CAN I ATTEND UTSS MAITLAND IF I AM UNVACCINATED?

You can read this for yourself under the Music Festivals heading at this website 

If you have a VIP ticket for Maitland, check your email inbox!  All VIP ticket holders were emailed on 7 March with information they'll need for show day (be sure to check your spam folder too!).  


Almost every ticket has been uploaded with Ticketmaster! We sent emails out on Feb 11th with details on how to access your new Maitland Event tickets, but we know that our emails can end up in junk / spam accounts unfortunately.

Please click this 

 link for information on how to access your tickets.

IF YOU COMPLETED THE MARCH TICKET TRANSFER FORM

This information applies to you!  We have updated our Guest List to include your details. Please attend our Box Office on event day and provide the friendly staff with your valid photo ID and your original Eventbrite ticket order number.  



If you unable to attend this event for any reason, including if you have recently tested positive for COVID or you need to isolate because someone you know has tested positive, we wish you a speedy recovery, and if you are unable to transfer your tickets to an alternative venue then we invite you to register for our next event. This event has no refund policy. Here are your available options:

1) We can transfer your tickets to an alternative venue on the tour if you cannot attend Maitland. Please complete this 

 to arrange that.   Please ensure this request is submitted prior to 5pm EST, two (2) days before your current ticketed event in order to be registered and to enable UTSS staff time to ensure your request is actioned in time.

2) We can register you to receive tickets of equal value to our next UTSS Event, currently penciled in for late 2022 / early 2023. Please complete this 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022

Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.


MAITLAND - SHOW DAY - CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

General Admission ticket holders are encourage to BYI low rise, foldable camp chair. 

We will post any relevant event updates here as they become available so please check back here soon and also prior to heading off to the show!  

If you have a VIP ticket for Hastings, check your email inbox! All VIP ticket holders were emailed on 7 March with information they'll need for show day (be sure to check your spam folder too!).

To ensure your event day is hassle free please take time to read our 

 for information which includes what you can and cannot bring with you on show day.

General Admission ticket holders are encouraged to BYO low rise, camp chair.

On 11th Feb we sent emails out detailing how to access your new Hastings Event tickets, be sure to check your spam folder and remember to VIP or whitelist our email address.

Please click this 

This information applies to you! We have updated our Guest List to include your details. Please attend our Box Office on event day and provide the friendly staff with your valid photo ID and your original Eventbrite ticket order number. 

If you unable to attend this event for any reason, including if you have recently tested positive for COVID or you need to isolate because someone you know has tested positive, we wish you a speedy recovery, and if you are unable to transfer your tickets to an alternative venue then we invite you to register for our next event. This event has no refund policy. Here are your available options: 

1) We can transfer your tickets to an alternative venue on the tour if you cannot attend Hastings. Please complete this 

 to arrange that. Please ensure this request is submitted prior to 5pm EST, two (2) days before your current ticketed event in order to be registered and to enable UTSS staff time to ensure your request is actioned in time. 

2) We can register you to receive tickets of equal value to our next UTSS Event, currently penciled in for late 2022 / early 2023. Please complete this 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022 Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.

WHAT COVID SAFE PROTOCOLS DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE?

#UTSS2022 will operate as a Covid-safe event within the current 

 and Public Events Framework. These requirements are fluid and may change. These requirements may include but are not limited to proof of vaccination, QR Code Check In and possibly other measures enforced by the relevant government authorities. 

It is a condition of entry that all patrons comply with the Public Health Orders in place. 

Please check back on this page regularly for event updates!

If you have a VIP ticket for Yarrawonga, check your email inbox!  All VIP ticket holders were emailed on 7 March with information they'll need to know for show day (be sure to check your spam folder too).


Almost every ticket has been uploaded with Ticketmaster! We emailed on Feb 10th with details on how to access your new Yarrawonga Event tickets, please be sure to check your spam folder should you not see our message in your inbox.

This information applies to you!  We have updated our Guest List to include your details.  Please attend our Box Office on event day and provide the friendly staff with your valid photo ID and your original Eventbrite ticket order number.




If you have tried to redeem your tickets through the link provided above and are unable to, please first ensure the following things that may help. (A) Access the link on a desktop browser, not a phone. (B) Log into your Eventbrite account and copy and paste the Order number. 

If those things do not help, then please email us at contact@oneworldentertainment.com.au and include the steps you have gone through, and what the issues are. You will need to include your 

1) We can transfer your tickets to an alternative venue on the tour if you cannot attend Maitland. Please complete this 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022 Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.



