I first discovered, Jascha Richter, Mikkel Lentz and Kåre Wanscher, collectively known as Michael Learns to Rock, when I had moved from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur for a year.
My father was working as an engineer overseas, and my mum wanted for my siblings and I to be near him. Our whole family was relocated from Australia to Malaysia, and I remember being very reluctant about it. I was just a kid wanting stability. I was supposed to start my first year of high school. This was the time where I was meant to make friends and find my circles. Instead, I was flung overseas and of all things, I missed eating Aussie barbequed steak and sausages. Suddenly, I was eating hawker street food daily and going to an international school with a British system, technically never doing Year 7 but ‘Form 1’. I found solace in my books, a keen bookworm, and through music.
The Danish soft rock and pop rock band effortlessly conquered the Asian airwaves with their clear diction, catchy melodies and easy to learn repetitive lyrics. Honestly, it was hard not to love them. Even my Filipino mum and Malaysian Chinese father enjoyed singing some of Michael Learns to Rock’s songs on their own karaoke machine. Their music was everywhere.
After finally learning to embrace living abroad, even with a little stint living in Hong Kong, the following year, I finally moved back home to Melbourne and was both surprised and disappointed that nobody at school knew who Michael Learns to Rock was upon my return.
For the longest time, I have wanted to see Michael Learns to Rock live. I’d pay attention to their Asia tours constantly and found myself considering flying overseas just to catch them live, even if only once. Thankfully, I didn’t have to! Proudly presented by Teg Live, Michael Learns to Rock is currently on their first ever Australian tour. The Danish trio performed recently in Melbourne at Margaret Court Arena on Friday February 13th to an adoring Melbourne audience.
For those who aren’t familiar with Michael Learns to Rock, it’s not too late to get to know them. Originally forming in 1988, the Danish soft rock and pop rock band’s discography is filled with power ballads and love songs. Their repetitive tunes are all super catchy, much like The Killers, except with slower jams. Michael Learns to Rock, I dare say, are that of the calibre as the Backstreet Boys. Every song is an enjoyable singalong with lyrics that are simple but powerful in impact, fun and easy to recall.
Kicking off with ‘Someday’ it wasn’t until the second song ‘Sleeping Child’ where the Melbourne fans slowly ceased being shy to sing along with Michael Learns to Rock. With a cheeky mash-up of their original song ‘I Still Carry On’ mixed with Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Relax’, not long after, guitarist Mikkel Lentz shared to the Melbourne crowd that “Coming here to the other side of the world is truly fantastic. Let’s make this a special evening.” And they did.
Each member was propped up on their own platforms that were illuminated variously throughout the Melbourne concert. Presentation wise, I love how even though the screen behind the band had various patterns and sometimes welcoming lyrics to make some songs feel like heartfelt singalong sessions, the screen still had constant views of each member, so that everyone, no matter where they sat, could see Michael Learns to Rock clearly. This meant that nobody’s view nor experience was compromised. This simple but smart feature helped to make the concert enjoyable for absolutely everyone and I wish more artists did this.
Lead vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter Jascha Richter shared with Melbourne fans that when they started the band, they had an American record deal, just a few weeks before the record label became bankrupt. But then something started to happen, in Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore… Jascha stated that they couldn’t predict their career or life but were very grateful.
Michael Learns to Rock have serenaded generations. I was unsure if the visuals on the screen were intentional, but I felt a lot of nostalgia through their music, and even with some patterns on the screen looking like a Winamp or Windows Media Player.
During ‘Blue Night’, the Melbourne crowd through their hands into the air to wave their arms around, their phone lights creating a manufactured starry sky, which was a beautiful moment, but not the only one of the Melbourne show.
Deciding to be closer the Danish band edged closer to the Melbourne audience with a black grand piano, a box drum and acoustic guitar and preceded to perform gorgeous stripped back versions of ‘I’m Gonna Be Around’, which unexpectedly brought me to tears while I was singing, ‘Out of the Blue’, and ‘Nothing to Lose’ which had Jascha walk around Margaret Court Arena to serenade lucky patrons at the back of the arena. It was so wonderful catching everyone’s delighted cheers, screams and many happy faces.
The momentum picked up again with ’25 Minutes’. This was the first time the lyrics came upon to the big screen, which made for a very loud sing along. Even if you didn’t know all the words, it was easy to learn and join in, to the point I wish that all their songs had lyrics up on the big screen. It was very effective.
Although, for the most part, everyone knew the lyrics to songs such as ‘The Actor’, ‘You Took My Heart Away’ and ‘Breaking My Heart’, which Jascha had shared he wrote on his child’s toy piano with its inspiring beat which he turned the tempo all the way down for. Michael Learns to Rock even had a fun extended introduction to ‘Wild Women’ with a funky rendition of Beethoven’s ’Fifth Symphony’.
It was in this moment, I realised I had spent almost the entirety of the concert not wearing my Loops, which I usually wear at concerts that are too loud. I hadn’t noticed because the mellow music was fine for my ears, and honestly, I was just damn happy.
However, when the song that I was waiting for, ‘Paint My Love’, the reason I fell in love with their music, was played, hearing Michael Learns to Rock perform it live in my own city was a dream come true. The Melbourne audience’s voices all wonderfully combined to make a stunning and blissful choir which was phenomenal and magical to witness. You just had to be there.
Full of heartfelt gratitude, Michael Learns to Rock shared that they were just teenagers when they started the band and thanked their Melbourne fans for understanding their music when nobody else did, thanked their fans for keeping their music alive, and proudly stating that live music has no limits – it’s beautiful.
Concluding during their encore with ‘Take Me to Your Heart’ and ‘That’s Why (You Go Away)’, Michael Learns to Rock successfully provided a thorough and incredibly entertaining night for their Melbourne fans, in their first ever Melbourne concert. It was so great to finally see them perform live, and it’s hard to believe that the Danish band have been active for 38 years, yet this was only their first ever Australian tour. Hopefully not their last visit either!
Michael Learns to Rock sound just as good as I remember from their records and are showing no signs of stopping, as they continue to conquer the world with their beloved music.
Michael Learns to Rock are currently touring Australia as part of their Take Us To Your Heart Tour – Celebrating The Hits – Australia 2026 and performed in Melbourne at Margaret Court Arena on Friday the 13th of February 2026. The band then perform in Sydney at Darling Harbour Theatre on Saturday February 14th before concluding the Australian tour on the Gold Coast at The Star Theatre on Sunday the 15th of February.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://teglive.com.au/live_tour/michael-learns-to-rock-2026
https://mltr.dk
https://www.instagram.com/michaellearnstorock
https://www.instagram.com/teg_live
Photography by Grant Alexander.
