Dragon

Dragon

Victoria Park, Wandal QLD 4700, 4700 Wandal Directions

Sat 05.09.2026 12:00

For the very first time, the acclaimed Sounds of Rock Music Festival is heading to Rockhampton, bringing a world-class lineup of international icons and Australian music royalty for a massive one-day celebration of hits.

Leading the charge for this historic debut is the sophisticated UK duo GO WEST. Known for their signature pop-rock sound, Peter Cox and Richard Drummie dominated the global airwaves with smash hits like “King of Wishful Thinking” (from the Pretty Woman soundtrack) and “We Close Our Eyes,” making their inclusion a massive win for local fans.

The international star power continues with a very special guest all the way from the USA: pop sensation DEBBIE GIBSON. With a career that saw her become the youngest female artist to write, produce, and perform a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, Gibson will bring her infectious energy and chart-topping classics like “Lost in Your Eyes” and “Only in My Dreams” to the Central Queensland stage.

The Australian contingent is equally formidable. THE ANGELS return to deliver the high-octane pub rock that defined a generation, featuring anthems like “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again” and “No Secrets.” They are joined by the high-energy BOOM CRASH OPERA, who will have the crowd in full voice with “Great Wall” and “The Best Thing.”

Adding to the party atmosphere are synth-pop pioneers PSEUDO ECHO, bringing their neon-soaked energy and the world-famous “Funkytown” to the lineup. They are joined by the iconic DRAGON, whose hits “April Sun in Cuba” and “Rain” are essential requirements for any Australian festival.

The lineup is rounded out by the smooth pop harmonies of BACHELOR GIRL (“Buses and Trains”) and the melodic rock of TAXIRIDE featuring Jason Singh (“Get Set,” “Everywhere You Go”), ensuring the music doesn't stop from the first chord to the final encore.

Performers

  • Dragon Festival
    Dragon Festival

    Dragon, Purveyors of Antipodean anthems since 1973.

    We never stop moving.

  • Debbie Gibson
    Debbie Gibson

    Pop Icon and Broadway Star

  • Go West
    Go West

    Go West are a British pop group. The duo formed in 1982, with Peter Cox and Richard Drummie Go West quickly had a publishing deal and possessed a portastudio, but lacked a band or recording company. Peter and Richard decided, with support from John Glover, their manager, to find a musical producer, and record just two of their songs. The tracks We Close Our Eyes and Call Me found Go West developing a record deal with Chrysalis Records. The songwriting duo specialised in radio friendly, white soul sounds. The band's debut single, We Close Our Eyes, was released in 1985 and managed to achieve the number 4 position on the UK charts and also managed to reach the top 10 in the US. The video for the song became an early favorite on MTV. This helped them to be voted the "Best Newcomers" at the 1986, BRIT Awards. Later in 1990, Go West scored a top 10 US hit with the song King of Wishful Thinking from the movie Pretty Woman. An instrumental version of the song's chorus is also alleged to be heard in the production logo for Gracie Films (seen at the end of The Simpsons). Go West website: www.gowest.org.uk

  • Boom Crash Opera
    Boom Crash Opera

    Boom Crash Opera are an Australian pop rock band formed in late 1984. Initially based around the songwriting partnership of Richard Pleasance and Peter Farnan, the band was later joined by Dale Ryder, Peter ‘Maz' Maslen and Greg O'Connor. Pleasance developed tinnitus from constant exposure to loud live music and left in 1992 to pursue a solo career as an artist and producer. O'Connor departed in 1994. Current line-up includes Dale Ryder, Peter ‘Maz' Maslen, Peter Farnan and John Favaro. Their highest charting albums are Boom Crash Opera, These Here Are Crazy Times! and Fabulous Beast. Their top 20 singles are "Great Wall", "Hands up in the Air", "Onion Skin" and "Gimme". In the United States "Onion Skin" reached No. 8 on the Billboard component chart Modern Rock Tracks. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane noted that the group had a "strong visual image and the uncanny ability of its principal songwriters to pen catchy, commercial songs ensured a string of successful releases".

