so it's going to be a lovely way to close this chapter of the live band," Andy says.
"Australia has been so important to us that we kind of had to do it."
Following the duo's announcement in early 2010 that they were retiring from live shows, Australian fans flocked to see them perform as part of the 2010 Big Day Out and Parklife line-ups, and at a handful of headline shows.
Discussing their 2010 retirement intentions, Andy says: "That was 100 per cent the last tour as far as we were concerned at the time.
"The only reason that changed was because a few years ago we met up with the band and crew socially, and we were reminiscing and saying that it would be really fun to do a little gig just for the fun of it. And that became a warehouse gig. Which became two, which became three."
The demographic at an ensuing Manchester gig cemented their decision to return to the road. "The average age of the audience was probably about 19, and all the songs that they knew were the new ones - all the 'Black Light' stuff that we love playing," Andy explains.
"And it just felt really fresh. So we thought, 'this is crazy. There's a real demand for it. We're having a really good time. Why don't we just do it again?'"
Pioneers of performing dance music with a full live band and guest vocalists, Groove Armada's shows quickly set them apart from their contemporaries.
"Playing dance music live was the thing that nearly killed us in the beginning, because when we were first being asked to do Groove Armada shows above and beyond DJing, for dance music acts at the time the precedent was basically do a prerecord, get some really good lights and stand on the stage behind some synths.
"And we didn't want to do that. From the beginning we wanted to play live with a band, and that meant for some really painful years trying to work out how you can actually combine electronics and musicians in a successful way.
"But we finally got that going and it's probably the thing of which we are most proud. The gang of people that we've done this with, both on and off stage, have remained pretty much unchanged for 15 to 16 years.
"It's a really special group of people and some of our best mates, and a perfect combination of total commitment to making a great gig but also really enjoying ourselves as well.
"So for this 'GA25' tour it's the same basic crew – all the vocalists that people have seen before – but as always because it's live it changes all the time.
"All the songs have (over this summer) evolved again into new versions, so you'll recognise them but they're a 2022 take on things.
"There's also quite a few tunes from our newer albums 'Black Light' [2010] and 'Edge Of The Horizon' [2020]. So it's a 25-year span of all the tunes you'd expect and probably a few that you wouldn't."
Despite having formed a quarter of a century before streaming services changed the way we consume music, Groove Armada are still commanding the attention of nearly two million monthly listeners on Spotify.
"I think if there's anything it's that when we wrote 'At The River' for example, the record company asked for ten 'At The Rivers'," Andy says, reflecting on their enduring popularity.
"When we did 'Superstylin'' they wanted ten 'Superstylins'. And we never did that. All we've ever done is make music that we like, and you can feel that."
Maestros they may be at commanding main stages at festivals and arenas, Andy and Tom have never forgotten nor lost their appetite for their underground origins.
"We come from a very street party and free party ethos," Andy says. "I remember being in Sydney one year and we did a brilliant gig at a festival for what looked like tens of thousands of people in Central Park.
"But then a few hours later, because it was fun, we were playing records in Chinese Laundry which goes down in history as one the best ever Groove Armada nights on the town.
"So I think never losing the love of it and being as happy to play records in someone's living room now as I was 30 years ago comes across."
With Australian audiences accustomed to artists touring again post retirement shows, one must ask. Is this truly Groove Armada's last hurrah Down Under? "Definitely," answers Andy without hesitation. "There is no doubt about that."
To celebrate the dance duo's 25th anniversary, a career-spanning boxset 'GA25' (featuring a 32-page booklet, 2 LPs, 2 CDs, A3 poster and a signed photo) drops 11 November.
Groove Armada 2022 Tour Dates
Wed 16 Nov - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)* new showThu 17 Nov - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)*sold out
Fri 18 Nov - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)* sold out
Sat 19 Nov – Harvest Rock 2022 (Adelaide)
Sun 20 Nov - Kings Park & Botanic Gardens (Perth)* sold out
