Michael Franti & Spearhead

Frontier Touring is delighted to confirm Michael Franti & Spearhead will headline three shows in Australia in April 2014, while visiting for Blues & Roots Festivals in Perth, Deniliquin and Byron Bay. It has been a few years since Franti’s last visit to Australia and the decision to bring the band into more intimate rooms is an exciting one for the fans and the band alike. They will play The Gov, Adelaide on Saturday April 12, Metro Theatre, Sydney on Tuesday April 15 and Prince Bandroom, Melbourne on Wednesday April 16.

Musician, humanitarian and author, Michael Franti, is recognised as a pioneering force using music as a vehicle for positive change as well as the unforgettable, high energy shows with his band, Spearhead. 

All People, Spearhead’s eighth studio album (excluding variations) was released on CD in Australia in August 2013 (through EMI Music), perfect timing ahead of their tour here and coinciding with the digital release, due early 2014. The band will showcase songs from this new record, including brand new single ‘I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)’, as well as their classic hits with tracks from chart breaking 2010 release “The Sound Of Sunshine”, and the multi-platinum song “Say Hey (I Love You)”.

‘Well-crafted, unfailingly likable, the music hints at his activist-sage roots; check out the apocalypse-minded, Matrix-produced rap-along "11:59." For those who plan to go down dancing, he's a solid man to have on the mic.’ - RollingStone.com

‘Franti’s latest release, aptly titled “All People,” combines one part club banger with two parts nostalgia to create the perfect cocktail…’  - Afropunk.com

‘Franti approaches mass movement, bodily or politically, in a more varied way than might be expected… As joyous and celebratory as this album is, there is a bittersweet tone to a lot of it. Listen to the whole album, and the complexity of life comes shining through.’
- Popmatters.com

Michael Franti & Spearhead are heralded as one of the best live show experiences out there and guaranteed to make you dance, cry and everything in-between! “Music is sunshine,” says Franti, “Music gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose.” With new single, “I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)” at radio now, check out a recent live performance of the track on Jimmy Kimmel here and the official video here.

Spearhead’s live show is a truly interactive performance breaking down barriers between the performers on stage and the people in the audience; whether venturing into the crowd to slap hands or pulling fans up to dance, sing and play along with the band. Franti is a dynamic performer who effortlessly moves tens of thousands of people with his invocations. Watching him, you can't help but think about how much he delights in every moment.

‘When Franti and his superb band, Spearhead, step foot on the stage you will bear witness to one of the greatest musical miracles of your life.’ - Antimusic.com

“I want to make music that is timeless,” Franti says. “At this point in my life when I turn on the radio and hear my song it means a lot to me. When I was a kid I would go on these long drives with my family I and still remember the songs we would listen to in the car. It means I’m part of somebody’s life passages. As an artist, I cherish those moments.”

Joining Franti & Spearhead as guests in Sydney and Melbourne will be Brisbane indie-pop group Sheppard. Touring the world in both 2012 and 2013, Sheppard have amassed a strong international following and are constantly developing their local presence, infiltrating the music scene with their alternative indie pop sound and youthful vulnerability. The band have a growing fan base of over 75,000 Facebook fans across the globe. To date they have written and produced over 30 tracks, and continue to impress audiences with an ongoing supply of new material. Check out the video for their current single ‘Let Me Down Easy’ here.

Don’t miss your chance to get along to one of the feel good shows of the year, grab your tickets when they go on sale on Thursday November 28.