![Ben Ely (bass guitar and vocals), Quan Yeomans (guitar and vocals) and Peter Kostic (drums) form the heart of Regurgitator while Sarah Lim (keytar, guitar and backing vocals) will join them for this tour. Picture supplied Ben Ely (bass guitar and vocals), Quan Yeomans (guitar and vocals) and Peter Kostic (drums) form the heart of Regurgitator while Sarah Lim (keytar, guitar and backing vocals) will join them for this tour. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9jp2tjuwKpcNcyMwTq82JY/5a0b2b25-d280-48b6-8c86-be64e74681cc.jpeg/r0_0_1280_853_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Brisbane band that started out as a side project, Regurgitator, is certainly still going the distance.
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This year it hit the road for its 30th anniversary tour.
Founding band member and bass guitar mainstay in the alternative rock outfit, Ben Ely, said the milestone felt insane.
"It does not feel like 30 at all," he said.
"We're just 18 forever, 18 infinity; we have a Peter Pan complex!"
This year Regurgitator launched its 11th studio album Invader, alongside a national tour with Party Dozen.
Joining Ely, Quan Yeomans (guitar and vocals) and Peter Kostic (drums) formed the heart of the band while Sarah Lim (keytar, guitar and backing vocals) joined them for this tour, which kicked off in Tasmania and was now working its way through Victoria.
Regurgitator will return to the Border during the King's Birthday Long Weekend on Sunday, June 9.
Ely said the band had played at Border venues many times.
He said the first time they toured here was the mid-1990s during football finals season.
"There was a lot of animosity around the result of a finals match that day," Ely said.
"It was the most times we've ever had to stop the band to break up fights!
"Now we know not to play when the footy finals are on!"
It's So Invasive national tour started on Friday, May 10, in Hobart and would run throughout May and June covering all states.
Invader itself was two years in the making.
A self-produced work mostly recorded and mixed by Ely and Yeomans (with help by Greg Jard), Invader featured 14 tracks, hooking up with prime collaborators Peaches, JK47 and Tyson Yunkaporta (Sand Talk).
"It's the most amount of time and energy and effort we've ever put into an album," Ely said.
"We have so much gratitude for our fans and people following us since the '90s.
"We got a new sound guy (technician) and we thought we'd better pull up our socks and do another album.
"People are telling us it's our best album ever."
![Regurgitator will return to the Border during the King's Birthday Long Weekend on Sunday, June 9. Picture supplied Regurgitator will return to the Border during the King's Birthday Long Weekend on Sunday, June 9. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9jp2tjuwKpcNcyMwTq82JY/3ef303d7-e48a-42fe-9ffc-ff01fab38ab8.jpeg/r0_0_1280_875_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ely said Regurgitator - which had two singles reach the Top 20 in Polyester Girl and Happiness (Rotting My Brain) - was very much a side hustle from the outset.
He said the sound just resonated with fans straight up.
"We chose Regurgitator (as a band title) because it sounded tough and heavy like the music we were playing but it's evolved and we now play any style we want.
"We're playful and we like to experiment with other genres.
"We get to do what we love all the time and there's a kind of childish vibe to that.
"We're more like brothers than if we were actually brothers."
Regurgitator never shied away from political or social commentary either.
"In our limited capacity we will do our best to make a stand for the dispossessed, disenfranchised and anyone suffering injustice in the broadest manner we can," they said.
"The world is served best by compassion and co-operation.
"We, without question, acknowledge these lands we exist, create and tour upon as stolen and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this life-giving country both elders past and present."
Regurgitator will perform at SS&A Albury on Sunday, June 9.
They will deliver an 80-minute set covering the new album and their repertoire over 30 years.
Supported by Party Dozen, doors open from 7pm.
Tickets: eventbrite