Tones and I has promised to bring a full band to a mystery venue for a February show. Photo: Supplied.
Get ready to dance, Batemans Bay – an internationally loved Aussie superstar might be coming to town.
Over the weekend, busker-turned-pop star Tones and I (real name Toni Watson) promised to host a gig on 20 February.
The catch? She’ll only decide on where it will be held after a week of campaigning to catch her attention.
“Full band full choir,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I’ll bring the stage if it’s a small town!”
Later that evening, Tones and I posted again, calling for people to create Facebook pages showcasing their hometowns.
“I know this may seem erratic and very last-minute, but that’s how I’ve always been.
“My managers all called me this morning and they’re ready for the challenge so let’s do it.”
Her post has already seen nearly 20,000 likes and about 3000 shares from people across Australia.
One of those is Chloe Whalen, who’s launched a campaign for Batemans Bay.
“I couldn’t sleep one night and [the post] just popped up on Facebook,” she said.
“I thought, ‘I’m going to do it and get a page going.'”
Ms Whalen said a concert by the superstar would put her coastal town, where she has lived for 25 years, “on the map”.
As most musicians and performers stay close to Sydney for concerts – sometimes venturing into Canberra – she says this would be a treat for the small town.
“Batemans Bay is a regional town and we do often miss out on major live music,” she said.
“We have the passion and energy, we just don’t get the opportunity. Bringing Tones and I here would show that regional communities deserve the same experiences as the big cities.”
The live music fan also said expenses such as staying at hotels and travelling “skyrocket” the cost of heading to a gig far from home.
She said it was one of the reasons she hadn’t been able to attend other Tones and I concerts, after first seeing her live as the support act for P!nk.
“Honestly, from that moment, I would have preferred to watch her the whole show instead of P!nk – she was that good.
“I’m a big P!nk fan, but she was amazing.”
Tones And I performed in southern NSW in 2024, taking to the stage for shows in Young and Wagga Wagga. Photo: Young Services Club.
Following Tones and I’s Facebook posts, cities and towns across the country have also launched their campaigns – including a series of towns scattered across the Riverina.
But Chloe believes Batemans Bay is somewhere special.
“We’re up against some big places – I know Wollongong has a page going and theirs has blown out, as well.
“We have some tough competition, but we’ve had a great response.”
Chloe said it was hard to describe how it would feel to have the singer – known for hits Dance Monkey, Down Under and Gone Gone Gone – choose her town.
“I don’t think I have any words to [describe] what that would be like if she actually came here. I think I’d just be more shocked!
“Everyone might be a bit starstruck, but it would definitely be a positive thing.”
She’s calling for people to keep building the momentum by interacting with the Facebook page so it catches the attention of Tones and I and her team.
“[We’re] getting friends and family on board too, and keeping posting.
“The community are tagging everyone. … They’re sharing the posts.”
The winning location will be announced this weekend, and tickets are set to be $10.
You can follow (and support) the campaign for Batemans Bay to be the host on Facebook.
