Matchbox Twenty star Rob Thomas reveals what he really thinks of Australia as he announces tour Down Under

Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas has announced he will be heading to Australia and New Zealand later this year for a solo headline tour. 

The 53-year-old American rocker will be touring his forthcoming solo album All Night Days and paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of his 2005 debut solo album, Something To Be. 

Thomas will land Down Under in October and kick off with two back-to-back shows in Perth, before heading to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. 

In New Zealand, he will play shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. 

‘Aussie fans have always been incredible to me,’ he said. 

‘I can’t wait to come back and share these songs – old and new – on what’s going to be a very special run of shows across one of my favourite places in the world.’ 

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Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas (pictured) has announced he will be heading to Australia and New Zealand later this year for a solo headline tour

This will mark Thomas’ first solo tour in Australia in 2019 – although he toured with Matchbox Twenty in 2024. 

The singer will be supported by an all star line-up of Australian opening acts, including Boy & Bear, Eskimo Joe, Little Quirks and Sara Berki. 

Tickets went on sale via Ticketek on Thursday, May 29 and appear to be affected by dynamic pricing online. 

The of General Admission standing tickets starts from $183 and seated tickets range from between $200 to  $342. 

No concerts appear to be entirely sold-out at the time of writing. 

However, the $1526 ‘Guitar experience’ has sold out in Adelaide. 

According to a statement from the artist, fans can expect a ‘career-spanning set’ that will include solo hits like ‘Lonely No More’ and ‘This is How a Heart Breaks’, as well as Matchbox Twenty classics such as ‘3AM’ and ‘Unwell’.  

In recent years, Rob has said his infamous 2016 blunder during his Melbourne tour is ‘the greatest thing’ that’s ever happened to him. 

At the time, Rob joked about drinking through his jet lag until ‘I think I’m a black Australian’.

The 53-year-old American rocker will be touring his forthcoming solo album All Night Days and paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of his 2005 debut solo album, Something To Be

‘It changed a huge part of my life, it brought so many new friends into my life, it gave me a new awareness,’ he told Confidential.

‘It’s never too late to start being on the right side of history,’ Rob added.

In 2016, mid-way through his performance at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, the singer offered a racially insensitive quip about the way in which he deals with long-haul flights.

‘I drink til I think I’m Australian. And then I keep drinking til I think I’m a black Australian (sic),’ he said.

In footage obtained by TMZ at the time, the audience can be heard groaning and booing in response to Rob’s remarks.

Several hours after the live show, Rob took to Facebook with a heartfelt apology.

‘After the show in Melbourne tonight while backstage with some of my Australian friends, it was brought to my attention that I said something that is racist and insensitive’ he wrote. 

‘Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarising social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol.’

‘Aussie fans have always been incredible to me,’ he said. ‘I can’t wait to come back and share these songs – old and new – on what’s going to be a very special run of shows across one of my favourite places in the world’

He continued: ‘When I was made aware of it, the ground fell out beneath me, and I realised that people may now see me as the exact opposite of who I am. I’m sitting here in my hotel room completely gutted that a joke that I made was much more relevant to the times in Australia than I realised.

‘I know that words are just words, but to those I offended, I deeply, DEEPLY apologise! Everyone who knows me is aware that for the past 20 years I have been a fervent supporter of civil rights, so I am incredibly embarrassed by my ignorance. I feel like a fool and apologise to all Australians.’ 

The American rock star boasts legions of fans across the globe.

But Rob previously expressed that he is ‘uncool’ during an interview with Courier Mail.

‘There’s an inherent coolness in knowing you’re not cool,’ the singer told the publication. 

‘When I say I’m not cool, I don’t mean that as a knock against me, I mean it against cool people. It’s tongue-in-cheek. I’m a f***ing rock star. That’s cool!’ he added.

While he has enjoyed a rather ‘cushy’ career, he recalled how his father spent his life ‘working a job he hated.’

‘I get paid to explain to people why they should care about my music… that’s a pretty cushy job,’ a grateful Rob said.