We will be updating information here as soon as it comes to hand, so please check back soon and be sure to keep an eye on your in box.

#UTSS2022 will operate as a Covid-safe event within the current Victorian Government guidelines and Public Events Framework.  These requirements are fluid and may change. These requirements may include by are not limited to proof of vaccination, QR Code Check In and possibly other measures encored by the relevant government authorities.

It is a condition of entry that all patrons comply with the Public Health orders in place.


 We have now sent an email with details on how to access your new Melbourne event tickets, but we know that for some of you our emails may end up in your spam folder 

(please check your spam/junk folders if you do not see our email in your inbox)

 for information on how to access your tickets.

that is you have RECENTLY elected to transfer to the Melbourne event, you will not have received an email from us.  We'll be email you shortly with your access details, once your tickets are uploaded by Ticketek.



 must have received two or more doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, or have valid proof of medical exemption, to attend events at MCA.

add your COVID-19 digital certificate to the Services Victoria app

 through MyGov or the Express Medicare Plus App.

Proof of vaccination can also be shown through the Medicare app, or your smartphone wallet. You can also present a printed copy of your digital certificate or immunisation history statement, or 

Due to vaccination and check-in requirements, 

 prior to entry using the QR codes at their designated gate. Manual check-in will be available for guests without a smartphone.

Guests will no longer be required to wear a 

 when attending events at M&OP. We will continue to strongly recommend that guests wear a mask in areas where they cannot keep 1.5m from others. 

 if you have tested positive to COVID-19, are a close contact or are required to isolate as directed by the Victorian Department of Health.

 of 1.5 metres should be observed throughout the venue wherever possible, including when queueing, using venue facilities and moving about the venue.

, please wait for the rows closest to the exits to depart first.


We can still arrange to transfer your tickets to an alternative venue if required. Please complete this 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022

PLEASE ensure that you check back on your chosen event via the 

, so that you can obtain your ticket access details!





If you are unable to attend this event, there are a couple of options for you. 

1) We can transfer your tickets to an alternative venue. Please refer to the "Change My Tickets" information above to arrange that.

2) We can register you to receive tickets of equal value to our next UTSS Event, currently pencilled in for late 2022 / early 2023. Please complete this 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022

Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.



IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ADELAIDE PATRONS

Please note that all attendees of #UTSS2022 Adelaide on 18, 19 and 20 March will be required to bring a face mask with them.  

 for your safety particularly in the event

 where physical distancing is not possible

 such as at the entry gate, or whilst visiting the bar or merchandise marquee inside the event.

You can view our Adelaide conditions of entry 

We have updated our Guest List to include your details. Please attend our Box Office on event day and provide the friendly staff with

 your valid photo ID and your original Eventbrite ticket order number.

 every ticket has been uploaded with Ticketmaster. We sent emails out for some people on January 23rd and then another email to everyone on March 1st with details on how to access your new Adelaide Event tickets, please check your SPAM folder. 

Please click this 

 link for information on how to access your tickets.



IF YOU RECEIVED AN EMAIL SPECIFICALLY ADVISING THAT TICKETMASTER DID NOT ISSUE YOUR TICKET - 

please do not use the link above.

Instead, please refer to the 'Transfer Adelaide Dates' form or the 'March Ticket Transfer' form below (Under the 'Change My Tickets' heading) where you can enter in the date or venue you should have been receiving tickets for.




 We sent an email late last year with a Transfer Form for you to select your preferred date for the new March tickets. 

 or email us before early February, we allocated Friday 18th tickets for you.

You ARE able to change these tickets. Please see the link below.





We can still arrange to transfer your tickets to an alternative date if required. Please complete this 

form to arrange that.

If you require a different venue (interstate) Please complete this 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th

Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.





This page is updated regularly with information as it comes to hand so please check back!

Information on how to redeem your reissued Ticketmaster tickets has now been emailed to our Wollongong ticket holders (Monday March 14th)If you can not locate that email, please click on 

 and follow the prompts to redeem your tickets.

 have been emailed directly from Ticketmaster / WIN (Monday, March 14th)



** IF YOU COMPLETED OUR 'MARCH TICKET TRANSFER' form ** 


You will be OK! There was a delay in requesting tickets from Ticketmaster / WIN but this has been done and you WILL have access on event day!

