I've worked with Your Mate three times now, and somehow managed to avoid writing a testimonial - well Anthony's not letting me off the hook this time, so here goes. I've worked with YM twice with Exhumed and once with Left to Die, and had a great time each and every time. The company is professional, transparent and down to earth in every aspect of things, so I'm always looking for a reason to come down to Australia and work with Ant and the YM crew. Everyone is easy to work with, chill and a laugh in addition to being on the ball and on top of all the things that come up during the day-to-day of touring. Even a cyclone couldn't slow us down when we had to cancel a Brisbane show with Left to Die. We ended up throwing together a one-off make-up show in Sydney that was an absolute rager, booked at the last minute at an appropriately seedy rock bar, the before Melbourne Dethfest, the high-profile, proper gig a day or two later. Dave, Jimbo and the rest of the crew are all awesome folks who make it well worth the long flight to Oz. Already looking forward to our next trip down under!
Matt Harvey - Exhumed/Gruesome/Left To Die
22/06/2026
Anthony Blayney of Your Mate bookings did excellent work on our trip to Australia.
The logistics were all figured out and went like clockwork, everything was clear and figured out in advance, and we were able to focus on taking care of ourselves and giving the best performance we could.
Greatly appreciated having someone who handled all the in-betweens of the shows so well.
On top of that, Anthony is a friendly, funny guy who I enjoyed hanging around with for the week, and he took special care to make sure we always were eating well, having fun, and generally having a great experience while in Australia.
He clearly knows his market well- all his predictions on merch and show attendance were very close to what they ended up being, so as a result everything basically went according to plan. Absolutely look forward to working with Your Mate bookings again and would recommend to any bands looking to tour Australia.
John Kevill - Warbringer
6/5/2026
Working with Your Mate Bookings was an absolutely incredible experience.
Everything was handled with zero stress on our end, which made a huge difference while planning executing, and performing on the tour.
They took care of every detail and were always on top of our needs.
They went the extra mile to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.
Communication was clear, prompt, and professional throughout, and it genuinely felt like they had our best interests in mind at all times.
It’s rare to find a team that combines efficiency with such a personal touch.
We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would highly recommend Your Mate Bookings to anyone looking for a seamless and well-managed booking process in Australia.
Greg Burgess - Allegaeon
March 2026
We did our first tour in Australia in January 2026. Of course, we didn’t know what to expect, but the tour turned out to be great.
We Finns are known to be quite meticulous and we really value schedules and the fact that things go as agreed. With Anthony, this absolutely worked that way and no Finn lost their nerves.
On most days there was also time to get some sleep, which makes touring a lot easier.
He had arranged the flights and schedules nicely with this in mind.
As for his sense of humor, it’s just as dry and shitty as ours.
Nothing was sacred, and that was wonderful.
So we warmly recommend Your Mate Bookings.
Thank you c#nt!
Mikko Kotamäki - Swallow the Sun / My Dying Bride
March 2026
Touring Australia with Anthony and the Your Mate Bookings team was nothing short of outstanding. From start to finish, the entire run was flawlessly organised, stress-free, and packed with good times. Anthony’s professionalism, enthusiasm, and genuine passion for live music turned the tour into one of the most enjoyable experiences we’ve had in years. We couldn’t recommend him highly enough—an absolute legend to work with!
Jeff Williams - Onslaught
6/12/2025
Throughout my 35-year touring career, I have encountered various harrowing and disheartening experiences while on tour.
For American "legacy" bands, touring can be a high-risk endeavor for both promoters and bands.
Yet, when passion, organization, and determination are combined, the outcome can be nothing short of magical.
This accurately describes our experience with Atheist and working alongside "Your Mate
Bookings". The entire process, from airport pickup to drop-off, was remarkably smooth and personalized.
Anthony Blayney has successfully transitioned from a promoter to a lifelong friend.
What began as a cold call phone conversation blossomed into cherished memories for Atheist Band.
Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend booking a tour with Anthony and "YOUR MATE Bookings".
Kelly Shaefer - Atheist
21/06/2025
I recently had the pleasure of working & touring with YOUR MATE BOOKING with Left to Die and it was an absolute pleasure!!
Anthony, DC & Jim were very professional and pleasant to be around!
Our every need was taken care of and the accommodations were spot on!
Oh and the BBQs were legendary !!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND working with them if you have the opportunity!!
Terry Butler - Obituary / Inhuman Condition
10/03/2025
“Anthony is one of the best guys we have ever worked and toured with! Not only true professional, but also working in unconventional ways to always have people come out to the shows. He invited the entire flight crew to our show in Melbourne against free drinks on the plane and they actually came out. He is also an extremely humorous and humble person who works in any group. In short - we had an amazing time with Anthony, lots of fun and lots of successful shows!”
Olof Wikstrand - Enforcer
7/4/2025
I am the drummer in "Cirith Ungol" and it was a dream to visit and play in Australia. In the summer of 2024 (winter down under!)
Anthony Blayney at “Your Mate Bookings” took care of us from the moment we stepped off our flight, until we left this enchanted land! He books the best venues, is an expert on the Australian music scene (among other things), and knows all the good places to eat. We had a few hours before a show and he took us to a nearby animal reserve where we got to hang out with the locals!
