Category: Tour Announcements

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Living End Play for Victorian Bushfire Victims

The Living End packed up their instruments and toured the bushfire ravaged parts of Victoria on Monday.

The Aussie three-piece entertained locals and support teams at the Yea Relief Centre before heading to Alexandra. There was no power there, so they played a stripped back set with Chris Cheney on acoustic guitar and Andy Strachan using a garbage for his drum kit.

“Throughout the day we got to meet some amazing people, all of whom have been directly affected by the fires and we would like to thank those communities for allowing us to come and play for them. It was an honour to do so,” Chris Cheney said in a statement.

“Although the aim was to entertain and provide a distraction for these people, we would like to stress that what is needed more than anything else is money. If you haven’t already donated to the appeal, please do so.”

Remember every little bit counts. Online donations are still accepted through Red Cross and Wildlife Victoria.

Image source: Michael Spencer @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sparkadia Dreams of European Success

Sparkadia hopes to crack the tough European market with a move to Germany later this year. The Sydney four-piece will base themselves in Berlin, where they plan to record a new album and tour Europe.

You can say goodbye (or should that be auf Wiedersehen?) to the band at their farewell shows in March and April. Brisbane’s John Steel Singers and Sydney’s The Jezabels will join them on the road.

Here are the dates!

8 March 2009 – Rock It Festival, Joondalup
12 and 13 March 2009 – The Zoo, Brisbane
21 March 2009 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
4 April 2009 – The Factory, Sydney

Image source: KingDaveRa @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jason Mraz Back for Blues Festivals and Sideshows

Jason Mraz’s love affair with Australia continues. The laid-back American troubadour will embark on his sixth local tour next April.

This is bound to be the biggest tour yet thanks to the popularity of this smash hit single “I’m Yours” and the album it came from, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

So it’s fitting that Jason will tour with a seven-piece band and two big support acts. In a stroke of synchronicity, Jason will take fellow Californian Eric Hutchinson on the road with him. Eric’s song “Rock & Roll” appeared in recent advertisements for Channel Seven’s series Packed to The Rafters, replacing the drama’s original tune “I’m Yours.” Australia’s own Lisa Mitchell will round out the stellar bill for these shows.

The tour’s highlights will include performances at the Bluesfest Byron Bay and the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival. He’ll also co-headline Adelaide’s Music in the Park concert with Missy Higgins.

If you still haven’t grabbed a copy of the album, you might want to hold off. We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. will be released as a 2CD/DVD expanded edition on March 6. It includes the album, three previously unreleased EPs, a 20-page booklet with lyrics and additional artworks, and a full band live DVD. It’s enough to tempt me to fork out for another copy!

Every show sold out on Jason’s last tour, and I expect this one’s going to go the same way. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 19 February, so get in quick! Here are all the dates!

13 April 2009 – Byron Bay Bluesfest, Belongil Fields
14 April 2009 – Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane
15 April 2009 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
17 April 2009 – Bonython Park, Adelaide (Missy Higgins to perform instead of Lisa Mitchell)
18 April 2009 – West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Fremantle
20 April 2009 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne

Image source: Bauer-Griffin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Victorian Bushfires Force Simply Red Show Cancellation

Raging bushfires throughout Victoria have forced Simply Red to cancel their Day on the Green show at the state’s Rochford Winery.

Country Fire Authorities and state government officials advised the promoter Roundhouse Entertainment that the weather situation was too unpredictable to risk the safety of concertgoers.

As I write this 108 people have been confirmed dead in the fires, while 750 homes have been destroyed. That makes these fires the worst in Australia’s history. Given the scale of the tragedy, I doubt anyone would have felt up to attending the concert anyway.

Ticket holders are advised to hang on to their tickets at this point, as A Day on the Green organisers are attempting to reschedule the concert around lead singer Mick Hucknall’s international commitments.

Image source: Simply Red gallery

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Decoder Ring Ready to Support Coldplay

Sydney band Decoder Ring has scored the prestigious support slot for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida Australian tour. The local lads, who were hand-selected by the British band, will play for 150, 000 fans at 11 Aussie arena shows.

Decoder Ring’s organic sounds and psychedelic electronic arrangements are sure to set the stage for Coldplay’s spectacular audiovisual show.

There are strictly limited tickets available through Ticketek. Here are all the dates.

27 and 28 February 2009 – Burswood Dome, Perth
3, 4, and 5 March 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Rod Laver Arena
8 and 9 March 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11, 12, 14, and 15 March 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney

Image used with permission from Liz O’Grady

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bob Evans’ Rocking New Album

No one could ever accuse Kevin Mitchell of getting stale. As part of Jebediah, he gave us slices of alternative rock like “Leaving Home” and “Fall Down.” Then under the moniker Bob Evans he dabbled in a more mainstream sound, combining pop with a quirky indie sensibility. Now as Bob, Kevin says he’s ready to rock once more.

So it might seem an unlikely choice to record Goodnight, Bull Creek, his third album as Bob Evans, in the home of country music, Nashville. Brad Jones has produced the recording, as he did with Bob’s last album Suburban Songbook.