You should have received a copy of that transfer form as confirmation. You should still be receiving tickets, but your details have also been provided to the Box Office. Please don't worry!

 The much anticipated Sydney leg of Under The Southern Stars 2022, due to go ahead at Qudos Bank Arena 

, will now be relocating to the Big Top Luna Park.

All current tickets are valid for the new venue, you do not need to action anything further.

Important information for VIP ticket holders:

Regrettably due to the venue change we are no longer able to fulfil VIP inclusions at Big Top Luna Park.

Your VIP ticket are still 100% valid for entry to the show as a General Admission ticket tomorrow evening. Due to this unforeseen change, Under The Southern Stars will be refunding the VIP portion of your ticket (difference between GA and VIP) directly to the ticket purchaser.

The UTSS team will be in contact with VIP ticket purchasers for the Sydney event via email during the first week in April in order to obtain refund destinations for all VIP ticket purchasers.

Please keep an eye out and be sure to check your JUNK / SPAM folders.

Thanks for your support and we hope you enjoy the show!


Ticketek emailed all ticket holders on 14 March advising that your UTSS2022 Qudos Ezytickets will be distributed by them this week.  Please look out for their email and be sure to check your SPAM folder.  


You will be OK! There was a delay in requesting tickets from Ticketek as we needed to wait for all requests to be submitted, but this HAS been done and you WILL have access on event day!

You should have received a copy of that transfer form as confirmation. You should still be receiving tickets, but your details have also been provided to the Box Office. Please don't worry!




If you have VIP tickets for our Caloundra event (or VIP Ticketmaster  tickets for UTSS Sunshine Coast issued via Sandstone Point Hotel), check your inbox as you will soon have mail (please check your SPAM folder too).  We'll be emailing you with information you will need for show day.

To ensure your event day at Kings Beach is hassle free, please take time to read our 

 for information which includes what you can and what you cannot bring with you on show day.

General Admission ticket holders are encouraged to BYO low-rise, camp chair.

This information applies to you!  We have updated our

 to include your details.  Please attend our 

 on event day and provide the friendly staff with your valid photo ID and your original Eventbrite or Ticketmaster ticket order number. These have been voided for your original event, and you are now able to gain entry to UTSS Kings Beach!


Almost every ticket has been uploaded with Ticketmaster! We sent emails out on Feb 16th with details on how to access your new Kings Beach Event tickets, but we know that our emails can end up in junk / spam accounts unfortunately.

Please click this

please do not use the link above. Instead, please refer to the March Ticket Transfer below (Under the 'Change My Tickets' heading) where you can enter in the venue you should have been receiving tickets for.






If you have tried to redeem your tickets through the link provided above and are unable to, please first ensure the following things that may help. (A) Access the link on a desktop browser, not a phone. (B) Log into your Eventbrite account and copy and paste the Order number. 

If those things do not help, then please email us at contact@oneworldentertainment.com.au and include the steps you have gone through, and what the issues are. You will need to include your Eventbrite Order Number and the 

 be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022

Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.





We will be updating here as soon as we have confirmed information about Health Requirements, Food Options, VIP details etc soon.


  where you will find information on what you can and cannot bring with you on show day.

Take note General Admission ticket holders are encouraged to BYO low-rise, camp chair.

You can view Southport Sharks Covid safe guidelines 

 on event day and provide the friendly staff with your valid photo ID and your original Eventbrite or Ticketmaster ticket order number. These have been voided for your original event, and you are now able to gain entry to UTSS Southport!


Almost every ticket has been uploaded with Ticketmaster! We sent emails out on Feb 16th with details on how to access your new Southport Event tickets, but we know that our emails can end up in junk / spam accounts unfortunately.

Please click this 


We will be updating here as soon as we have confirmed information about Health Requirements, Food Options, VIP details etc soon.





All Eventbrite tickets requiring transferring to Ticketmaster have been uploaded! We sent emails out on March 1st with details on how to access your new Hastings Event tickets, but we know that our emails can end up in junk / spam accounts unfortunately.

If you can not locate that email, please click 

 to access the Ticketmaster page to enter your old Eventbrite order number.






If you have tried to redeem your tickets through the link provided above and are unable to, please first ensure the following things that may help. (A) Access the link on a desktop browser, not a phone. (B) Log into your Eventbrite account and copy and paste the Order number.

If those things do not help, then please email us at 

 and include the steps you have gone through, and what the issues are. You will need to include your Eventbrite Order Number and the venue you are trying to access.