  • The Angels
    The Angels
    Delivering raucous hard rock in the tradition of contemporaries like AC/DC and Rose Tattoo, the Angels are among the longest-lasting and most beloved bands ever to emerge from the Australian pub circuit. Their roots date back to 1973, when singer Doc Neeson and guitarist Rick Brewster first teamed up at university in an eccentric acoustic covers group dubbed the Moonshine Jug and String Band; by the following year they had begun adopting a more straightforward and electric approach, rechristening themselves the Keystone Angels in the process. Soon abbreviated to simply the Angels, their original lineup consisted of Neeson (nicknamed the "Mad Irishman" in honor of his crazed behavior on- and off-stage) and Brewster, along with the latter's brother John on guitar and drummer Graham "Buzz Throckman" Bidstrup. In 1976, the Angels were discovered by AC/DC's Angus Young and Bon Scott, and soon entered the studio to record their debut single, "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again," a major hit. With the addition of bassist Chris Bailey (not to be confused with the Saints' frontman), a tour opening for AC/DC followed, and in 1977, the Angels' eponymously titled debut LP appeared to enormous success. A second album, Face to Face, appeared in 1978 and preceded a national headlining tour; after 1979's No Exit became an even bigger hit, the group toured the U.S. and Canada; they renamed themselves Angel City in the Northern Hemisphere to avoid confusion with the glam band Angel. (To further complicate matters, a handful of releases later appeared credited to "the Angels from Angel City," the constant fluctuations no doubt contributing to their lack of success overseas.) After just three LPs, the Angels issued their first Greatest Hits collection in 1979; with their next studio album, 1980's moody Darkroom, they scored their first Australian number one hit, "No Secrets." The record also featured the track "Face the Day," later covered by Great White. At the end of the year, the Angels headlined a free concert at the Sydney Opera House that ended in rioting, prompting a government ban on outdoor concerts. Undaunted, the Angels opened in America for the Kinks, then returned home to begin work on their next album, Night Attack, their first outing with new drummer Brent Eccles. A subsequent tour exchanged Bailey for bassist Jim Hilbun, and was followed in 1983 by the odd, experimental Watch the Red. Two Minute Warning -- a concept record exploring nuclear devastation -- recorded in Los Angeles and issued a year later. Upon returning to Australia, founding member John Brewster exited, and was replaced by ex-Skyhooks guitarist Bob Spencer. Howling followed in 1986, launching the hit singles "Don't Waste My Time" and "Nature of the Beast." In support of the record, the Angels mounted a 16-month tour that yielded the double-concert LP Liveline in 1988. With new bassist James Morley, they next traveled to Memphis to record 1990's chart-topping Beyond Salvation, which notched four Top Ten singles: "Let the Night Roll On," "Back Street Pick-Up," "Rhythm Rude Girl," and "Dogs Are Talking." After 1991's Red Back Fever, both Spencer and Morley departed for solo careers late the next year, opening the door for the return of Hilbun and John Brewster. However, record company problems kept the Angels from recording new material for several years; finally, in 1996, they issued their comeback single, "Call That Living," which returned them to the Top Ten. Skin & Bone followed in 1998. The group disbanded at the close of the '90s following Doc Neeson's injury in a car accident; however, Neeson joined a re-formed Angels in the spring of 2008, and the reunited group played a series of shows during the summer of that year. Neeson left the band again in 2011 to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Dave Gleeson, former lead singer of the Screaming Jets, a group who had toured with the Angels in 1991. His debut album with the group came in 2012 when Take It to the Streets arrived featuring the single "Waiting for the Sun." The band marked their 40th anniversary by releasing the album Talk the Talk in 2014. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
  • Pseudo Echo
    Pseudo Echo

    Pseudo Echo have always loved an adventure!

    Iconic multi-award winning Australian band Pseudo Echo announce their “Love An Adventure 2025 National Tour”, marking the 40th Anniversary of the band’s Platinum selling album “Love An Adventure”, which gained world-wide success and a global fan base spanning Australia, USA, Canada, Europe and Asia. Relive the songs and sounds that defined an era, as Pseudo Echo take you on a nostalgic hit-filled journey through the 80’s, and experience a dynamic performance true to the original sound, all to a backdrop of stunning visuals.

  • Bachelor Girl
    Bachelor Girl

    n 1992, Tania Doko and James Roche formed Bachelor Girl and the duo became one of the most loved Australian acts of the 1990’s and early 2000’s, enjoying Australian and international success in Asia, Scandinavia and the US (including signing with the legendary Clive Davis at Arista Records). Standing out with their exceptional song writing and Tania’s warm, powerful vocal, both PPCA and APRA have reported a massive achievement for the band - their hit single ‘Buses and Trains’ was the most played Australian composition on Australian radio in its first year of release and during the last 25 years overall.

  • Taxiride ft Jason Singh
    Taxiride ft Jason Singh

    Jason Singh, The lead vocalist on TAXIRIDE’S biggest hits “GET SET”, “EVERYWHERE YOU GO” & “CREEPIN’ UP SLOWLY”.

    In 2025, Jason Singh is recreating this sound as only he can, in TA❌IRIDE ft Jason Singh.

    https://linktr.ee/taxirideftjasonsingh