tour chat with Donni Heat

Hayes Rose
Jun 6
4 min read

If you've read my last blog about Adelaide's DONNI HEAT. THEN YOU'D KNOW HE'S HEADING TO MELBOURNE THIS JULY.

I HAD A LITTLE CHAT WITH DONNI ABOUT THE UPCOMING SHOWS AND WHAT FANS CAN EXPECT.

photo credit: @tcmccawley @tysoncpp

Hayes: You have some really cool bands on the line up! What made you choose these bands specifically?

I had a fair few bands reach out to me, wanting to hop on the bill and ultimately it was quite hard to pick, having never seen any of these bands live before! My team and I went off of artistic/sonic similarities, social gigging presence, and of course, a sense of community within each band's own circles. Ultimately, I want to make sure every gig I play has that same feeling of togetherness and unity in the love for music, so I picked the bands that were available and had that strong community-driven foundation-that and obviously the fact that each band I picked have a wicked sound!!

What can fans expect from these shows?

Like I said, at the very least, there's a feeling of unity and an expectation that every show will be powerful and wholesome. 90% of the people coming may not know who I am or the type of shows I put on, but they're in for an electrifying night! My set goes hard from start to end, a very 'all gas no breaks' approach-with the exception of one song where I'm opting for a more intimate feeling. I want people to be moshing, dancing, arms around shoulders, headbanging; you name it-as long as we're all reciprocating a common positive energy at the shows.

Do you have any future shows you can tease?

Well! It's funny you ask that. I had one that was supposed to supporting USA's Ryan Oakes in mid June but that's been cancelled now due to health reasons. I was so stoked to announce that, especially since it was really my fanbase that helped me get on Ryan's radar. But now it's just the two VIC shows that I'm incredibly excited for-Geelong on July 9 and Melbourne CBD on July 11, and focusing solely on them.

How excited are you for these shows? tell us about the work that goes behind creating this shows and what you love most about touring and performing.

For my first ever interstate shows, no amount of words can express how truly excited I feel deep down, underneath what may seem like a calmer persona haha. Ever since starting this project 4 years ago, I've always wanted to take it to a different city, and now that it's finally happening is making little Donni super proud. Being an independent musician as well as a solo artist means that it's more than likely that the cards are stacked against you-especially the two big ones like time and money. Financially, it's always hard as a small fish in a big pond, but with the last few shows, I've been able to save up enough to get my crew and I over for these shows! I've always been someone who loves diving straight in and sinking their teeth into new roles, so I learnt a lot being my own promoter/booking agent, juggling whatever hats needed to be put on to achieve the goal. Luckily I have a great support system and a great band so I can focus a bit less on the performing sometimes as that comes naturally, and divide my time to doing other things such as creating gig posters, liaising with industry reps, and building a sustainable foundation here in Adelaide and soon interstate/overseas.

When i saw you in Adelaide, i have never seen such a loving crowd. Everybody was dancing, singing and having the time of their lives! I can only imagine what goes through your mind when you're on stage and you see the crowd singing your songs back at you. Care to touch on it?

This honestly meant so much to me, having some new faces from the H&H crew come down and check what the Donni Heat show is about! I'm glad that people took notice of the energy that was sent out from the stage and reciprocated in the audience. That means I'm doing my job well haha! I am so grateful that the community I've built is one that's of a wholesome energy, not afraid to mosh about yet still pick each other up when one falls. My mind always goes to a feeling of gratitude whilst onstage, and it allows me to keep the energy cranked up to 110% until the last second of the last song. I just hope that the alt scene in Victoria can come and do the same this July, because your boy has a lot of this energy waiting to give!!