After taking a year off in 2024, Lighthouse Rock is back with a massive line-up for 2025. Tim Finn, Birds of Tokyo, Richard Clapton, You Am I, Ross Wilson, The Superjesus and heaps more will all hit Taribelang Country/Burnett Heads this October.
Joining all these household names will be the winner of Triple M Battle of the Bands. If you’d like the chance to play in front of more than 5,000 people, head to the Lighthouse Rock website to register.
“We are so excited to be bringing this amazing lineup of Aussie rock to the region again!” Gavin Hales from Lighthouse Presents said. “This year will be even bigger and better than anything we have done before!”
For the first time, Lighthouse Rock will be an all-ages event. Organisers understand the cost-of-living crisis, so kids 10 and under can go for free and tickets for 11- to 17-year-olds are half price.
The 2022 and 2023 events both sold out, and with such a stellar lineup I expect 2025 to do the same. Don’t get caught sleeping on this one. Tickets are available from the Oztix website now.
Ross Wilson’s music crosses generations. So when my husband and I heard he was celebrating 50 years in the business with a show at Avoca Beach Theatre we knew tickets would be the perfect Christmas present for my parents. On a Monday that felt like a Saturday, our two generations shuffled in to one of our favourite local venues.
Local band The Cat Snatchers warmed up the crowd with what can best be described as their own brand of yacht rock. But that doesn’t quite cover what this four-piece does. Arthur Pratt is a charismatic frontman who spices up his performance with Elvis Presley-esque karate moves and a little interpretive dance. We saw Toby Wells perform with Elaskia just before the pandemic, and it seemed like he was finding his feet as an artist. This band feels like home for him. He’s got space to shred and show off his sizeable guitar chops. Their set wasn’t perfect. Arthur struggled at times to hit the ambitious falsetto notes and the songs were pretty simplistic. But I imagine that if I saw The Cat Snatchers, a few times I’d be singing along. I was thoroughly entertained by this off-the-wall act. While many around me weren’t as enthusiastic, I followed their socials as soon as their set wrapped up.
While The Cat Snatchers were a little polarising, Ross Wilson had everyone on side from the triumphant opener, “Daddy’s Back”. His set was everything that I hoped it would be. He delivered hit after hit, with a smattering of unexpected songs to satisfy the die-hards. There were the Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock classics of course, along with some choice solo cuts. While Ross clearly appreciates the audience reception to his biggest hits, he’s not content to rest on his laurels. “She’s Stuck on Facebook All The Time” wasn’t released to a lot of fanfare in 2023, but it’s such a great addition to his set. I also appreciated watching him recreate the blues tunes that got him excited about music in the first place. His version of “Back Door Man,” made famous by Howlin’ Wolf. Other songs were rearranged to keep them fresh without straying too far from their original magic.
Ross is a joy to watch. He grooves around the stage, soaking up the energy from his band The Peaceniks and the crowd. He chats easily to the audience, sharing his passion and life story with his fans. And after 50 years in the business, his voice shows little signs of slowing down.
It’s a testament to Ross’s exhaustive catalogue that when we were cheering for an encore, my husband and I weren’t sure what he had left to play. He’d already gifted us “Eagle Rock,” “Come Said the Boy,” “Cool World,” “State of the Heart,” “Bed of Nails,” “Hi Honey Ho,” and so many more. I guessed “Touch of Paradise,” but that didn’t quite seem like a closer. He played it and it was amazing, before transitioning into “Summer of ‘81.” It was the cherry on top of an amazing night of music, a track I hadn’t anticipated but relished all the same.
Looking back at this blog, I hadn’t seen Ross perform for eight years. I’d had a wonderful time, so I wonder now why I left it so long. My only explanation is that people like Ross just seem like they’ll always be there. They tour relentlessly, so perhaps we don’t feel the same urgency to make the shows as we do when international acts visit. But it’s easy for the years to slip by. If it’s been too long since you’ve seen him perform, or you’ve never had the pleasure, make sure you don’t miss one of his upcoming shows.
I barely have a maternal bone in my body, but I feel there are few things more pure and beautiful than the love a mother has for her child. So while I’m never going to have my own kids, I’ve found totally and utterly captivated by Alana Wilkinson’s new single “Dream Big.” Alana wrote the song in the neonatal intensive care unit as her new son Rafferty slept on her chest.
“Raffy was born extremely prematurely at 24 weeks and put up a big fight for 92 days in hospital until he was finally big and strong enough to come home,” she recalled. “Throughout the terrifying experience I found solace in daydreaming of our future together; wishing on birthday cakes, singing to the trees and exploring the beauty and the chaos of the world waiting just beyond the hospital window.”
She might have a little one now, but Alana is not slowing down. Catch her at one of the following shows in the coming months.
