Skunkhour — Up To Our Necks In It (For 30 Years)

Legendary cult funk-rock band Skunkhour are back out on the road to celebrate 'Up To Our Necks In It' — the 1995 single that cemented their place in Aussie music mythology. Thirty years on, it still grooves, still snarls, and still feels like no one else could’ve made it. To mark the milestone, the band are hitting stages nationwide this October and November for the Up To Our Necks In It (For 30 Years) tour — a loud, proud celebration of the song that took them from local oddballs to global trailblazers.

Skunkhour, 'Up To Our Necks In It'

And if you were around the traps in the ’R90s — sweaty pub shows, festival dust, half-broken vans — you probably saw Skunkhour holding their own alongside a whole generation of homegrown heavyweights. The kind of acts who made the Aussie touring circuit feel like one big, chaotic, glorious family.

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🔥 FCK YEAH FLASHBACKS: ICONIC AUSSIE ACTS SKUNKHOUR USED TO ENJOYING BUMPING INTO ON THE TOURING CIRCUITIN THE '90S

If you were out on the road in the thick of it back then, chances are you crossed paths with this lot:

RESIN DOGS

Brisbane break-beat kings and eternal vibe merchants.

POWDERFINGER

Brisbane’s behemoth; the city’s eternal point of pride and the band that made big-hearted rock feel both local and legendary.

GRINSPOON

Pure festival chaos in cargo shorts and distortion pedals.

MIDNIGHT OIL

Political fire, no filler, and the loudest dressing rooms in the business.

CALIGULA

Electro-rock renegades with some truly unprintable road stories.

A golden era, no doubt — and Skunkhour were right there in the thick of it, weaving their own genre-bending groove through the noise.

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Skunkhour, 'Up To Our Necks In It' — the single that won't quit

'Up To Our Necks In It' was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. Melancholic and hypnotic, it builds from a slow-burn groove into a soaring, brass-tipped rush — part street-poet rap, part deep-soul catharsis.

Plucked from their sophomore record Feed (which hit #21 on the ARIA charts), the song broke format and crossed airwaves — triple j, ABC, community, even commercial FM — something practically unheard of for a funk-rock-hip-hop hybrid in mid-90s Australia.

“It crossed a lot of boundaries for us,” the band recall. “It got played everywhere. That was pretty rare for any band back then — let alone one like us.”

The track’s reach even extended overseas, landing them a deal with Acid Jazz Records in the UK and a spot on their Totally Wired compilations. “It’s still our most-streamed track and the biggest sing-along moment live,” they add.

A riff born from a dream

The song’s genesis? Pure cosmic accident. “Our guitarist Warwick Scott woke up one morning with that riff stuck in his head,” they say. “He brought it to rehearsal, and we started jamming. It just had this melancholic, introspective feel — the chorus and melodies came together almost instantly. One of those moments where you realise, yeah, we’re meant to be doing this together.”

Still here, still weird, still Skunkhour

Formed in the early ’90s as grunge and rave culture collided, Skunkhour cut their own path — mixing funk rhythms, hip-hop vocals, live brass, and rock heft into something entirely new. They were the band who could share a stage with INXS one night and the Beastie Boys the next, and make total sense.

Decades on, they’ve weathered lineup changes, breakups, reformations, and real life — emerging tighter than ever. The addition of Al Goodman (keys) and Carlos Adura (drums, The Strides / Tim Finn / The Beautiful Girls) has reignited their groove-heavy DNA. “They’ve really rejuvenated the spirit,” the band say. “Our live shows are more dynamic and powerful than ever.”

And while 2025 is all about celebrating three decades of 'Up To Our Necks In It', new music isn’t off the table. “We’re probably due for some new songs next year,” they tease. “But first — we party.”

The tour

Approaching its second weekend the tour is still to hit Queensland this weekend before moving on to Victoria and South Australia. Expect big vibes, deep cuts, and plenty of funk-rock firepower. “We’re leaning into the dynamic, funky side of the catalogue,” they promise. “With some reworks, a few personal favourites, and some of the recent releases too.”

Tickets are on sale now via skunkhour.com.au.

UP TO OUR NECKS IN IT (FOR 30 YEARS) TOUR DATES

🗓 Fri 24 Oct — Everglades, Woy Woy NSW (18+)

🗓 Sat 25 Oct — King Street Bandroom, Newcastle NSW (All Ages)

🗓 Thu 30 Oct — The Northern, Byron Bay NSW (18+)

🗓 Fri 31 Oct — Burleigh Town Hotel, Burleigh Heads QLD (18+)

🗓 Sat 1 Nov — The Triffid, Brisbane QLD (18+)

🗓 Thu 13 Nov — Pelly Bar, Frankston VIC (18+)

🗓 Fri 14 Nov — Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC (18+)

🗓 Sat 15 Nov — The Gov, Adelaide SA (18+)