We can still arrange to transfer your tickets to an alternative venue if required. Please complete this 

 form to arrange that: this must be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022

PLEASE ensure that you check back on your chosen event via the Ticket Updates page 2 days before the event, so that you can obtain your ticket access details!






If you are unable to attend this event, there are a couple of options for you.

1) We can transfer your tickets to an alternative venue. Please refer to the "Change My Tickets" information above to arrange that.

2) We can register you to receive tickets of equal value to our next UTSS Event, currently penciled in for late 2022 / early 2023. Please complete this 

form to do that: must be submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th, 2022

Please note that our refund request window closed at 5pm on December 15th, 2021. We advised our refund policy via emails sent to the addresses associated with ticket purchases, our website, links posted on social media and a reminder email the day prior. Please let us know via the above links if we can assist with ticket transfers or registration for our next event. Thank you.






We will be updating here as soon as we have confirmed information about Health Requirements, Food Options, VIP details etc soon.


WHY DID I GET TICKETS: I THOUGHT I ASKED FOR A REFUND?



Our instructions to obtain a refund (on the transfer form, our website FAQ's and in emails that were sent in response to queries) were that all refund requests needed to be submitted, prior to 5pm December 15th via the Eventbrite account associated with the tickets.

We exported all ticket data from the Eventbrite system a little after 5pm on December 15th, which automatically excluded any tickets that already had a pending refund request within the required timeframe.

These are the tickets that have been reissued, since as we had stated, any tickets 

 requested to be transferred or with a refund request submitted via Eventbrite, would be automatically reissued. 

Please refer to the specific Venue / Event page previously to be able to transfer your tickets if required, 

 register to receive tickets of equal value to the next UTSS Event - both options will require that they are submitted prior to 5pm EST, March 10th 2021 to be processed.




 as though you've been waiting for a refund for 2 years, however our refund window only closed on December 15th, 2021 and as advised, we commenced processing refunds on January 31st.



We appreciate your frustrations, however we are simply unable to provide anyone with an 'update' or 'status' of their refund.

 

What we can tell you is that if your refund request 

 correctly submitted via the relevant Eventbrite account between November 24th and prior to 5pm AEST December 15th (or December 1st for Adelaide ticket holders) for each Eventbrite Order Number required, they 

 be approved in due time. 

If you did not submit your refund request via your Eventbrite account before this time and date, you will already have received, or will be receiving, your reissued tickets. This is simply based on the data export from Eventbrite just after 5pm December 15th, which automatically excluded pending refunds. This is in line with our refund information which stated: 

Should you miss the refund request cut off date, we will re-issue your event tickets and we'll see you at the show in March

 whitelist our emails! We receive many queries over again because the replies we send are not getting through. Please check your junk / spam folders! 

We understand that some of you are getting incredibly frustrated because you don’t think we are responding! There is also the issue of people no longer having access to the email address they used to purchase their tickets originally, or they have made a small error when typing their email address when purchasing tickets or contacting us. Or you've changed emails but we are sending to the email address associated with your ticket purchase. These are all reasons why you may not have received the emails we have been sending.

We did introduce an auto-response due to the volume of similar queries recently. 

We know you would rather us get on with the task of processing ticket transfers and refunds

, so we put together a fairly comprehensive PDF of the main queries. If your email recently is covered by the topics covered in the PDF we will not be responding at this time. This is not to be dismissive; it is simply so we can be as efficient as possible in handling all the requests and things that need attending to before show day!

We thank you for your understanding. 



MY CREDIT CARD HAVE EXPIRED / BEEN CANCELLED



If your payment method / credit card has expired, Eventbrite will be in touch with you to discuss alternative arrangements, 

 be directed back to the original purchase method, however if that card has expired or been cancelled, the refund will bounce back to the ticket provider. They will then be in contact with you directly via email to arrange updated or alternative arrangements.

Once the refund has been issued and bounces back, the typical time frame for you to be contacted by the ticket provider would be within seven (7) days (time frames may vary).



NASCA

Smirnoff

Captain Morgan

XXXX

Under The Southern Stars Slots Into Adelaide Fringe Festival For 2022

As international travel rules subside, Under The Southern Stars has been reactivated for 2022 with the initial announcement locking in dates for the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March 2022.

Under The Southern Stars has confirmed Cheap Trick, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots will come to Australia in 2022 with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club now added to the international bill. Rose Tattoo and Electric Mary make up the Australian acts.