After an unexpected death in the family a couple of weeks ago, my family has been having a fairly tough time. We needed some fun, but even Christmas couldn’t seem to pull us out of our funk. Last night at Ettalong Diggers, Ross Wilson managed to do what the silly season couldn’t and put a smile on the faces of my parents, my husband, and myself. Ross Wilson gives a masterclass in the art of performing. He doesn’t rely on bells and whistles, just great music and a superb backing band. At times I found myself marvelling at the prowess of his keyboardist and guitarist. However, while they’re good they never overshadowed the main man, a man who has created countless hits in his solo career and time with Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock. All of the biggies were performed in Ross Wilson’s own inimitable style over two sets.
Ross Wilson is the kind of performer that just makes you feel good. His loud shirt was every bit as bold as his presence on stage. And that voice, it’s lost nothing over the years. He had us captivated in powerful numbers like “Touch of Paradise” and on our feet with “Come Back Again,” “Hi Honey Ho,” “Cool World,” and of course, “Eagle Rock.” I’m not sure there’s anything more Australian than being at a club dancing around to the Daddy Cool smash.
I always think music finds you at the time you need it. At a terrible time for my family, a night out with the musical gifts and generous stage presence of Ross Wilson was just what the doctor ordered.
Some of Australia’s most beloved artists will perform for regional audiences this summer. Dubbed the Red Hot Summer Tour, the travelling concert series features a bumper line-up including Cold Chisel comrades Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss, Baby Animals, Dragon, Ross Wilson, and Chocolate Starfish.
Unfortunately not every act will perform at every show, but fans will still see value with tickets starting from just $79.90. The line-up for each event is also posted on the Red Hot Summer Tour website, so you can make sure your favourites are playing near you.
Line-ups like this don’t come along every day, especially in some of these country towns! Tickets go on sale this Thursday, October 25.
5 January 2012 – Tumut Showgrounds, Tumut
6 January 2012 – Harry Sawkin Park, Nowra
10 January 2012 – Centenary Oval, Port Lincoln
12 January 2012 – Mary Ann Reserve, Mannum
13 January 2012 – Nowingi Place Soundshell, Mildura
19 January 2012 – Mulwala Waterski Club, Mulwala
20 January 2012 – Morning Star Estate, Mt Eliza
26 January 2012 – Parklands Resort, Mudgee
27 January 2012 – Crossing Theatre Lawns, Narrabri
2 February 2012 – Kryal Castle, Ballarat
3 February 2012 – Victory Park Soundshell, Traralgon
9 February 2012 – Country Club Lawns, Launceston
10 February 2012 – On the Point – Wrestpoint, Hobart
30 March 2012 – Warrnambool Racecourse, Warrnambool
31 March 2012 – Mansfield Showgrounds, Mansfield
80s night is always my favourite night of Australian Idol. These are the songs I grew up with, unashamedly daggy, flamboyant, and fun. But before we could get into the good stuff, we had to say goodbye to one our Idol hopefuls. Kim Cooper, Sabrina Batshon, and Nathan Brake found themselves in the bottom three. It was understandable I suppose, but hard to hear that one of my faves would be leaving the comp. Sadly that person was Sabrina. I guess her big personality was just a little much for some. It’s a shame; I was really hoping to see her bust out something amazing this week.
I was very concerned when I heard Nathan Brake was taking on Bon Jovi’s rock anthem “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It’s one of my favourites, and I doubted whether Nathan had the grit to really deliver it. He really didn’t. He hit all the right notes, but it just didn’t feel believable to me. There is so much 80s stuff that would have suited him a lot better.
Scott Newnham took on “Let’s Groove.” I couldn’t fault the vocals, but the delivery was a little bland for me. His “dance moves” were also really awkward. Honestly I wanted Gary Pinto to take the microphone from him and finish the song.
Hayley Warner busted out a little Bruce Springsteen with “Dancing in the Dark.” I really enjoyed this. It wasn’t deep or meaningful, but neither was the 80s. It was incredibly fun, and exactly what she needed to do. It felt like this was the first time someone actually “got” the decade.
Toby Moulton went for a little Foreigner with “I Want to Know What Love Is.” I’ve always said that more Idols need to sing power ballads, but not like this. This was completely devoid of the passion that you need in a power ballad. Did he even listen to the lyrics? They go something along the lines of “In my life there’s been heartache and pain, I don’t know if I can face it again.” I heard none of that desperation. This was more Mariah than Foreigner, and it was much poorer for it.
Ross Wilson gives a masterclass in the art of performing. He doesn’t rely on bells and whistles, just great music and a superb backing band. At times I found myself marvelling at the prowess of his keyboardist and guitarist. However, while they’re good they never overshadowed the main man, a man who has created countless hits in his solo career and time with Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock. All of the biggies were performed in Ross Wilson’s own inimitable style over two sets.
Some of Australia’s most beloved artists will perform for regional audiences this summer. Dubbed the Red Hot Summer Tour, the travelling concert series features a bumper line-up including Cold Chisel comrades Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss, Baby Animals, Dragon, Ross Wilson, and Chocolate Starfish.