In what friends are calling “peak Dad energy,” local father Mark Henderson, 45, spent the entirety of Tuesday morning in a fervent state of disbelief after the surprise announcement that Good Charlotte will play a show in Bendigo in 2026.
“Can you believe it? Good Charlotte, here? In Bendigo?” Mark shouted from the kitchen, waving his phone like he had discovered penicillin. “This is huge. You guys have to get excited!”
His daughter, Emily, told him, “You're so old.”
Undeterred, Mark launched into his pitch: “I saw them in 2004 and they were incredible. I have them on CD!”
Zoe paused her music for one second to say, “Cool, Dad”, then resumed listening. Jesse gave a thumbs-up.
“All right,” Mark said with the quiet desperation of someone trying to sell a timeshare. “Wait till you hear Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous live. Or Hold On - that bridge will get you.”
None of the kids responded.
"Well, I guess, I'll just go with your mum," he said, attempting to salvage the situation.
Emily, finally looking up from her phone, offered a sympathetic smile. "Good luck with that, Dad."
It looks like Bendigo is bracing itself for a 2026 it did not ask for but perhaps, deep down, really wanted.More to come.