In Anthony we made a lifelong friend. Anyone interested in playing in Oz would be advised to contact “Your Mate Bookings”. You will not be disappointed.
Transportation, backline, accommodations, merch sales, hospitality, all were top notch. I would leave again tomorrow, if the opportunity arose knowing Anthony would be there to arrange everything to perfection!
Rob Garven - Cirith Ungol
7/4/2025
Have you ever been on tour and Everything, absofuckinglutely Everything runs like Clockwork? We have! Every detail planned an executed flawlessly. This wasn't just a tour it was an absolutely amazing hangout with goood friends and lot of fun. We can not wait to do this again.
Thank you Anthony, you are the king of Tour Managers! Also thanks to Jimbo, Daniel, Dutch, Brendon and Royce for your hard work!
Peter Stålfors - Dream Evil official
26/11/2024
YOUR MATE BOOKINGS made our jetlag disappear!
Anthony and Jacob made a so demanding and exhausted tour, a such entertaining trip in the far away land of Oceania!
It was a pleasure working with these guys and we look forward to be back for another hell of a tour in the land of the Aussies.
Until then...Keep on working with us, my friends!
Sakis Tolis - Rotting Christ
12/08/2024
This was our first tour in Australia and Anthony was brilliant to deal with from the start to end of the tour. We discussed every detail in depth before arriving and there were no surprises. One of the most enjoyable and stress free tours and had a lot of laughs.
Touring how touring should be done, already looking forward to the next time…
ADAM WAKEMAN - Jazz Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne / Black Sabbath)
05/08/2024
Anthony was a true professional all the way! The first time in Australia for both Night Demon and Cirith Ungol was a blast! We’ve had many “firsts” in our career, and going to a foreign land you never know what to expect, but Anthony and everyone from the Your Mate crew was as professional as can be. Clear communication for months leading up to the tour and no surprises when we arrived. Best experience we’ve had hands down!
Jarvis Leatherby (Night Demon & Cirith Ungol)
04/07/2024
I’ve been touring since the 80’s and Ant who is Your Mate Bookings just gifted me one of my favorite experiences as a touring artist. Emphasis on artistic integrity and connection with the fans. It was such a gift and can’t wait for more tours.
Alain Johannes (Eleven, QOTSA, Chris Cornell & Them Crooked Vultures plus more)
01/07/2024
Your Mate Bookings. It’s all in the name.
Tony & company are YOUR mate while on their tours.
Before, during, and beyond.
Tony, DC, and LeeRoy made sure everything ran smoothly with a cool and collective manner.
Your Mate Bookings professionalism is through the roof and if the opportunity to work with them again comes up, it would be an easy yes for me.
They make the hardest part of touring look very easy.
Most people just see the show.
They don’t see what’s involved to make that 45 minute to an hour set happen. Tony and Your Mate Bookings are the ones you can thank for that.
YOUR MATE BOOKINGS ARE THE ROAD CREW!!!!
Thanks again for everything, Tony.
You’re top notch. Cheers, brotha.
Iron Possessor (Midnight)
30/4/2024
In February of 2024, Riot City had the distinct pleasure of touring down under with the outstanding guidance and comfort provided by none other than Your Mate Bookings.
We as a band cannot say enough about our experience throughout our Australian run. Every show was a complete banger, planned flawlessly in venues with staff that were absolute gems all along the way. Support bands worth hearing, gear worth using, and turnouts well worth the travel distance from Canada.
Bloody legend Anthony Blayney was always there to ensure every need/want was met. From accommodations, transportation, rider requirements and merch sales - to finding the best chicken burger on earth - to booking an emergency chiropractor appointment - and everything in between. Anthony’s got it handled. To top it off, in Anthony, we made a lifelong friend. I can say first hand, touring with that dude is so enjoyable, you’ll forget all about your severe chest pain.
We absolutely cannot wait for the next run.
Jordan Jacobs (RIOT CITY)
12/4/2024
Your Mate Bookings booked a tour for Dozer in 2023. The whole tour was planned, booked and executed to perfec-tion. Zero complaints. The whole experience was pure joy from start to finish. Anthony is truly a great human being as well. So a huge “Thank you!” goes out to Anthony and Dave for making this tour so amazing!
Fredrik Nordin (DOZER)
21/11/2023
A great experience, so many to thank for making our stay a positive one, Anthony Blayney at YOUR MATE Bookings went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly and we were well looked after.
Greg Chandler (ESOTERIC)
11/7/2023
Anthony was invaluable throughout the entirety of the Australian touring process, from prep work such as visas, gear hires, flights, Day to day show logistics, ubers, taxis, transfers, accomodation and hospitality.
Anthony took care of us throughout our quick 4 day run down under. He is honest, reliable, and a prompt communicator with a sharp memory. Would work with YMB again in a heartbeat!
Gabriel Franco (UNTO OTHERS)
18/06/2023
When in early 2019 I was on a search for an appropriate agency to book a Jo44 tour in Australia and finding very little interest - it was discouraging to say the least, and worked in contradiction to the many requests we were receiving almost daily to play there (I say that with modesty, just trying to illustrate the situation).
