The Living EndThe Living End performed at Wanderer Festival in Pambula Beach, NSW, on Sunday (5 October) and presented an epic surprise at the end of their set.
As frontman and guitarist Chris Cheney showcased on Instagram on Tuesday (7 October), 12-year-old Noah was at the front of the crowd, holding up a sign that read “Can I play drums with you?”
After performing four songs, Cheney remarked, “Hey, kid, I see you and I’ll tell you what, put the sign down before your arms fall off and we’ll get you up to play in a bit.”
The band reached the second last song of the set, in which Cheney told Noah, “Righto, kid, get up here and show us what you got.” Noah wanted to play Prisoner Of Society, to the disbelief of Cheney, who described the song as “tough.”
“I’m thinking sure why not, we’ll get through a few bars maybe,” Cheney admitted, before saying that he was wrong about Noah’s abilities.
Cheney continued, “Boy, was I wrong. Noah counts us in, then proceeds to absolutely slay it! He nails the whole damn song, flawless. Scott [Owen] and I are doing our best to keep up with him. Andy’s [Strachan] standing on the side laughing in disbelief at how good this young bloke is!
“Finish the song, crowd goes wild, everyone in awe, and probably wondering if it had been staged! It wasn’t. What a moment. Thanks, Noah, you rock!! I get the feeling you’re gonna be spending a lot of time on stage for many years to come. Sheesh, if this kid is anything to go by, the future of Aussie rock is in safe hands. Bravo!”
Cheney also described Noah as a “kickass musical prodigy.”
You can see some photos and a snippet of Noah’s performance on Instagram, and check out a longer video below.
Nearly 10,000 punters attended Wanderer Festival over the weekend, which returned after a year off with a line-up starring The Living End, Missy Higgins, Saint Motel, Boy & Bear, Folk Bitch Trio, Grace Cummings, Cut Copy (DJ Set), and many others.
In November and December, The Living End will tour in support of their recently released album, I Only Trust Rock n Roll, with sold-out shows in Brisbane and Adelaide, as well as shows in Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth.
The Living End will play two sets on the upcoming run: the first will see them perform tracks from I Only Trust Rock n Roll and hits from across their discography, while the second will feature their self-titled debut album performed in its entirety.
