To celebrate 20 YEARS OF THE HERD’s era-defining third record The
Sun NEVER SETS, the much-loved hip hop group are set to tour
nationally in February 2026. Proudly presented by Destroy All Lines,
The Sun NEVER SETS 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR WILL VISIT THIRROUL, SYDNEY,
Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Hobart, with audiences
treated to tracks from the iconic album, alongside fan favourites from
across their discography.
A group ahead of their time, The Herd boldly delved into controversial
topics and opened conversations around anti-racism, decolonisation,
anti-war and environmentalism through their songwriting, with The Sun
Never Sets cementing them as one of the most sociopolitically vocal
acts in the country. The ARIA and J Award-nominated record also
introduced singer Jane Tyrrell to The Herd, who, after featuring on
the album and performing with them on the opening shows of the tour,
was asked to join the band over the phone as they went on stage for
their triple j Live at the Wireless show in Newcastle.
The Sun NEVER SETS LED TO ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC LIKE A VERSIONS IN
TRIPLE J HISTORY, with The Herd’s cover of Redgum’s ‘I Was Only
19’ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yfuR5b-hBo]. The track
featured on the album’s re-issue, was certified ARIA Gold, and
landed at #18 both in 2005’s triple j Hottest 100 and 2023’s
Hottest 100 of Like A Versions - the only song polled from that
decade, and a testament to its enduring impact.
With an unconventional but incredibly compelling set-up of rappers,
singers, guitars, laptops, samplers bass, and piano accordion, The
Herd were swiftly cemented as one of Australia’s most exciting live
bands. Their popularity was heightened with appearances at
Australia’s biggest festivals, including Big Day Out, Splendour In
The Grass, Falls Festival, Homebake, Groovin The Moo, Parklife, and
many more.
An extension of the project’s impact, the core members of The Herd
established and ran Elefant Traks, one of Australia’s most
respected independent labels, for 25 years before its closure in 2024.
Alongside their labelmates, The Herd joined a sold out send-off tour
to celebrate the label’s legacy, with performances at Sydney Opera
House, Melbourne Recital Centre, and Brisbane’s The Tivoli.
Reflecting on 20 years of The Sun Never Sets, The Herd member and
founder of Elefant Traks, Kenny Sabir aka Traksewt, says it was the
album that changed everything for the group. “It was the first time
we broke through to festivals, which wasn’t easy for a hip hop band
on an independent label back then. It came out in the shadow of the
Cronulla riots, when flag-draped racism was on the rise, and we were
pushing back with tracks like ‘National Holiday’. We were still
deep in experimentation mode too, making the MCs rap in odd time
signatures and seeing how far we could stretch things. Judging by the
awkward crowd dancing, we definitely found the limit. We were lucky
to be part of one of the first Like A Version sessions with ‘I Was
Only 19’. That song always hit me as a kid, and reimagining it gave
the album an extra life. We’re so excited to be celebrating this
record on the special 20th anniversary tour and blast the jumpable
crowd with faves like ‘Unpredictable’, ‘Under Pressure' and
‘We Can’t Hear You’, alongside some deeper album cuts.”
Tickets to The Sun NEVER SLEEPS 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR ARE ON GENERAL
SALE FROM FRIDAY 7TH NOVEMBER AT 10.00am local time, with DAL presale
available on Wednesday 5th November at 10.00am local time. Visit
destroyalllines.com [http://destroyalllines.com/] for tickets and
further information.
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07/02/2026 Last update