Promoter, Andrew McManus commented; “I’m so proud of my team in securing exemption from Commission of Border Control and thankful to all the Captains of Industry, Ministers, Lord Mayors and SA Premier for their letters of support. We are very excited to finally be able to announce Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as an addition to the line-up,! This quadruple bill will rock our #UTSS2022 audiences to the core!

Heather Croall, Director and CEO, Adelaide Fringe adds, “Adelaide Fringe is thrilled to have the world premiere of, Under The Southern Stars, a 3 day event as part of the closing weekend activity for this year’s festival! Under The Southern Stars in Bonython Park is set to be an event you don’t want to miss with a rock lineup that includes Killing Heidi and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and many more.

Under The Southern Stars 2022 have aligned with Adelaide Fringe Festival and will bring three massive nights of rock to Adelaide over the closing weekend of Fringe, 18, 19, 20 March.  International acts Cheap Trick, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots and newly announced Black Rebel Motorcycle Club feature on the stellar line up along with rock solid Aus rock favourites.

Under The Southern Stars align Adelaide Fringe Festival

All dates announcement coming on Wednesday 24 November!  Sign up and be in the first to know!

All dates announcement coming on Wednesday 24 November!  Sign up and be in the first to know!  All dates announcement coming on Wednesday 24 November!  Sign up and be in the first to know!  All dates announcement coming on Wednesday 24 November!  Sign up and be in the first to know!

#UTSS2022 All Dates Announcement Coming Soon!

To put it bluntly, it’s been a lot longer than it should have been since the Stone Temple Pilots were last on Australian shores.

Having toured the country in 2011 with founding vocalist, the late Scott Weiland, a planned 2014 tour with Linkin Park’s late frontman Chester Bennington was also canned, with the cancellation announced just weeks before kick-off.

Since then though, the band had undergone a bit of turmoil. While Weiland would pass in 2015, Bennington would follow in 2017, leaving the group uncertain of their future, and ultimately in search of a new vocalist. Recruiting Jeff Gutt, the band announced their return soon after, unveiling a new self-titled record in 2018, and effectively kicking off their comeback.

 arriving in early 2020, the group were set to finally make their way back to Australian shores, having been announced alongside Live and Bush for the Under the Southern Stars national tour. Of course, the bad news wasn’t done yet, with the COVID pandemic putting these plans on ice for the foreseeable future.

Since then, the tour has been pushed back a few times, with the final lineup now featuring the likes of Cheap Trick, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Needless to say, it’s been a long time coming, and with the tour finally set to kick off in March, Stone Temple Pilots’ frontman Jeff Gutt has spoken to 

 about the incredibly protracted journey to bringing back international shows to Australian shores once again.

Let’s begin with the obvious question: How have you been dealing with the last few years? Have you been getting by or writing safely?

Yeah, man. Thanks for asking. Have you been all right? [Laughs] We’ve got to ask each other these days. Not being able to basically tour or even go to shows as a fan to anything, that was a bummer. It was a kick in the dick, basically. You couldn’t really do anything, couldn’t enjoy music the way we used to. And that felt like something that was taken away for a little while. So I’m glad to see we’re at least starting to get back to it all here.

When everything sort of first went down, how did that affect you guys at the start of the pandemic? Because you had the new album out just one month before the pandemic hit and then there’s supposed to be an Australian tour. So what did that mean for all of you at the time.

Yeah, I mean, we had a whole tour set up just for the 

 record, which was going to be a very interesting thing. I hope we get to do that at some point because it was in more of an acoustic setting with extra musicians and that kind of vibe, where that would have been something different and fun. But just getting back to it in general and just getting back on stage with those guys and performing with them and playing those songs that everyone loves and I love and I’m sure they love [laughs]. 

I mean, just being able to get back out and do that, especially since I’ve never been to Australia in my life. So it was one of the things that we were supposed to be doing right when the pandemic first hit. And then it got cancelled a couple of times. My clothes made it there and I haven’t made it through yet [laughs]. My clothes have been there a couple of times, so I’m jealous of my clothes.

Before we get into the tour too much, I would like to have a quick look at your time with the band. Your first album with the band came out in 2018 and it was pretty warmly received. For yourself, was that a validating experience knowing that you’ve come into this band with high expectations from everyone and they’ve really welcomed you?

