Meet Australia’s new Fab Four as unexpected collaborations surprise the music industry

A private joke at their own expense inspired four Australian pop stars to unite under a cheeky band name.

A private joke at their own expense inspired four Australian pop stars to unite under the cheeky band name of the Fabulous Caprettos.

Daryl Braithwaite, Russell Morris, Jack Jones and Rai Thistlethwayte were enjoying an inter-band sledge fest when someone jokingly referred to the group as GOATs (Greatest Of All Time), so they coined the Italian word for the animal for their name.

Singer-songwriter Jack Jones is one of the stars in the line-up. Picture: Picture: Lawrence Pinder

This ongoing alliance of friends, and big fans of each other’s hits, is a sign of the times.

Tour or studio collaborations between pop and rock GOATs were once rare events – record labels, agents and managers weren’t fans of splitting profits and often vetoed the artists’ desire to professionally hook up.

But hip hop artists didn’t take no from the lawyers, and paved the way for more lucrative

opportunities for solo artists and groups to band together.

Daryl Braithwaite is a legend in Australian music circles. Picture: Getty Images

The power of pop collaboration in the streaming era was reflected in the global end-of-year singles charts, with songs featuring two or more acts accounting for a third of the top 100 for 2022 in Australia, the US and UK.

Australian artists whose joint ventures proved chart gold included The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s Stay, the PNAU remix of Cold Heart featuring Elton John and Dua Lipa, electronic producer Luude’s reworking of Down Under with Colin Hay and Flume and MAY-A’s Say Nothing.

Russell Morris has dominated blues music and has a platinum-selling album. Picture: Supplied

The international hook-ups which scored fan fervour included Unholy by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, I Like You (A Happier Song) from Post Malone and Doja Cat and Enemy from pop rock band Imagine Dragons and rapper JID. 

Jack Jones, who fronted 90s chart stars Southern Sons said hip hop artists “have always used

collaboration as a means of supporting each other.”

“The hip hop artist would get a record deal, have some success and then start their own

record label, sign an artist and do a duet with them,” Jones said.

“In the 70s, you had Mick Jagger singing on Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain but it was kept secret because of some kind of bureaucracy that got in the way of that being celebrated publicly.

“But I think now artists are looking more at who they would like to work with and how they can band together to do something that’s fresh and interesting. And fun.”

Rai Thistlethwayte rose to fame as the frontman of Thirsty Merc. Picture: Brendan Radke

While their teams are more likely motivated by the bigger earning potential of pop star pairings, the “fun” factor is the driving force for artists to partner in the studio or on the road.

Braithwaite explained the Fabulous Caprettos concept was initiated by the late great Australian

rocker Billy Thorpe who planned to get four artists together in the late 1990s, including Russell Morris.

The Real Thing superstar reignited the idea in 2020, bringing together the four men who collectively are responsible for more than 25 top 10 hits over five decades.

“The gigs are unique in that we don’t just come on at intervals, we’re all on stage together from the start, playing each other’s songs and singing together,” Braithwaite said.

“I’m probably the laziest one of the lot because I don’t get to play anything, just sing; I do feel like a shag on a rock sometimes standing there with a tambourine or something.”

The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber collaboration was an unexpected hit. Picture: Getty Images

There is a raft of all-star tour line-ups on the 2023/2024 tour calendar from Red Hot Chili Peppers with Post Malone hitting Australian stadiums later this month and through February to Blink 182 bringing out American punk band Rise Against early next year.

Rod Stewart enlisted Cyndi Lauper to gave fans extra value for money for his March tour and My Chemical Romance recruited Jimmy Eats World for their visit that month.

Paul Kelly was involved in curating the all-star, all-Australian line-up for this year’s Red Hot Summer tour with Bernard Fanning, Missy Higgins, Mark Seymour, Vika and Linda and Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley helping to sell out most of the shows.

British singer Sam Smith recently teamed up with Kim Petras. Picture: Picture: Ben Clark

With the live music industry continuing to battle supply chain and staffing issues as well as competition for venues, you can expect to see more double and triple bills in the next few years.

Braithwaite said supergroup shows like the Fabulous Caprettos are a bonus for fans.

“They get to see four artists that a percentage of them would like anyway; as a collective, it’s a bonus,” he said.

“It is so competitive out there, looking at all the internationals coming back this year too, so it is a bit of a risk.

“But it seemingly has worked out well for us with ticket sales.”

The Fabulous Caprettos perform at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on January 20, the QPAC Concert Hall in Brisbane on January 27 and Sydney’s State Theatre on February 2.