Tony Hawk's Australian Tour Comes To An End
Tony Hawk, exetremley well-known professional skater and entrepreneur, recently embarked on a tour across Australia that left fans thrilled and nostalgic. The tour kicked off with a unique twist, featuring "Birdman: or the Unexpected Virtue of a Tony Hawk Pro Skater Cover Band,” performing a full set of songs from the iconic Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game series. These games were instrumental in introducing many to nu metal, with bands like Papa Roach, Rage Against the Machine, and CKY contributing to the soundtrack.
After the band's performance, Tony Hawk took the stage for an hour-long talk about his career and life as a pro skater, sharing details of his inspirations and journey. At each show, to the audience's delight, Tony would join the band for a few songs, including 'Superman' by Goldfinger and 'Bloodstains' by Agent Orange.
The tour's first date was at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on January 19th, followed by a surprise announcement on social media that Tony Hawk and other pro skaters would take over Sydney State Skate Park on the 20th, drawing skaters from all over Sydney to the event. The tour continued with similar shows at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne on January 22nd and The Triffid in Brisbane on January 25th, all dates including an additional meet and greet prior for those who were lucky enough to grab a ticket.
The highlight of the tour was the special THPS25 event on January 27th at the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane. The event featured a live skateboarding demo by Tony Hawk and the Birdhouse Skate Crew on an 11ft+ vert ramp. The Birdhouse Skate Crew included world-class female ramp skater Lizzie Armanto, 5-time X Games medalist Elliot Sloan, and 9-year-old skateboarding prodigy Reese Nelson.
Additionally, the event featured the original THPS games on a 5-meter video wall situated behind the bands, allowing fans to enjoy the games while Tony and the crew skated. There were also plenty of console stations set up for attendees to play various games from the series.
Tony Hawk's Australian tour was not just a celebration of skateboarding and music but also a nostalgic journey for fans of the iconic video game series. Through a blend of live music, skateboarding demos, and gaming, the tour paid homage to Tony Hawk's impact on both the skating and gaming communities, leaving a lasting impression on everyone who attended.