Thirsty Merc’s Rai Thistlethwayte to lead night of music-making with WAAPA at the Rosie

Acclaimed Australian musician Rai Thistlethwayte is set to bring his outstanding talents as a vocalist, guitarist, pianist and songwriter to the Rosemount Hotel on Friday, September 8 for a night of music-making with WAAPA’s Contemporary Music students.

In Perth as a visiting artist at WAAPA, Thistlethwayte will lead the student musicians as they perform fan favourites and exciting original songs written by the students.

Best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of the band Thirsty Merc, Thistlethwayte has enjoyed an international career that encompasses rock, pop, jazz and soul music.

Thistlethwayte’s early talents as a jazz pianist saw him awarded a scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music after finishing high school. Even before finishing his degree, he signed his first record deal with Columbia Records in the US.

Not long after, Thistlethwayte formed Thirsty Merc. Since 2002, the band has sold over 250,000 albums in Australia and had a string of hits in the music charts, including Someday, Someday, 20 Good Reasons, When the Weather is Fine, and Mousetrap Heart. In the Summertime, written by Thistlethwayte and performed by Thirsty Merc on the band’s 2004 self-titled debut album, has been the theme song to internationally renowned Australian TV show Bondi Rescue for 17 consecutive seasons.

Thistlethwayte also performs as a solo artist, based on his love of jazz and soul music. Performing under the name Sun Rai, his composition San Francisco Street has clocked up over 78 million views on YouTube.

Thistlethwayte is also a renowned improviser and collaborator. Some of his notable collaborations have been with ARIA award-winning guitarist James Muller, trumpeter James Morrison, and Grammy-nominated US jazz bassist Christian McBride.

Currently based between Sydney and Los Angeles, Thistlethwayte joined guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani’s touring band as keyboardist in 2020. Since then he has completed 45 shows across the USA in 2022, and over 50 shows in Europe in early 2023.

An Evening with Rai Thistlethwayte goes down at Rosemount Hotel on Friday, September 8, 2023. For more info and to buy tickets, head to rosemounthotel.com.au