When Your Mate Bookings agreed to work with us, it was a relief for sure - though, being that we’d not worked with them previously, we were somewhat cautious about our approach and did our best to establish mutual expectations early on. Communication and transparency are both key when organizing tours, even more so when working with someone for the first time.
To our great fortune, it was a joy to work with both Anthony and Zal.
It can be a daunting task to satisfy multiple personalities - setting up anything for a band is complicated, doing so from afar expands that difficulty exponentially. Your Mate did a terrific job answering all of our preliminary questions promptly, with clarity and honest accuracy. Still, however, we were ever curious how the tour would go once we were on the ground in Australia.
I’m happy to say, it was a really, really great trip. The Your Mate team met us at the airport and was with us every step of the way, making sure we were comfortable and taken care of with transportation, gear hire, accommodations, and great energy. It was evident that they’d done all they could to make sure everything was organized as lean and economically as possible while not compromising any of the integral elements of the tour.
The result was a truly positive experience for everyone that concluded with total appeasement, accounting well into the black, and, most importantly, an overall feeling of absolute satisfaction.
Jeff Mueller (June of 44)
22/06/2023
Anthony and Your Mate Bookings stepped in and resurrected our tour to Australia and New Zealand after another agency shafted us. It was the best result that we ever had.
The tour was fantastic and done on a very professional level, also Anthony and his partner Dave are two of the best blokes you could ever wish to meet. Touring with them was a pleasure and I would strongly recommend them to any other bands.
Jeff (Cockney Rejects)
1/03/2023
They were super smooth (Xibalba Australian Tour 2022) and transparent in all their communication, the tour was smooth and I will 100% be using Anthony's services for my future clients Australian Tours.
Joshua White (State of Mind Touring - Xibalba, No Zodiac & Karma)
22/09/2022
For the last 5 or more years Anthony Blayney and Your Mate Bookings has been booking shows at my venue The Bendigo Hotel.
My dealings with Anthony have always been professional and I find him to be an honest and hard-working promoter who bends over backward to make sure the bands he is touring are looked after.
I would highly recommend Anthony to anyone looking to tour here from overseas as you would be in good hands with someone you can trust.
Guy Palermo (Owner of Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood)
06/09/2022
Massic had the pleasure of being apart of a recent tour through Your Mate Bookings.
Anthony was an absolute gem to deal with, he gave us clear communication and true professionalism from beginning to end.
It was an absolute pleasure to be apart of the tour and we know in our hearts that this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between Massic and Your Mate Bookings. Thanks Legends!
Simon Russell White (Massic and Schema Collective)
01/09/2022
Anthony and Your Mate Bookings has been with King Parrot since the beginning, booking our first ever Sydney shows back in 2011 and always making the experience a pleasure. Over the years since, he has assisted in many ways on our touring journeys, from merchandising and logistics organisation to transport and promotion. He is the most passionate promoter of underground music in Australia and he is committed to bringing the best bands to our shores
Matt Young (King Parrot and Deadset Records)
31/08/2022
Anthony and Your Mate Bookings have been an absolute pleasure to deal with. Never met anyone who is so onto it with details and coordination. Whenever I asked for something it had already been done. He made everything so easy for us so we could just focus on our jobs. He was the last to go to sleep and the first person awake working again. on-top of all of this he is the most friendly and funniest person. Always has our best Interests at heart. Going to be a long friendship and work relationship ahead and can’t wait to do more with Anthony and YMB
Chris Calavrias (Stalker)
28/07/2022
Your Mate Bookings was so awesome to work with on Yawning Man's debut tour of New Zealand and Australia in 2020, advance planning for a tour like this is very complex logistically and all this was handled beautifully. Our shows were well promoted and well produced. Anthony at Your Mate Bookings took close care of the band on a demanding schedule and his hard work and attention to details from door to merch to backline was impeccable. We look forward to our next tour with him.
The Godfather himself - Mario Lalli (Yawning Man / Fatso Jetson)
15/02/2020
Awesome promoter, great person, made sure everything went smooth and according to plan and we had tons of fun with him on the Naxatras tour!
John Vagenas (Naxatras)
16/09/2019
In my almost 30 years in the music industry Your Mate Bookings are the easiest agency I’ve ever had to deal with. Great communication, professional at all times and strive to continually support the local scene.
Mark Page (Local legend from Adelaide, SA)
04/04/2019
Killer guys! Took great care of Crowbar on our first trip to Australia!!!
Shane Wesley (Crowbar)
13/12/2019
I have never met anyone who works as hard as Anthony at Your Mate Booking to plan and deliver a perfect tour! He booked two tours for Greenleaf and all I can say is that everything was spot on! Now he is booking a tour for Dozer and I know for sure that I don’t have to worry about anything because it will be perfectly organized and we will have a great tour!
Tommi Holappa (Dozer/Greenleaf)
10/11/2019
Touring Australia and New Zealand through YMB was a smooth and organized experience. Thanks Anthony!
Bill Stinson (Yawning Man/Ten East/Big Scenic Nowhere)
19/02/2020