Mick Thomas

Michael James Thomas (born 7 February 1960) is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, guitarist and hotelier. Thomas was the frontman of folk rock group Weddings Parties Anything (1984–1998), and leader of Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing. He has also released material as a solo artist.

Early life Michael James Thomas was born in Yallourn on 7 February 1960 and is the middle child of three. His older brother, Steve, was later a playwright. Their father, Brian Darvall Thomas (2 February 192512 September 2003), was a World War II naval veteran (23 April 194217 July 1946) and an electrical engineer with the State Electricity Commission. Brian's family were from Tasmania and his wife, Margaret, was from northern Victoria. They met in Melbourne after Brian returned from his war service.

The family moved with Brian's work, from Gippsland to Colac, Horsham and then Geelong. When Thomas was 15, in Geelong, he started playing folk music, initially as a solo artist. He was a member of Southern Aurora, and from 1978 to 1980 in Never Never Band which issued an independent single, "It Doesn't Mean Anything". In 1981 (at age 21) he moved to Melbourne By 1985 they were joined by Mark Wallace aka Squeeze-Box Wally on piano, accordion and backing vocals. Their debut four-track extended play, Weddings Parties Anything, appeared in December 1985. In April 1987 the group issued their debut studio album, Scorn of the Women, which reached No. 52 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Eight of the twelve tracks were written solely by Thomas, with another track, "The Infanticide of Marie Farrar", adapted from the poem of the same name by Bertolt Brecht. He noted that Thomas' musical influences were The Pogues, Fairport Convention (and guitarist Richard Thompson), Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. both are written by Thomas. During their career they won four ARIA Music Awards – 'Best New Talent' (1988), 'Best Indigenous Release' (1989, 1990) and 'Song of the Year' for "Father's Day" (1993). According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, the band "united two great Australian music traditions: post-punk pub rock and folk/bush balladry". In June 1999 Over in the West was performed at the Maverick Arts Festival, with Thomas also contributing the role of Mr Robert, leader of a pub rock band.

By mid-1999 he formed the Sure Thing as his backing band, with Darren Hanlon on guitar, mandolin and harmonica; and Rosie Westbrooke on double bass. By the end of that year Michael Barclay (ex-Weddings Parties Anything) joined The Sure Thing on drums.

On 12 March 2001 the group's second album, Dust on My Shoes, appeared; it was co-produced by Thomas with Jerry Boys. Their next album, The Horse's Prayer, was issued on 3 March 2003 as a 2× CD. On 12 March 2007 he released another album, Paddock Buddy, on the Liberation Music label.

In 2011 he reunited with former Weddings Parties Anything bandmate, Wallace, to form Roving Commission. In February 2012 Thomas issued a solo album, Last of the Tourists, which had been recorded in Portland, Oregon with Darren Hanlon producing.

Personal life Thomas is a part-owner of the Merri Creek Tavern in Northcote. In 1993 or 1994 he bought a Maton guitar which he dubbed "Tommy Emmanuel's guitar" as it had been manufactured for the guitarist of the same name – he wrote a track, "Tommy Didn't Want You", in honour of his guitar.

Discography Albums Title Details Peak chart positions AUS Under Starter's Orders: Live at the Continental Released: 1998 Label: Croxton (CROXT001) Format: CD Note: Recorded Live at the Continental Café in Prahran — Dead Set Certainty (as Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing) Released: 1999 Label: Croxton (CROXT004) Format: CD — Dust On My Shoes (as Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing) Released: 2001 Label: Croxton (CROXT007) Format: CD — Something to Fight for (as Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing) Released: 2003 Label: Croxton (CROXT008) Format: CD — The Horses Prayer (as Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing) Released: 2003 Label: Croxton (CROXT014) Format: 2×CD — The Tank (with Steve Thomas) Released: June 2004 Label: Croxton (CROXT020) Format: CD, digital download Concept album — Anythings, Sure Things, Other Things Released: August 2004 Label: Liberation Blue (BLUE0722) Format: CD, digital download — Other Things, Sure Things, Extra Things Released: 2005 Label: Croxton (CROXT020) Format: CD, digital download Note: Recorded Live at the Spiegletent — Paddock Buddy(as Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing) Released: March 2007 Label: Liberation (LIBCD8220.2) Format: CD, digital download — Spin Spin Spin(as Mick Thomas and the Sure Thing) Released: April 2009 Label: Liberation (LMCD0047) Format: CD, digital download 52 A Head Full of Road Kill (with Michael Barclay) Released: 2009 Label: Croxton (CROXT050) Format: CD, digital download Note: Recorded Live at Valve Studios, Solingen, Germany — Last of the Tourists Released: February 2012 Label: Liberation Records (LMCD0165) Format: CD, digital download — Christmas Day at Spencers (as Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission) Released: 2013 Label: Popboomerang Records (PB:093) Format: LP — These Are the Songs (A Mick Thomas Retrospective) Released: 2017 Label: Liberation Records (LMCD0312) Format: 2×CD, digital download Compilation — Coldwater DFU (as Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission) Released: March 2019 Label: Bloodlines (BLOOD49) Format: CD, LP, digital download — Oh I Do Love To See Beside The B-Sides (as Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission) Released: 2019 Label: Mick Thomas Format: CD, digital download Compilation — See You on the Other Side: A Postcard from April 2020 (as Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission) Released: 2020 Label: Mick Thomas Label: Brickfielders Recording Company (BRC007) — See You on the Other Side (as Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission) Released: 2020 Label: Mick Thomas Label: Brickfielders Recording Company (BRC008) — Cities Calling Me (as Mick Thomas and the Roving Commission) Released: 2021 Label: Mick Thomas Label: Brickfielders Recording Company (BRC011) — Where Only Memory Can Find You (as Mick Thomas' Roving Commission) Released: 5 May 2023 Label: Mick Thomas, Coolin' by Sound 33 GoComeBack Released: 31 October 2025 Label: Mick Thomas' Roving Commission, Coolin' by Sound 98