“This is my rock album. I’m saying goodbye to the suburbs,” Bob said.

You can get a taste of the new rocking tracks when Bob hits the road in April and May.

18 April 2009 -West Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Fremantle
7 May 2009 – Tivoli, Brisbane
8 May 2009 – The Sands Tavern, Maroochydore
9 May 2009 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
10 May 2009 – Great Northern, Byron Bay
12 May 2009 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
13 May 2009 – Newcastle University
14 May 2009 – Wollongong University
15 May 2009 – Metro, Sydney
16 May 2009 – ANU Canberra
20 May 2009 – Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
21 May 2009 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
23 May 2009 – Republic Bar, Hobart
28 May 2009 – The Gov, Adelaide

Image source: Monototo @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kate Miller-Heidke Announces Caught in the Crowd Shows

One of my favourite albums of 2008 was Curiouser by Kate Miller-Heidke, so I’m pretty excited she’s finally taking her new songs on the road.

The tour coincides with the release of “Caught in the Crowd,” the very different follow-up to “Can’t Shake It.” This sees Kate in introspective mode, dealing with the regret she feels at seeing schoolyard bullying as a child and doing nothing about it.

Kate will criss-cross the country in February and March, so there’s no excuse for not catching her “Caught in the Crowd” tour.

Here are all the dates!

5 February 2009 – Roar Sounds @ Melbourne Zoo
6 February 2009 – Ha Penny’s, Geelong
7 February 2009 – The Palais, Hepburn Springs
8 February 2009 – St Kilda Festival
10 and 11 February 2009 – Clarendon Hotel, Katoomba
13 February 2009 – Newcastle Leagues Club
14 February 2009 – Waves, Wollongong
15 February 2009 – Soco Cargo, Sydney
19 February 2009 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
20 February 2009 – The Capital, Bendigo
21 February 2009 – Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
27 February 2009 – Coolongatta Hotel, Gold Coast
28 February 2009 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
1 March 2009 – Community Centre, Lake Kawana
4 March 2009 – Spurs Tavern, Devonport
5 March 2009 – Republic Bar, Hobart
6 March 2009 – Batman Fawkner, Launceston
8 March 2009 – Push Festival, Old Abbotsford Convent
9 March 2009 – Stage 88, Canberra
12 March 2009 – Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga
13 March 2009 – Armidale Club, Armidale
15 March 2009 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
18 March 2009 – Brunswick Music Festival @ Brunswick Town Hall
19 March 2009 – Amplifier, Perth
20 March 2009 – Players, Mandurah
21 March 2009 – Fly By Night, Fremantle

Image source: Ed-meister @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Wiley Cancels Australian Godfather of Grime Shows

If you were planning on heading out to Wiley’s Melbourne show tonight you might want to put down your coat. The Godfather of Grime has cancelled the remaining shows of his Australian tour “due to personal reasons within the touring party.”

The cancellation affects shows over the next four nights in Melbourne, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane. Ticket holders can obtain a refund from their place of purchase.

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Soul Icon Syl Johnson To Tour Oz

I’m sure most Syl Johnson fans thought the soul legend would never grace our shores. But funnily enough, at the age of 72, he’s decided to make his first trip Down Under next month.

For those of you who don’t know about Syl, let me clue you in. He played with blues icons Howlin’ Wolf, Junior Wells, and Magic Sam before launching his solo career. His breakthrough hit was “Take Me To The River,” a song which has since been covered by Al Green and Talking Heads.

These days kids might be more familiar with Syl’s work through the samples used by Wu-Tang Clan, Get Boys, Cypress Hill, and dare I say it, MC Hammer.

Right now there’s only two places around the country you can see this living legend. He’ll play Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on February 14 and Perth’s  Charles Hotel on February 21. Hopefully more shows will be added for those of us in other states!

Image source: Masahiro Sumori @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Baby Animals Still Rocking

It looks like the Baby Animals might be back together for good. After a 15 year break, the band got back together last year to record the acoustic best of, Il Grande Silenzio. Now it seems a third studio album, the first since 1993’s Shaved and Dangerous, might not be too far off.

“I think that a relevant quote for the story of my life would be ‘Time Flies’,” lead singer Suze DeMarchi said in a statement. “It’s been a year since we did our last shows and a year that proved to be really creative but also a reminder of how geography affects everything!! Dave and I have been plowing ahead with work on new songs.”

We can expect to hear the new songs when the Baby Animals hit the road in April. Here are all the dates.

5 April 2009 – The Gov, Adelaide
7 & 8 April 2009 – Prince of Wales, Melbourne
9 April 2009 – Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster
11 April 2009 – Chelsea Heights Hotel, Melbourne
12 April 2009 – Hallam Hotel, Melbourne
15 April 2009 – Waves, Wollongong
17 April 2009 – Revesby Workers
18 April 2009 – Doyalson RSL, Wyong
19 April 2009 – Rooty Hill RSL
21 April 2009 – The Metro, Sydney
23 April 2009 – Caloundra RSL, Sunshine Coast
24 April 2009 – Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane
25 April 2009 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast

To get you in the mood here’s a little “Early Warning”!