"A charismatic maestro...vivid storytelling" The Age
One of the true mavericks of Australian music. Mikelangelo is the alter-ego of Michael Simic. From The Old Bar in Fitzroy to the Sydney Opera House to London’s West End, he has packed houses and garnered accolades as a solo performer and with his long-term band Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, releasing 15 independent albums and building a worldwide following.
"Part Elvis, part New Romantic, part storyteller" **** Time Out (UK)
Way back in 1996, Simic established a music venue in Melbourne with his family –
The Truffula Tree – and that venue is now The Pinnacle. After a long time away, the
prodigal son returns to play The Pinny with his new band Mikelangelo and the Long
Lost Friends.
For this special ‘homecoming’ show, Simic has pressed a limited run of the first Mikelangelo solo album – Lost Recordings – which was in part recorded after hours at The Truffula Tree in 1999 by Matt Hills, and completed at his Happy Valley studios, then located in Preston. The album has been unavailable for some years, and this collector’s edition will be hand numbered, with each cover featuring hand inked original artwork by Simic.
"Mikelangelo weaves a seductive spell around the audience...loved every minute”
**** The List (UK)
Mikelangelo & the Long Lost Friends features Jake Annetts on bass, Steve Maher on keyboard and guitar, Bruce Rose on guitar, Ben Willson on drums and Michael Simic on vocals and guitar. Together they have worked up a set of powerful and emotive new material alongside a bunch of Mikelangelo classics from his various bands and projects. The Long Lost Friends play an eclectic mix of roots rock, driving pop and turbo charged Euro folk, all delivered with Mikelangelo’s trademark charm, energy, theatrics and off-the-cuff banter.
Mikelangelo & the Long Lost Friends will be playing songs from Lost Recordings, along with a cross section of Mikelangelo classics, and a swag of new material. This promises to be an unforgettable show of powerful music and wild tales from a previous era of Melbourne music. Opening the night will be magic realist folk noir duo Anushka in the Woods, with Anna Simic on vocals and Dave Evans on accordion and piano.
"Gloriously hilarious, musically astonishing and emotionally heart-punching"