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Wouter "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), also known professionally by his stage name Gotye.





They say that good things come to those who wait; but even better things come if Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen tweet about you.

Belgian-Australian musician Wally de Backer – better known by his stage name Gotye – has been making music for over a decade, and has collected a host of awards Down Under; but his single Somebody That I Used to Know, and its eye-grabbing video, suddenly sent him soaring onto the charts in over 10 countries.

For the delightfully quirky song, the multi-instrumentalist and singer – whose vocal style often wins comparisons to Sting and Peter Gabriel – paired up with fast-rising New Zealander Kimbra, who is also enjoying the hit's glow.

The video, which has both performers nude execept for body paint, has been viewed over 140 million times on YouTube. (A cover of the song by Burlington's Walk Off the Earth, which has the five band members playing one guitar, has also garnered 85 million views.)

But this weekend you can catch Gotye when he performs in the flesh and, given his meteoric rise, likely for the last time in a smaller venue.

Gotye plays the Vogue Saturday, voguetheatre.com.

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