Yeah, I mean, the amount of freedom they’ve given me and respect they’ve given me, as for what I bring to the table and being able to allow me to do what I do and basically get the best out of me, is kind of what they’re good at. I mean, they’re great musicians and their vocabulary far exceeds mine. So most of the time, I’m just shutting up and trying to learn something [laughs].

But you know, being in a band with those guys has been very rewarding, and before in my life, I felt like I had to micromanage everything, including mixes, or songs, or whatever it was. And now, a lot of that’s done. So I just get to come in and do the parts that are expected of me and really contribute in a way that isn’t too overwhelming for me. So I kind of see it as a very organic thing because that’s kind of how it came together.

Did that warm welcome also extend to the live stage as well?

Yeah, I mean, in the back of my mind, I’m always thinking they 

 to like it, you know? Obviously, I’ll never be Scott, and he’ll always be that part of that band. So for me, it’s just going up there and trying to love the music and feel the music. And really, I’m not trying to think about anything when I’m up there. Otherwise you can get in your own head and then you’re lost forever.

Going on from that, I assume then it would be important to just try and blaze your own trail rather than trying to sort of live up to any expectations?

Yeah, I mean, I believe in myself, and I’m humble but I’m also confident in what I bring. So I feel like getting a chance to get in a room with guys like that and then writing songs and bringing my imagination into the world that they’re creating, I feel like that’s really kind of what I’m good at. So if I put pressure on myself to be something else than what I’m good at, it ain’t gonna work. So I just figured I’d just roll with it and do what I know. That’s all I can do.

, which was your second album with the band, and one that was arguably softer than what had come before. Was that a little bit daunting to sort of go along with a sonic change so soon into your tenure? Or was it more a case of just being happy to expand the Stone Temple Pilots palette where possible?

Absolutely. For me, I was just making a record with these guys who are incredibly gifted musicians. And we wrote that when we were on the Canadian tour playing in the hockey arenas, in our downtime, during winter, and there was nowhere to go, there was nothing else to do. So that was kind of its own experience in a way. And to have it be more of a melancholic and mellow record is kind of right in my wheelhouse [laughs]. So that kind of came naturally to me, and I was like, “Oh, thank you for doing something that I’m so comfortable with”. I kind of felt like they were catering to me in a way by doing that.

A lot of guys I grew up with and played with in other bands, when they heard that they said, “That sounds exactly like you. That’s pretty much you right there”. So it made sense to everyone who knew me before. And that was important to me too that they felt like that I really could be myself on a record with these guys and make it work like that and make it still feel like STP somehow.

I’d listened to a lot of your work before Stone Temple Pilots, and I do agree that it definitely suited you. It was also rather fitting to release a melancholic album like that just before the pandemic, wasn’t it?

Yeah, it’s crazy. I mean, I had to have back surgery, which is why we ended up doing that tour. And then right after that, we were supposed to go to Australia – then the pandemic hit. So, you know, it was like it was one thing after another. So that’s why this tour is so important; to get back out there and start really just playing internationally again, which is a huge deal. It’s kind of a milestone that we can get back to this and we can make it work.

It must have been crushing to have the Australian tour cancelled. I mean, Stone Temple Pilots hadn’t been here since 2011, and you hadn’t played with them here before. It must have just been blow after blow by that point. But how were you feeling? Was it just like, “What more could go wrong at this point”?

We had been so busy up until that point, and then – not just in STP but in my whole life – I never had a break like that. So half of me was welcoming it just to have vocal rest for a while. Before I was in STP, I was singing in clubs, five or six nights a week and just doing what I could to pay the rent. So being able to take a break like that was, I mean, I don’t know any other opportunity I would get to do that [laughs]. So I hope it’s the last one, but I tried to enjoy it as much as I possibly could, even though I knew – y’know – I’m not going to make any money for two and a half years, but whatever.

It was a real double-edged sword, wasn’t it? On one hand, there’s the respite after so many years of playing, but then there’s the fact you’re not out there, practicing your craft, or even making money.

It feels like part of you is missing. It’s like it’s an emotional release for people up on the stage, just as much as to be there at a show, which I’ve been on that side of, too. But it’s kind of the same thing. There’s that excitement and there’s the moment when that song that you love hits and you hear the rest of the crowd get behind you on it, and it’s like a connection to humanity. But it’s an unspoken thing, which makes it all the more special.

Once the pandemic truly hit, what were the thoughts within the band? Were you thinking, “Oh, with that in mind, should we just work on new music?” Or was it an environment not very conducive to new music?

