The Butterfly Effect Let Fans ‘Drive’ the Tour Bus

In a bold and uniquely personal move, Brisbane’s beloved alternative rock band The Butterfly Effect are setting out on their ’21 Years of Begins Here’ regional tour  – a celebration of fan loyalty, nostalgia, and their enduring debut album, Begins Here.

Twenty-one years since the album launched them into Australia’s rock scene, The Butterfly Effect are letting their fans decide where they’ll perform on their next regional tour.

The concept for this tour came straight from the fans, who were invited to vote on the destinations where the band would play. “It was excellent,” drummer Ben Hall says about the overwhelming response. “We had a lot of responses, so we had to piece together which ones were realistic. You can’t just go to Alice Springs because one person wants to come,” he laughs, adding, “I wouldn’t mind – we’d literally play anywhere if we’re not losing money.”

This fan-driven approach aligns perfectly with The Butterfly Effect’s ethos: stay connected, stay authentic, and stay accessible. But even Hall admits that the response from certain locations was surprising. “Dubbo did quite well, which was unexpected,” he shares. “Actually, Dubbo was one of the highest registered votes, but I couldn’t find a venue there. There’s no dedicated music venue in the town, which means you have to bring in a PA and do the whole thing, which is just too hard.”

While Dubbo and a few other fan-favoured towns had to be left off next year’s tour due to logistical challenges, the final schedule contains a wide range of locations where the fan enthusiasm was both high and feasible. “We want to play everywhere,” Hall says. “It’s just about making it work for the band, the fans, and the venues.”

For Hall and his bandmates Clint Boge, Kurt Goedhart and Glenn Esmond, revisiting certain towns feels almost surreal. “It’s been a long, long while,” Hall muses. “We haven’t played Wollongong in 15 years. And Margaret River? That was 2008.”

The excitement of returning is tinged with a bit of trepidation. “Are people going to come?” Hall wonders aloud, reflecting on the uncertainty of crowd turnout. “Obviously, it costs money to do these tours, so you do hope there’s genuinely enough interest there… We just can’t go broke.”

The logistics are harder now than in the band’s early days. Hall recalls a very different life back in 2003: “I had nothing at all except for phone debt probably. Whereas now, I’ve got a mortgage and bills to pay.” He adds, “We’re balancing this tour around our day jobs and families. It could not be any more part-time.”

Central to this tour is the full performance of Begins Here, the album that catapulted The Butterfly Effect into the hearts of fans. For both fans and band members, this isn’t just a collection of songs – it’s a time capsule of memories. “Going out on that last tour… actually felt amazing. It might’ve been the best it’s ever been,” Hall shares. “Playing it live again was like, you almost admire these four guys from 20 years ago just having a crack.”

Reliving Begins Here has given Hall a new perspective on the album’s significance and their fans’ deep connection to it. He describes it as a kind of emotional time travel: “It’s like a photo, but obviously it’s audio. You associate experiences with certain songs, and then you’re pulling it apart and playing it again.” For Hall, it’s as much a personal reflection as it is a celebration with fans.

While Begins Here remains at the heart of the tour, fans can expect more than just nostalgia. The band has planned some exciting changes to the setlist, with deeper cuts and unique arrangements. They’re also bringing keyboardist Ian Peres (The Whitlams, Wolfmother) on the road to add new depth to the live experience. “Most of ‘Beautiful Mine’ is keys and cello, so there’s a different dynamic we can bring with that,” Hall explains.

For The Butterfly Effect, it’s always been about their fans. Hall attributes the band’s longevity to the strong connections they’ve forged with their listeners. “When you play shows to no one for so long, you make an intimate connection with a small amount of fans,” Hall says. “Then, the next time you come to town they bring a friend, and it just grows from there.”

He describes the feeling of returning to certain cities and recognising the faces of fans who’ve been there since the early days. “It’s like going back to Adelaide and seeing the same people at the merch stand,” he says with a laugh. “People you met back in 2003 when you were playing in small pubs. They’ve been with us for the whole journey.”

This dedication from fans has been crucial to the band’s success, especially given the lack of mainstream recognition. “We didn’t even get an ARIA nomination when [2006 album] Imago debuted at number two,” Hall reflects. “I think it would’ve been nice to get some accolades for that, but you get none.” Despite the lack of industry awards, The Butterfly Effect have continued to thrive in its own lane. “At the end of the day, as long as people are buying tickets and buying merch, that’s what keeps us going,” Hall insists.

Reflecting on the creation of Begins Here, Hall emphasises that authenticity is key. “You only create these things in the first place because of your own desires to create music that you like.”

Hall even hints at some unreleased material that veers away from their traditional rock sound. “We’ve got some demos that probably don’t fit the alternative rock genre we’re known for,” he reveals. “But I would actually love for nothing more than to release them. There are no rules when it comes to creating music.”

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While they’re excited to revisit Australian venues, Hall is reflective about the band’s international opportunities. “We never did a bus tour,” he says, speaking wistfully about his dream of an American or European tour. “We played showcase shows in places like the Viper Room and somewhere in New York, but I’d love to just get on a tour bus and hit America or Europe properly.”

The logistics and costs of such a venture are significant. “We don’t actually make, believe it or not, that much money,” Hall admits. “Even on the last tour, with massive production costs, you don’t walk out with a huge amount of money to take a year off and go do this.”

But the dream remains alive. For Hall and the rest of the band, these are the aspirations that keep them pushing forward. As their regional tour approaches, Hall reflects on the journey so far with both pride and gratitude. “Did it turn out the way I expected? I had a blast. I would love for it to not be over,” he says. “But hey, we’re still talking, so that means there’s something to talk about.”

The Butterfly Effect 2025 Regional Tour