How We Nearly Lost a Keyboard Player, a Baritone Sax, Our Dignity and Our Personal Space!

You know when you organise what you think will be a nice, sensible weekend… and it turns into organised chaos with brass instruments? That was the Sunny Coast Rude Boys' BIG NIGHT OUT tour kickoff.

Friday 20 Feb — SOLBAR, Maroochydore

Home turf. The Sunshine Coast. The spiritual homeland of pork pie hats and people who still know all the words to songs older than their knees.

SOLBAR is the quintessential Sunshine Coast venue — the kind of place built perfectly for live music: loud when it needs to be, welcoming when it matters, and run by legends. Venue manager Liss is an absolute star — calm, organised, and somehow smiling while wrangling bands, punters and the occasional wandering trombone case.

The old ska guard turned up — the faithful disciples of Madness, Bad Manners, and The Specials — alongside a wave of new faces who looked slightly confused but pleasantly surprised to discover ska is cardio disguised as music.

Now, every gig needs a bit of drama.

Our keyboard wizard Angus was flying in from a business trip in Perth that same day. Not ideal preparation when you’re expected to play intricate off-beat chords while smiling confidently.

He arrived approximately three minutes before showtime.

We were literally setting up his keyboards as we walked on stage. That’s not a soundcheck — that’s a live-action trust exercise. Closest shave we’ve ever had. At one point someone asked, “Does he know what songs we’re playing?” and honestly… we just believed in him. He didn’t disappoint!

Opening the night was Hayden Andrews — aka HaydenGoSeek — who warmed up the crowd beautifully before unleashing his ridiculously tight funk outfit CHEAP FAKES, who absolutely tore the roof off with musicianship so sharp it made the rest of us briefly reconsider our rehearsal habits.

Backstage, however, was less “rockstar glamour” and more “budget airline seating.”

Twelve Rude Boys. Seven Cheap Fakes. Sound techs. Bailey (Social media guru). Kim (our Photographer). Instruments everywhere.

It was less green room, more sardine convention. Valuable real estate. At one point I’m fairly sure someone tuned a guitar using another band member’s shoulder as a stand.

Thankfully, our very own sound tech Joel — the calmest man in live music — was there as always. Absolute voice of reason. While everyone else runs around asking questions, Joel quietly makes everything work. Every band needs one; we’re lucky we’ve got the best.

Then we hit the stage — and the hometown crowd carried us home in style. Sweaty, loud, joyful chaos. Exactly how ska should be.

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Saturday 21 Feb — The Triffid, Brisbane

Same lineup. Same energy. Slightly higher stakes.

Now, real talk — selling tickets is tough everywhere at the moment. Bigger venue, bigger costs, and for a while there it was genuinely touch and go whether the show would happen at all.

But cancelling? Not our style.

If people buy tickets, you show up. Simple as that.

The SUBCULTURE DJs spun tunes in the front bar while punters warmed up with a few beers and loosened their knees in preparation for skanking responsibilities. Unfortunately, a small local busker named Ed Sheeran decided to play Suncorp Stadium the same night.

Hard to compete with a bloke who writes emotional songs and owns more loop pedals than we own socks. Somewhere across town, 50,000 people were swaying gently with phone lights… while we were teaching Brisbane how to properly bounce again.

And you know what? It worked.

The crowd was fantastic — and packed but with the addition of new, younger fans discovering Sunny Coast Rude Boys for the first time?! Proof that ska refuses to age gracefully and instead just keeps recruiting.

But the moment of the night?

Brisbane Baritone saxophone legend ‘Brookesy’ absolutely stacked it mid-performance.

Full spill.

Time slowed. The band gasped.

Somewhere a saxophone insurance policy trembled.

Yet in a move worthy of Olympic gymnastics, he executed a flawless ninja roll, protected the (very expensive) bari sax, popped back up, dusted himself off and carried on like it was choreography. Styled it out, big time….very impressive!

And yes — it’s captured in glorious technicolour on two cameras RIGHT HERE.

But as for the Good Stuff (The Bit That Actually Matters)...

These are the moments you remember years later — not perfect notes or setlists, but the ridiculous, human, laugh-until-you-cry memories that only happen when a bunch of mates pile into vans and decide live music is still worth the effort.

Touring isn’t glamorous. It’s planning, loading gear, late nights, early drives, budgets that make accountants nervous and group chats that never sleep.

And honestly — none of it works without the fans.

Right now, coming to gigs is a genuine commitment. There’s a cost-of-living crunch, petrol isn’t cheap, and staying home with Netflix is the financially responsible option. But people still come out. They buy tickets. They dance. They sing along.

That effort keeps live music alive — not algorithms, not playlists — people in rooms together making noise and memories. We never take that lightly. So, again, thank you x

What’s Next we hear you asking?

The final night of the BIG NIGHT OUT! tour lands at Miami Marketta — Saturday 7 March, with the same brilliant lineup. And just to keep things rolling…

Our brand-new single “THROW ME A ROPE”, featuring the legendary Nicky Bomba (Melbourne Ska Orchestra / ex-John Butler Trio / The Cosmics), drops March 6.

New music. New fans. Same chaos.

See you down the front — we’ll try to keep everyone upright this time.

(No promises.)

Big Love,

Sunny Coast Rude Boys!