It’s been five years since the ‘I guess forever really did end here’ puns started rolling and Sydney pop punk outfit Forever Ends Here set off around the country on what was to be their last ever tour together on the aptly named FEHwell Tour. Original members Luke McChesney (vocals/guitar), Mav Burnett (bass) and Kane McChesney (drums) took their time away until they found themselves in space that called for reformation.

Fast forward to 2023 and Forever Ends Here have announced their return with a Destroy All Lines-presented East Coast tour with Belle Haven and Those Who Dream, celebrating their new single Cherry Chapstick.

Vocalist Luke McChesney talks 27 Magazine through Forever Ends Here dream rider:

1. A Powerful shower:

There is literally nothing better than having a hot, powerful shower after an interstate flight or drive. We’ll often go straight to the venue for soundcheck before checking into our accommodation, so to have the option of a shower right away is god-tier. Emphasis on the “powerful” though. Shower pressure is important… nobody likes a drizzly shower.

Sure, venues aren’t building showers just for us, but if you’ve got a good one we can use, you bet we’ll come to play there again.

2. Skittles with the red and purple ones isolated:

I know of a band who ask for skittles separated into colours for their rider. Apparently it’s to check if the venue staff have read their entire production and hospo rider properly. If the skittles are separated, they know they have nothing to worry about for the night.

We don’t really care about that, I just really like the red and purple skittles.

3. Our pets:

The worst thing about going on tour is leaving our pets behind. We wouldn’t want to put them through the stress of being on the road, but if someone at each venue could snap their fingers and have Morris, Pluto and Elfie waiting backstage for a kiss when we finish the set, that’d fix all of our problems.

4. A Backstage escape room:

Outside of music we really are a bunch of nerds. We’ll jump at any opportunity to do an escape room.

Imagine if in order to make it to the stage, we had to solve the puzzles to escape the green room. If we come on stage late, sorry we failed if we come on stage early, we nailed it and you all get to go to bed early!

5. An unexplained B-list celebrity:

I always love a good backstage story. The best ones are the ones you can’t really explain.

I vividly remember this one headline show we played in Sydney. I started my vocal warmups backstage with no one else around. There was a little nook I stood in to soften the sound, and when I came out a few minutes later, Reece Mastin was sitting on the couch by himself. Obviously I knew who he was at the time, but we’d never spoken or met before. We exchanged a very casual nod in silence and then I walked to the stage.

I still have no idea why Reece Mastin was at a Forever Ends Here show or how he ended up alone in our backstage room, but it’s a mystery I often tell.

I want more of those stories. How good would it be to walk off stage each night to the green room and go “oooo who are we going to get this time!?”

6. Sugar Free RedBull

This one actually is on our rider. RedBull sponsored a few of our tours back in the day and they’d send us about 200 free cans for the road. It became a money-saving thing to just drink RedBull instead of water or anything remotely healthier.

Years later and I’m still addicted. It’s probably not the best habit in the world, but I’ve cut down to 1 a day and always sugar free, so that counts for something, right?

7. Fry’s Plant-based Popcorn Chick’n:

It’s just so good. The perfect snacky dinner for when you’re too busy to sit down and eat a whole meal.

I’m vegan and Mav is vego, so finding good plant based chicken substitutes is a real treat.

8. A Fresh vintage tee:

I’m a collector of vintage tees. I love the memories they hold and can tell you exactly where I found every single tee in my collection.

Getting changed into a fresh shirt after a sweaty set is a good feeling, but how cool would it be to have new vintage tees waiting for us backstage each night. Maybe something city-specific to add to the collection as a souvenir from the show.

9. A roll of film:

I like to bring a film camera on tour. There’s something about capturing a moment on film that’s unmatched by an iphone.

I always go to bed after a show thinking I wish we took more film photos, but film is expensive when you churn through it. Having a new roll on rider each night is the dream.

10. A 6 pack of Lager:

Again, something that is actually on our rider. I’m getting carried away with the big dreams but I know Kane would be mad if that was at the expense of his free beer.