As thousands of revelers gathered on Sydney Harbour to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Matt Corby stood and delivered a musical tribute to the lives lost in the Bondi Beach terror attack.
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The Sydney-raised singer and songwriter performed INXS’ classic song “Never Tear Us Apart” for the New Year’s Eve 2025 concert, a somber moment as guests lit candles and reflected on the 15 people killed during a Hanukkah celebration.
At 11pm local time, the official festivities were paused to observer a minute’s silence, as the Harbour Bridge was lit up with white light to symbolize peace, and a menorah was projected onto its pylons to show solidarity with the Jewish community.
“Never Tear Us Apart” has a special place in the hearts of Australians. Released in 1988 as the fourth single from the album Kick, “Never Tear Us Apart” lent its name to a 2014 Australian biopic on the band, and the life and untimely passing of its singer Michael Hutchence. That two-part miniseries reignited interest in the new wave group, which is no longer active.
Earlier in 2025, the song came in at No.1 on triple j’s inaugural Hottest 100 of Australian Songs poll.
In the lead-up to Sydney’s NYE celebration, New South Wales premier Chris Minns had urged folks to not let the “horrible criminal terrorist event” at Bondi affect their day-to-day lives, and urged them to “show defiance” and celebrate the New Year.
State minister for transport and minister for music and the night-time economy John Graham reiterated the premier’s comments. “Come out and celebrate and do so together and do in defiance of what we saw at Bondi beach,” he remarked.
On the night, Sydneysiders were confronted with an enlarged police presence of more than 2,500, a “confronting” sight, Minns admitted, with law enforcement “carrying firearms and weapons that you haven’t seen before.” He added, “I don’t make any apology for that. We want people to be safe in our community.”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, more than 4.6 million Aussies tuned into the NYE special, which also featured performances by Melanie C, The Cat Empire, Peach PRC, Marcia Hines, Casey Donovan, Don West, Jem Cassar-Daley, Ayesha Madon and others.
Based on the NSW Northern Rivers, Corby enjoyed a breakthrough with his 2011 single “Brother,” which is certified 10-time platinum by ARIA. Corby’s third studio album, 2023’s Everything’s Fine, became his third consecutive ARIA top 10 release and earned album of the year nominations at the J Awards and the ARIA Awards. The followup, Tragic Magic, will be released Friday, March 6 on Island Records/Universal Music.
