Nicolas Cage Admits His Love Of Ballarat's Nicolas Cage Fighter

When it comes to bands named after celebrities, it’s rather rare for the inspiration to not only take notice of their work, but to also comment on their existence. For Ballarat’s Nicolas Cage Fighter, their namesake has not only taken notice of their work, but given them a shout-out.

Cage’s comments came via a recent chat with The Guardian, where he answered questions from readers in support of his new film, The Surfer, which sees him playing an Australian surfer who makes a pilgrimage back home.

Alongside Cage claiming “I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where I’m not mistaken for Nick Cave,” and adding that the confusion lies in the fact that “Only one letter separates us – G,” the actor also turned his attention to another Victorian artist when prompted.

Responding to a reader who asked if Cage was aware of Scotland’s Nicolas Cage film festival Cage-A-Rama, or the Rage Against The Machine-infusing Cage Against The Machine, he admitted he’s not well-versed on those fronts, but loves the Victorian outfit that bears his name.

“I am not familiar with that musical institution,” he admits. “I am familiar with a hard rock band out of Australia called Nicolas Cage Fighter, and I think they’re terrific. Their songs are empowering. The lyrics are all about taking ownership of your mistakes, never being a victim, figuring out how you can fix your problems.

“‘Re-evaluate your life / Focus on yourself / Look me in the eyes again / Tell me that none of this is your fault',’” he quotes. “They’re not afraid to write songs that are about where you have to own up to your mistakes.”

The band themselves were quick to make note of the recognition on social media. “CONFIRMED: NICOLAS CAGE IS A FAN OF NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER!!!,” they wrote excitedly.

“We are beyond stoked to have confirmation that the actor and man behind our namesake is not only a fan of our band, but also appreciates what we stand for,” they added. “We could not be more thrilled and honoured to have this acknowledgement, we are incredibly stoked, thank you Nicolas Cage! We will send you our new album I Watched You Burn.”

While groups such as the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza found their own namesake aware of their work, it’s undoubtedly rare for a group of Nicolas Cage Fighter’s calibre to achieve the recognition of Cage’s stature.