Yeah, but you know, a lot of creativity comes when you’re isolated and when you’re alone. Most of mine does, it comes from listening, really just listening and visualising in whatever it is – whether it’s Simon & Garfunkel or… Ozzy [laughs]. It could be anything. I think to be a musician, you have to be a fan of music, too. So to choose it as a profession is insanity [laughs], but you make it work.

The Australian tour did get rescheduled to 2021 at first and then pushed back again and again. That must have felt almost cruel to be so close, then to have it all move back and then changed again. I mean, fans are tired of it, but I imagine it must have been so awful for you as well.

Yeah, I feel terrible for fans, because I know STP hadn’t been there in a while and I’ve never been there. So I want to go there and do that for these guys and for everyone in Australia. And then with myself being in Australia for the first time, I feel like it’s just a great combination of excitement. I mean, I’m going to be having to try to wipe the smile off my face on stage just to take it seriously [laughs].

This tour is also the first major international tour to be hitting Australia after a few years. Is that a daunting prospect? To be one of the first international bands back on stages must make it feel like there’s a lot of responsibility to not just bring your A-game, but to bring your A+-game, just so that folks are so blown away and reminded about what they’ve been missing.

I just want to bring the game, man [laughs]. I think it’ll come back naturally. I’m not really trying to put too much pressure on myself. I just want to get out there and sing these songs and have people singing them back at me. If I forget where I’m at in a song, I can look at the crowd and see their mouths moving and know that they’re such big fans of Stone Temple Pilots that they’ll be in the right spot [laughs].

The band have been playing shows again recently, but how has that been feeling in the not-quite-post-COVID world? Is the feeling in the crowds different? Is it a bit more cautious, or are people just going right back into it?

I can’t speak really for people in the crowd, but the reaction from the stage is that I feel like they’ve been yearning for it, and there’s a release there that has been a long time coming.

What can fans expect from these upcoming shows? I’ve looked at recent setlists and it’s predominantly Scott-era material, with a couple of tracks from the 2018 album. I hate to use the phrase, but it seems like more of a ‘nostalgia set’ than a showcase of newer material?

The thing is that there’s so many records and songs to choose from. It’s a great problem to have, but there’s just so much that it’s hard to fit everything into an hour. I haven’t seen the setlist yet, and we’re going to start rehearsals here pretty soon. I just got back to L.A. a couple of days ago, and I think Eric [Kretz, drummer] just got back on Monday. So, we’re going to get together here and start hashing out some setlists, and I can’t wait to see them But if you hear anything before me, let me know [laughs].

I always find myself looking at setlists, and I can definitely see the desire in wanting to play deep cuts that haven’t been played for a long while. But I feel it must be a bit of a catch-22 for yourself, because you’re aware fans are there to hear the ‘classic’ songs, but I’d feel you’d also want to be showing off the material that has come from your time in the band, too.

I kind of feel like the guys would feel the same way, too. They’re about moving forward as much as they are remembering the past. To me, it’s just an honour to be able to sing those songs with those guys, to represent that for the fans and for everyone that’s loved them and followed them throughout their career like I have. Yeah. So to me, it’s just about paying respects to that and making sure it’s done right.

And I just kind of get lost in the songs myself and remember what they meant to me and how impactful they were in my life. They’re kind of the soundtrack to people’s lives, too. We usually roll with more than one set list – we usually have two or three different setlists – so we’ll see what what comes together.

Looking away from the tour, is the band up to anything else currently? Are you working on new music, or are you hoping to get these tour dates out of the way first?

We’re always working on material. I am, personally, and I’m sure they are too. We haven’t gotten together and been able to talk about that in that sense, because once that process starts, the floodgates kind of just open and that’s kind of where you’re heading. But there’s no like, ‘half-in, half out’ where they would say, “Let’s write a bunch of songs”.

We did that hen we had that downtime and when we were together, and that’s kind of different than just kind of being off on our own. So, us getting back together is going to feel good; us getting back on stage is going to feel good as well. Us playing the songs is going to feel good, and then coming together to show each other our ideas while we’re in proximity with each other a lot will be good, too. So maybe the next record will be written on the road in Australia [laughs].

It’s been a long time since the Stone Temple Pilots were on Australian shores, and as the Under the Southern Stars festival gears up to take place next month, Jeff Gutt talks to 

 about the band’s long-awaited return.  

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