Dragon Frontman Mark Williams Announces 50th Anniversary Show In Sydney

September 30, 2024

Music icon Mark Williams, revered as New Zealand’s ‘King Of Pop’ and current frontman of the band Dragon, has announced a one-night-only show in Sydney to celebrate his 50-year career.

Dubbed ‘Now And Then’: Celebrating 50 Years of Songs, Stories and Soulmates, the special event will take place at Rozelle’s Bridge Hotel on Saturday, 23rd November, and see the legendary muso perform a career-spanning set of hits.

Mark Williams – ‘Show No Mercy’

“I recently had the honour of supporting Boney M as a solo artist on their hugely successful tour across Australia and New Zealand, with sold out shows every night,” Williams said in a press statement. “It inspired me to create a new performance that re-establishes my presence as a solo artist and celebrates 50 years in this industry – a milestone for any artist.”

He continued: “Many might recognise my face but not know my name. Although nowadays I’m more well-known as the lead singer of Dragon, most people aren’t familiar with the backstory of how I got here, or the journey that made me the artist I am today. Now, I have the chance to showcase my own voice again.”

Williams’ early career successes in his native New Zealand were marked by #1 hits in ‘Yesterday Was Just The Beginning Of My Life’ (1975) and ‘It Doesn’t Matter Anymore’ (1977), which would eventually lead to the release of three studio albums before he moved to Australia.

Following his relocation to our shores, Williams clocked up collaborations with the likes of Renee Geyer, Tim Finn, Jenny Morris, The Church and more, before joining Dragon in 2006.

His landmark song ‘Show No Mercy’ cracked the Top 10 in both the Aussie and New Zealand charts and hit platinum status in 1990, becoming an enduring anthem that inspired major sporting events and teams throughout the nineties.

Williams will be supported by his daughter and fellow artist Taylor B-W at the Now And Then Sydney show, before he hits the stage with Dragon at the East Coast-roaming Good Things festival this December. The band are something of a wacky addition to the metal-leaning lineup, which also features the likes of Korn, Sum 41, Jet, The Living End and more.