Interview by Kris Peters
THE WATERBOYS make their long-awaited return to Australia and New Zealand in May 2026 their first tour in over a decade.
Led by the incomparable Mike Scott and critically acclaimed as one of the best live bands on the planet, the 2025 band also features double keyboard players Brother Paul from Memphis and James Hallawell from Cornwall and is grounded by killer Irish rhythm section Aongus Ralston (bass) and Eamon Ferris (drums).
THE WATERBOYS will be performing tracks from their audacious new album, Life, Death and Dennis Hopper: a bold, cinematic tribute to the maverick American actor and cultural icon, along with material across their storied catalogue. From the early “big music” of The Whole Of The Moon and classic album This Is The Sea through to the roots-inspired Fisherman’s Blues era and music from their ambitious post-2015 output.
HEAVY sat down with Mike for a chat ahead of the tour, asking him about The Waterboys’ reputation as one of the best live bands on the planet and what it is about their performances that makes them so special.
“Well, they’re always different,” he shrugged. “We don’t repeat the show. We improvise on stage and I like being able to to take a left turn in the music anytime that it occurs to me. I like to do what the music tells me and I get instructions in the moment when we’re on stage. I get a little sort of advanced notice in my mind of what the next phrase or the next musical action is going to be and I like to go with those and obey them basically, and it’s wonderful to have a band that can deal with that and that likes to improvise themselves.
All the band members are able to make up their own parts and to head off into something they’ve never done before. And I like that. I think that unpredictable quality and the sense of excitement that you get when something unforeseen happens and it’s magic… I think that helps bring people back to see us again and again. Also we play with a particular intensity, I know we do. We play with our lives.”
In the full interview, Mike talks more about what we can expect from the shows and runs us through the changes in the band since they toured here last. We discussed the virtues of having two live keyboard players and how it enhances their sound, as well as most recent album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper and how it was received.
We run through the concept and how easily it translated to music, running through two of the albums songs and finding out the story behind them. Mike took us back to the early days of The Waterboys and the musical climate that gave birth to the band, emphasing their musical evolution and more.
THE WATERBOYS May 2026 Australian Tour Dates
Monday 11th May PERTH, Astor Theatre
Tuesday 12th May PERTH, Astor Theatre – SOLD OUT
Thursday 14th May, SYDNEY, State Theatre – NEW SHOW!
Friday 15th May SYDNEY, State Theatre – SOLD OUT
Saturday 16th May MELBOURNE, Palais Theatre
Monday 18th May BRISBANE, The Tivoli
Wednesday 20th May WELLINGTON, Meow Nui
Thursday 20th May AUCKLAND, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
Tickets On Sale Now From: https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/the-waterboys
