Mashd N Kutcher Return To The Stage, Hint At More Dates

Mashd N Kutcher are back, baby! The duo took to Instagram yesterday (May 9th) to announce that they had successfully completed their first show in nine months. 

The dance collective haven’t had it easy these past few months, as founder and leading member Matt James was diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer known as Multiple Myeloma. 

“This was unexpected as I was otherwise healthy. However, it has spread throughout my body, causing multiple breaks in my arms, ribs and more.

“Over the immediate months, we will hit this from every angle with chemotherapy and extensive treatment ahead,” James said in his Instagram announcement in mid-2023.

In the time in between, James battled it out with a combination of chemo, radiation, and physio, but the broken bones didn’t break the producer’s spirit, as he managed to release the song IT’S ALRIGHT while between treatments. 

“In light of the opportunity I’ve been given to use the platform, I’m donating 100% of MNK’s streaming artist revenue from the song to Cancer Research, Support and Awareness,” James shared about the release on Instagram.

The duo later revealed the completion of an entire album with 30 additional singles in the vault. While James is still currently undergoing treatment and has not been cleared to fly, he has been cleared to begin ripping up the live scene again. 

Fast forward to 2024, and the boys are back on the bandwagon, playing their first set in months at a Boiler Room-styled rave in their hometown of Brisbane on May 5th. The setup featured a 360-degree stage with support from Latifa Tee, Akimbo, Bao, and Liam Connor. 

The duo posted to Instagram about the feat:

“After the past nine months in and out of hospital and going through intense treatment, I made the decision to step out and try performing again for the first time, and I’m so glad I did. It was amazing; over 900 of you turned up, and we were able to play 45 minutes of brand new originals and remixes, all unreleased,” James stated. 

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The producer also discussed the shift away from sampling predominantly other artists' (or politicians') content to make songs.

James hinted that most of the new music on the way is solely Mashd N Kutcher’s creation, with the producer rediscovering what it means to be a producer-writer and make something from scratch.

The event was the first time the duo and many patrons had stepped foot in Brisbane’s newest venue, Eclipse, in Fortitude Valley. The Sunday 360 Show headlined by Mashd N Kutcher would sell out its first release, meanwhile final release were snapped up quite fast as well. 

While patience is key to determining when the dance collective will be able to perform their new sets interstate, it’s definitely in the works. 

“Talking with the team now, but the hundreds of messages we’ve received asking for the same in Sydney and Melbourne. We will see what we can do, and if I’m up to it, we’ll try our best to make it happen. Love you all very much, feeling overwhelmed and grateful.”