Category: Tour Announcements

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Buffalo Tom Announce Aussie Tour

Here’s some good news for fans of Boston indie kings, Buffalo Tom. It’s been a long wait (nearly 10 years!), but the trio is finally heading back to Australia.

Fans can expect some great shows, including classics like “Sodajerk” and “Taillights Fade” and tracks from last year’s Three Easy Pieces album.

Catch Buffalo Tom at:
7 March 2008 – The Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne (with Even and Elecom)
9 March 2008 – Golden Plains Festival, Meredith
11 March 2008 – The Metro, Sydney (with Smudge and Sam Shinazzi)
12 March 2008 – The Zoo, Brisbane (with Screamfeeder and Sam Shinazzi)

You can buy tickets for the solo shows through Love Police Tours, and Golden Plains tickets directly from the festival website.

Image source: Randy Levine @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster Announces Aussie Tour

Australia’s been a bit slow to cotton on to the brilliance that is Ruthie Foster. But all that’s set to change when this talented soul artist tours Oz for the first time to support her fifth album, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster.

Ruthie touches down in March for a string of dates including Sydney’s The Basement, the Port Fairy Folk Festival, the Blue Mountains Music Festival of Folk, Roots & Blues, the Point Nepean Music Festival, and the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival.

To coincide with the tour, Shock Records will release three of Ruthie’s previous albums, which were unavailable in Australia. Shock will also release a tour edition of The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, which includes a bonus live disc.

Here are Ruthie Foster’s Australian tour dates:

4 March 2008 – The Basement, Sydney
8-9 March 2008 – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy
13 March 2008 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
14 March 2008 – Brunswick Town Hall, Melbourne
15 March 2008 – Mossvale Music Festival, Mossvale
16 March 2008 – Blue Mountains Music Festival of Folk, Roots & Blues, Katoomba
20 March 2008 – The Factory Theatre, Enmore
21-22 March 2008 – East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Byron Bay
23 March 2008 – Point Nepean Music Festival, Mornington Peninsula

Image source: McBeth @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Matchbox Twenty Exiled to Australia

Today I received the news I’ve been waiting months to hear. The rumours are true, and my favourite band on the planet, Matchbox Twenty, are returning to Oz.

With the band coming out to promote their greatest hits album Exile on Mainstream, the shows are set to be killer. The tour kicks off on my birthday, April 10, in Melbourne (fancy that!) before heading to Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, the Hunter Valley, and Brisbane.

I know it’s nearly Christmas and money’s tight, but you have until December 14 to save up for tickets to these must-see shows.

Image source: Sry85 @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Michael Bublé’s Coming!

I’ve got to tell you, I’m more than a little bit excited at recent news that Michael Bublé is heading back to Australia next May to promote his third album, Call Me Irresponsible.

I’ve seen Michael on his last two visits to Australia, and he never fails to impress me. It may have something to do with his amazingly pure voice, it may be about his old-school charisma, or it may just be those gorgeous brown eyes. Either way, his return is good news.

It seems the man himself is also pretty chuffed by it.

“I love coming to Australia,” he told AAP. “You are all so nice. Sort of like Canadians, but with good suntans.”

Awww, doesn’t it just make you all warm and fuzzy inside? Also heartening is the news that unlike most artists, Michael’s keeping his ticket prices low. The best seats in the house will only set you back around $100, which is a whole lot less than most of the big stars charge these days.

Of course, at these prices they’re going to go quickly. Sydney and Perth fans can get theirs on December 3, while shows in Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane will go on sale on December 6.

Image source: Quintin3265 @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Ice Man Commeth. Vanilla Ice, That Is

Well here’s some unexpected touring news! Vanilla Ice only had one hit in Australia, and that was 17 years ago, but he’s not going to let that stop him visiting our fair shores.

He’ll play “Ice Ice Baby” of course, but don’t think that’s all you’ll hear. Word is that the Ice Man does mean cover versions of “Satisfaction” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.” A little AC/DC should go down a treat with his Aussie fans (they do exist, right?).

As you can imagine, he’s not exactly packing out entertainment centres these days. You can catch Vanilla Ice kicking off his Aussie tour at the King Street Hotel in Newcastle. From there he’ll visit Coffs Harbour, Wollongong, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Airlie Beach, and Cairns. Am I the only person who thinks this tour may be a good excuse for a surfing holiday?

Kid Kenobi, MC ShureShock, and The Stafford Brothers will add some much-needed cred to the gigs.

Image source: Apavlo @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lior Tours Endless Road

Lior’s debut album Autumn Flow did big things in 2005, scoring a handful of ARIA nominations and achieving gold status. Now he’s set to replicate this success with album number two, Corner of an Endless Road.

