New Rampant Optimism Roadshow

A rollicking revue sees Naarm-connected legends jam out a dark, wagon’s worth of tunes.

Ned Collette has a smouldering song-writing style that’s been compared to the likes of Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen. Leah Senior, and Michael Beach also make the kind of devastating music you’d want to hear while sitting around a wax-damaged table, late at night. The three of them dreamt up the New Rampant Optimism Roadshow to bring some shoot-from-the-hip levity to the often intense but dark songwriter show experience. It’s a revue style concert where the three of them will be joined on stage by a special guest appearance from US underground rock icon Thalia Zedek and a coterie of Naarm-connected legends including Mick Turner from Dirty Three on guitar and Chris Abrahams from the Necks on the ivories. NC & Wirewalker men Joe Talia and Ben Bourke, and Leah collaborator Jesse Williams round out the rhythm section. Violist Elisabeth Fuchsia will be hot on the fiddle when the time is right.

All of them are playing together in no particular order. There’s no support act, just songs from each artist, scattered here and there like seeds in a psychedelic forest.

An unrepeatable act, one night only in the Athenaeum.

New Rampant Optimism Roadshow 2025

Featuring :

Ned Collette  

Leah Senior

Michael Beach  

and very special guest Thalia Zedek

The band :

Chris Abrahams — piano

Ben Bourke — bass

Elisabeth Fuchsia — viola

Joe Talia — drums

Mick Turner — guitar

Jesse Williams — guitar/keys