Rai Thistlethwayte and Ben Vanderwal

Following a successful tour in Japan, a festival appearance in Bangkok, and sold out shows at Sydney Fringe Festival and the Perth Int’l Jazz Festival (before covid), Rai and drum-gun Ben Vanderwal are coming to Avoca Beach Theatre! Expect some serious musical telepathy, within the oh-so-groovy framework of Rai’s jazz infused vocals and Ben’s intricate beats, and not to mention, some gratuitous left hand synth bass action. Rai is a one of Australia’s most respected musical talents: a highly accomplished pianist, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. As a songwriter, he has been nominated for APRA Song of The Year. His band, Thirsty Merc, has sold over 250,000 albums in Australia, and has been nominated for 5 ARIA awards (Australian Grammys). Since 2002, Thirsty Merc has released 4 studio albums and a string of hits in the Australian Music Charts.