Australian dance music icons Sneaky Sound System are set to bring their electrifying sound back to Western Australia this summer, headlining the high-octane SailGP event in Fremantle. For duo Angus McDonald and Connie Mitchell, it's another chapter in a remarkable journey that has spanned chart-topping hits, globe-trotting adventures, and raising a family on the road.
From Mykonos to Mainstage: A Family on Tour
The married couple, known on stage as Black Angus and Miss Connie, have lived a life less ordinary. After calling the Greek party island of Mykonos home, they realised it wasn't the ideal place to raise young children. "Once we got to having our second child on the way together, we were like, you know, Mykonos is actually not a great place for very young children, not if you want them to survive," McDonald told PerthNow, citing a lack of safety rails and fences.
Now based in Sydney with their two children, son Iggy Jax and daughter Cece Paloma, touring as a family unit presents its own unique challenges. "We liken ourselves to carnies travelling, the traveling circus," McDonald admitted. The logistics require military precision, often catching the last flight out and the first flight back, relying on a strong support network.
Perth's Perfect Stage and a Clear Professional Dynamic
The duo will take centre stage at the SailGP Fremantle event, a two-day, high-speed sailing competition making its Western Australian debut on January 17 and 18, 2025. McDonald is looking forward to the Perth conditions, noting "it seems to always be sunny with the breeze" – perfect for both sailing and performing.
Remarkably, the pair maintained a strictly professional relationship for a decade after Mitchell joined McDonald and original member Daimon Downey in 2004. Their breakthrough self-titled 2006 album spawned classic Aussie anthems like "I Love It," "UFO," and "Pictures," earning them ARIA awards. Downey's departure in 2009 saw the remaining two grow closer, eventually marrying in Ibiza in 2015.
This history, McDonald says, prevents any blurring of lines between work and home. "Obviously Connie's very much the front person, and I'm really the engine, so there's no clash of egos," he explained, adding they agree on almost everything musical.
Studio Sessions with Legends: Kanye, Drake and Beyoncé
The longevity of Sneaky Sound System's career is underscored by their early encounters with music royalty. Back in 2006, during the whirlwind success of their first album, they crossed paths with a "lacking inspiration" Kanye West in Australia. After a dinner introduction, Mitchell was ushered into a vocal booth by the rapper.
"The Edge from U2 walks in, and he goes, 'Oh my God, that's the voice of an angel'. And Kanye was like, 'What am I, chopped liver?'" McDonald recalled. Mitchell's vocals ended up on West's Grammy-winning 2007 album Graduation. She later recorded with Jay-Z and Beyoncé during their Australian visits.
In an even more surreal twist, the duo was asked to support Kanye at his Australian shows. In his hotel room, surrounded by emerging rappers and their posses, they heard a fresh-faced artist's first record. "We were listening to Drake's first record, and we had no idea who he was at the time of course," McDonald said, reflecting on the moment before Drake's global superstardom.
As they prepare to energise the Fremantle foreshore this January, Sneaky Sound System continues to balance their extraordinary career with the ordinary, beautiful chaos of family life, proving their partnership is as resilient off-stage as it is on.
