Remember that time Bliss N Eso took their own tour of duty, secretly heading to the Middle East on a top secret mission to perform Australian troops based in Afghanistan?

No? Well this story should jog your memory, but better yet, the hip hop trio have issued a documentary about their 10-day-long trip with the Australian Defence Force to the Australian run Camp Holland in Tarin Kowt, and military outposts in Kandahar and Kabul’s NATO base.

The online doco, which you can view in full below, chronicles Bliss N Eso’s ‘top secret’ tour at the invitation of Forces Entertainment, designed to provide morale-boosting entertainment – along with Brisbane band The Bertie Page Clinic and Aussie comedians Doug Chappel Jr. and Nick Cody – during their musical mission of September 2013, which would turn out to be one of the last visits of its kind into Afghanistan before the withdrawal of the majority of Australian troops.

“We don’t support war or conflict, what we do support are our fellow human beings,” said MC Bliss (real name Jonathan Notley) in a statement.

“These guys and girls who are stationed all around the world are our fans and due to the nature of their work they don’t get to see our shows back home. To be able to play to them in a location like Afghanistan was a fulfilling and eye opening experience, and likely something we will never be able to do again,” he adds.


(Image source: Facebook)

Though the operation was supposedly “clouded in secrecy from day one for operational security reasons,” according to a press release, Bliss N Eso eventually shared news of their secret army tour on social media last year.

The new 11 minute behind the scenes doco goes much further. The film begins with the trio of Bliss, MC Eso (Max MacKinnon), and DJ Izm (Tarik Ejjamai) undergoing physical fit-outs and army training at Sydney’s Randwick Air Force Base, before embarking to the Middle East and rich with footage shot on-location as they perform to multinational forces and lead troops in ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie’ chants.

The doco, which you can view in full below, lands while Bliss N Eso are in the middle of a massive national tour in support of their latest album, the ARIA top selling Circus Under The Stars. The trio have completed four massive outdoor shows that are closer in scope to a hip hop festival than a standard arena tour (as our photos from their recent show at Sydney’s The Domain demonstrate), taking Sydney’s Horrorshow and celebrated Melbourne MC Seth Sentry along for the ride.

Bliss N Eso Australian Tour 2014

CIRCUS UNDER THE STARS TOUR
w/ special guests Horrorshow & Seth Sentry

Thu 24 Apr – Brisbane | Riverstage, QLD (All Ages)
www.ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100 or www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Fri 25 Apr – Mackay | The Stadium, QLD (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Sat 26 Apr – Cairns | Fogarty Park, QLD (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Fri 2 May – Busselton | Signal Park, WA (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Sat 3 May – Perth | Wellington Square, WA (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Fri 9 May – Wagga Wagga | Showgrounds, NSW (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Sat 10 May – Ballarat | Showgrounds, VIC (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Thu 15 May – Bendigo | Showgrounds, VIC (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Fri 16 May – Melbourne | Flemington Racecourse, VIC (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Fri 23 May – Mount Gambier | Showgrounds, SA (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Sat 31 May – Hobart | Macquarie Wharf 2, TAS (All Ages)
www.moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1800 GET TIX

Further tickets and info at  www.frontiertouring.com/blissneso

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