Dave Graney ‘n’ The Coral Snakes are hitting the road this week for a national tour to mark the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking album, The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound. Released in 1995, the album became a defining moment in the band’s career and a classic of Australian rock, mixing art rock, pop, and lounge-inspired grooves with Dave Graney’s sharp lyrical flair.
Rhythms spoke to Dave Graney on the Eve of the tour. “It was our most commercial public success. I got an ARIA Award for Best Male Artist. Before I won that award, it was shared between John Farnham and Jimmy Barnes.. when I won it was not supposed to happen. The next day the head of ARIA came out and said “we’re getting rid of that award if people like him are winning”. That night, we stayed at the Siebel Townhouse and drank in the Ricky May bar.. a couple of months they had demolished the Siebel townhouse. So they really didn’t like me winning”
The upcoming tour offers fans the rare chance to hear the The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound album performed live in its entirety. The setlist will feature standout tracks such as “Rock’n’Roll is Where I Hide,” “I’m Not Afraid to Be Heavy,” and “I’m Gonna Live in My Own Big World,” alongside other hits and fan favorites from the band’s catalog.
Dave Graney reflected on the significance of the anniversary tour: “we did a whole tour for our album, Night of the Wolverine in 2023 and that was very enjoyable. It was great for Clare and myself to get back with Rod Hayward on guitar and Robin Casinader on keys. And they’re great players and that tour was really good, very enjoyable. I like this album but we never played most of the songs live so it was quite a new thing.”
For Graney, the The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound tour will be an opportunity to step back into the role of frontman in the way he did during his early career, “I generally play guitar in my post Coral Snakes music, but in the Coral Snakes and before that in The Moodists I was just a stand up singer, and that’s what I do in this show too,” he explains, “it’s good doing it again, and you can really stare at the audience and bring the pain, bring the drama. And do some kind of dancing.” Graney also shared his excitement about performing for fans who know every note of the songs: “It’s a different situation. Mostly, the audience knows every note of pretty much every song. So, it’s quite a different situation than what I’m normally in.”
The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound was known for its lush textures, blending influences from hip hop, exotica, and the sophisticated pop of artists like KD Lang. Graney notes, “we were doing a lot of record collecting as we travelled around. We liked a lot of Exotica. We loved Hip Hop. I loved 2-Pacs All Eyes On Me and KD Lang’s Ingénue. Music with a lot of textures in it.”
In the live shows, fans will hear the signature strings from the album, which were arranged by Robin Casinader. “Robin Casinader our keyboard player did all these strings, and for this tour he’s got a Mellotron, and we’re going to be going to be working with that. It sounds really great.”
The national tour will see the band performing at iconic venues across Australia, including Perth, Adelaide, and Tasmania. Graney has fond memories of the Adelaide crowd, “Clare and I are South Australians so we feel incredibly at home there. And the audience in Adelaide at our last gig in 2023 it was primal. Absolutely intense and really intimate kind of moaning and groaning. It was great”.
Whether you’re revisiting The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound or experiencing it live for the first time, Dave Graney ‘n’ The Coral Snakes’ 30th Anniversary Tour promises to be a thrilling celebration of an album that still sounds fresh, exciting, and deeply relevant.
- FRIDAY OCTOBER 3 – SYDNEY, Factory Theatre
- SATURDAY OCTOBER 4 – WOLLONGONG, Waves
- SUNDAY OCTOBER 5 – CANBERRA, Street Theatre
- FRIDAY OCTOBER 10 – MELBOURNE, The Corner
- SATURDAY OCTOBER 11 – BUNDALAGUAH, Bundy Hall
- FRIDAY OCTOBER 24 – FREMANTLE, Freo Social
- SATURDAY OCTOBER 25 – MARGARET RIVER, The River Hotel
- FRIDAY OCTOBER 31 – BRISBANE, Crowbar
- SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1 – EUMUNDI, The Imperial
- SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2 – GOLD COAST, Mo’s Desert Tavern
- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 7 – BYRON BAY, Byron Bay Theatre
- SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8 – BELLINGEN, Bellingen Memorial Hall
- THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13 – NEWCASTLE, King Street Band Room
- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14 – AVOCA, Avoca Beach Theatre
- SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15 – CHATSWOOD, The Lounge
- SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16 – DANGAR ISLAND, Dangar Island Bowlo
- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21 – ADELAIDE, The Gov
- FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28 – LAUNCESTON, Royal Oak
- SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29 – ULVERSTONE, The Pier
- SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30 – LONGLEY, Longley Hotel
Tickets on sale now via www.davegraney.com