Alt rockers Jebediah and Magic Dirt to tour Tasmania later in year

Jebediah is one of a handful of bands that emerged from the 90s grunge scene and lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Kevin 'Kev' Mitchell said regional shows had been part of the band's touring ethos since their inception.

"When you went on tour, you played as many shows as possible," he said.

"If you just played the cities you'd only ever play five or six gigs a run.

"Sometimes when you go to remote regions, and Launceston isn't remote, but when you go to more remote places that don't get a lot of gigs, it feels a bit different because sometimes you get a sense the whole town has rocked up."

Mitchell mentioned regional crowds tend to be noticeably more excited about a gig than city crowds, which tend to be more challenging to impress.

So, does the rock veteran have any fond memories of touring Tasmania?

"I've got a memory that immediately comes to mind about Launceston," he said.

"Now, we've been touring Launceston since 1996. In early 1998, we were touring our first album Slightly Odway.

"And we managed to snare as our support band for that tour a little up-and-coming band called The Living End, who had just released a little single on the radio called Prisoner of Society.

"By the time we get to Launceston, The Living End had one of the biggest songs in the country. It was all over the radio and charting at the top as one of the year's biggest songs."

The Jebediah singer said going onstage after The Living End every night of the week was both "terrifying and brilliant".

When Jebediah played shows in Launceston, they were often booked at The Saloon Bar, an entertainment venue part of the Hotel Tasmania complex.

One particular gig they were on the bill for at The Saloon Bar floored the crowd before their set began.

"On one night of this [1998] tour, The Living End were on stage doing their thing and the crowd is understandably going nuts, and then suddenly the floor caved in.

"It wasn't an upstairs venue so no one got hurt. But there was a foot-long hole in the middle of the mosh pit, and part of the floor had given way under the weight of the audience," Mitchell said.

The rocker said not only was it difficult going on after a band like The Living End, but the venue had already been partly destroyed before Jebediah had even plugged in their guitars.

"That's the first memory that comes to mind about Launceston; I've been there so many times over the years with so many great bands. We've got a long history of playing in Launnie."

What does the band like to do during a Tasmania tour?

"Whenever we are in Launceston, we always check out the Japanese macaques in City Park."

Jebediah will play 24 shows around Australia, including:

September 5 at Du Cane Brewery in Launceston.

September 6 at Forth Pub in Forth.

September 7 at Goods Shed in Hobart.

Tickets can be purchased from Moshtix.