“These new songs are intensely personal and candid,” says Lior. “Corner of an Endless Road is a true representation of my musical landscape; think Led Zeppelin jamming with Nick Drake at a teahouse somewhere in the Middle East.”

That’s some description! Sadly we’ll have to wait until February 9 to hear the new disc, although the first single “Heal Me” is out in November.

But fans will have a sneak peek of the album when Lior takes the new songs on the road in November. He’ll play some very special intimate shows, starting at the Governor Hindmarsh in Adelaide on the 16th. From there he’ll visit Melbourne, Sydney, Fremantle, Brisbane, Port Douglas, Cairns, and Byron Bay. Full details of the shows are available at Lior’s website.

Image source: Jeaneeem @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Lee Heads East

Ben Lee swore the cancellation of the Up! Festival wouldn’t stop him touring his new album Ripe. He’s made good on his promise with the announcement of a handful of dates along the East Coast.

The tour will kick off at Melbourne’s Prince of Wales Hotel on October 18. Then Ben’s off to Ballarat, Moorooduc, Brisbane, Sydney, and Woolongong. The shows are at some intimate little venues, so fans are in for a real treat. The Ballarat and Sydney gigs are also all ages so Ben’s youngest admirers need not miss out.

There’s no word yet on when Ben will visit the rest of Oz, but I’ll keep you posted. Until then Ben lovers, you’ll just have to be content with the new album. Ripe is released tomorrow.

Image source: Graciepoo @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Silverchair and Powderfinger Go Green

Silverchair and Powderfinger are the latest rockers to jump on the green bandwagon. They’ve just announced their massive Across the Great Divide tour will be carbon neutral.

The bands will buy carbon credits from Climate Friendly to offset the 800 tonnes of carbon emissions the tour is expected to generate.

“The Silverchair/Powderfinger tour has invested in renewable energy projects via Climate Friendly, such as wind power, that will prevent exactly the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are generated by the event,” said a spokesperson for the tour.

But the tour’s social conscience doesn’t end there. Across the Great Divide doesn’t just refer to the wide expanse of Australian land the tour will cover. It’s also a reference to the life expectancy gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Aussie children. The bands hope their tour will start people talking about this important issue.

The Across the Great Divide tour kicks off next Wednesday in Newcastle.

Image source: World Wildlife Fund website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Deborah Conway Brings Broads Together

Now in its third year, Deborah Conway’s traveling celebration of female music, Broad, is hitting the road again.

This time around rootsy Anne McCue, R&B diva Jade McRae, blues queen Abbe May, and folkster Sally Seltmann (aka New Buffalo) will join Ms Conway on stage.

The idea behind Broad is simple: put five eclectic local musos on stage together, and see what happens. The performers play their own material and a few choice cover versions, making the experience truly one to remember.

The concept may seem like a clever marketing ploy, and it is. Yet Broad’s goal is a deeper one, allowing women to play together and celebrate their craft.

“Since I stopped playing with Do-Re-Mi I’ve never really played with other women,” Deborah admitted to The Australian. “And I miss it. It’s not like there’s a glass ceiling for women in the music business any more.

“I’m not taking any pride in busting open this imaginary glass ceiling, which I’m sure no one believes exists, but the fact of the matter remains that it’s very unusual to see five women on stage together. It just doesn’t happen.”

Bringing together five very different singers is a challenging, but ultimately rewarding, experience for Conway.

“You have to think about what part of the octave range you’re going to occupy,”she said. “Hopefully when we start singing harmonies everyone will be comfortable with it. It has been a fantastic learning curve for me. I was never much of a harmony singer up until the time we started this whole process, and I’ve become a better one because of it.”

Deborah Conway is currently focusing her attention on the current Broad tour, although she can’t help but think ahead to next year’s event.

“This is a concert that’s unlike any other. It has been an absolute joy to work on. It’s always a privilege to play with all these other wonderful women, and I think I walk away having learned something every time.”

Broad 2007 begins in Brisbane this Friday. The tour will play selected concert halls around the country. See the Broad website for a complete list of dates.

Image source: Kwanie @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Cat Empire Come Home

After a whirlwind world tour, Australia’s biggest ska success story, The Cat Empire, are glad to be home. Their performance at last weekend’s Splendour in the Grass festival kicked off what’s shaping up as a busy couple of months for the Melbourne sextet.

The Cat Empire will release album number four, So Many Nights, on September 22. To promote the release, they’ll perform shows in Cairns, Noosa, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide.

Can they break their own record in Sydney? In 1996 the band sold out seven consecutive shows at The Metro. This time around they’re booked in for eight appearances. Considering how long these funksters have been away, I’m pretty sure they bouncers will be turning away fans at the door.

So make sure you don’t miss out! Check The Cat Empire’s website to see when they’re playing near you.

Image source: MuntyPix @ Flickr.com