IT hasn’t been a great year for rock music, with some icons sadly going to the great gig in the sky. Which got us thinking, who do we want to tick off our musical bucket list in Australia? There are people who’ve never been here, and some superstars who have avoided us for decades, but this year Madonna has shown it’s never too late to tour Australia. Now, who’s left?
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Last Australian tour: 1993
Still on the road: Yes
Chances: Macca almost made it to Melbourne in 2002, announcing two shows which he postponed at the last minute, citing the country needing time for healing after the Bali bombing and not a rock concert. Sources suggested pricey tickets and underwhelming sales may have also had something to do with him not coming. However local McCartney fans got excited this year when someone in Macca HQ posted a photo of him in an Australian flag for Australia Day — the first time he’s remembered we exist in decades. Unfortunately that photo was originally taken to promote that abandoned Melbourne performance that, 14 years later, he still hasn’t rescheduled. However Paul has just announced a whole swag of live shows in the US and Europe up until August. If he heads to Japan again and is in the geographical neighbourhood, could this be the tour where someone finally lures him down under? Remember his live show is now virtually 50-per-cent Beatles songs so it’s literally a night of musical history.
ADELE
Last Australian tour: never
Still on the road: Yes
Chances: Adele’s 2011 tour to support 21 was curtailed by voice issues that led to throat surgery. The British superstar also hates flying, which kept that ‘world’ tour to just Europe and North America. However she’s already doing twice as many shows to promote new album 25. Adele is on the road until mid November, with no more dates announced. Naturally, promoters are waving uber bucks to get her to finally visit Australia (as well as Asia), presumably some time early next year. But Adele’s not short of cash and may be happy to wrap things up before Christmas. And if it does happen, where do you place Adele for her first visit to Australia? Her popularity means she could fill outdoor stadiums easily, but she’s only playing large indoor venues overseas. For instance, six shows at London’s 02 Arena and six at Madison Square Garden in New York, which venues she could probably fill for weeks on end. Make no mistake, this 25 tour is our window — Adele’s already telling fans she’s planning a long break after this tour.
TOM WAITS
Last Australian tour: 1981
Still on the road: No
Chances: The iconic US musician, now 66, has only played sporadically over the last decade, with his last tour being in 2008. Although he got hopes up when he signed to a live booking agency three years ago, there’s only been the odd appearance (most recently to farewell David Letterman on TV last year) between recording and acting work. In 2011 he told Triple J listeners not to hold their breath about a return to Australia. “Life is long, I’m sure it will happen but I don’t really have any plans to tour right now it’s too confusing and there’s too many things to do. It’s too much work. Maybe someday but I’ve got to find a way to do it where it’s simple. I think I’d like to play some place where everyone can come on the road and come see me instead of the other way around. But I don’t have any plans right now to tour.”
GARTH BROOKS
Last Australian tour: 1994
Still on the road: Yesiree Bob!
Chances: One of the highest selling artists of all time, Garth Brooks is country royalty but doesn’t need to tour the world constantly. From 2009 to 2014 he had a residency in Vegas, where he’d fly each weekend from his house in Oklahoma. That gave him time to spend with his kids and wife Trisha Yearwood. In 2014 Brooks came out of “retirement” from touring to hit the road in America, performing with Yearwood, on something of an endless tour. There’s shows booked in the US until July this year, but Brooks likes to announce shows at the last minute to avoid scalping. Whispers suggest he’s planning to return to the UK (one of his biggest territories) and possibly Australia for this jaunt, but maybe not until next year. Stay tuned, y’all.
JEFF LYNNE’S ELO
Last Australian tour: 1978
Still on the road: Yes
Chances: Jeff Lynne has reactivated his band as Jeff Lynne’s ELO. That’s to avoid confusion with ELO Part II, who didn’t feature Lynne, but toured Australia in 1995. Now, after nearly 30 years break, you get the voice of ELO playing all the ELO hits he wrote and sang. Lynne played a charity show in the UK in 2013 to test the waters for possible demand for the return of ELO. The test resulted in an acclaimed new album, a slot at the Grammy’s last year and a new band featuring members of Take That’s touring band and ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy. Sources say they’re being courted to come down under, especially given the setlist contains Telephone Line, Livin’ Thing, Mr Blue Sky, Evil Woman, Shine a Little Love Don’t Bring Me Down and more. They’ve got dates booked until September in the UK and US. Fingers crossed some savvy promoter is already trying to make this happen.
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
Last Australian tour: 1986
Still on the road: Not currently
Chances: Petty reportedly does not like flying and now tours at his own pace. His last visit here was with Bob Dylan in 1986. There’s been many rumours about a return to Australia that have never panned out. Five years ago Petty told an Australian fan online the Heartbreakers only tour for three months every two years and that “maybe down the road” they might return here. Their 2011 tour did include the UK, their first visit there in 20 years. Their last shows were in 2014. We’ve had Bruce Springsteen become a virtual regular here now, as well as Petty’s mates Pearl Jam and Neil Young, but a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tour remains a white whale for local promoters who have given it a red hot crack.
GUNS N’ ROSES
Last Australian tour: 1993
Still on the road: Freshly back in action
Chances: We’re talking the recently reactivated Axl and Slash and Duff Guns N’Roses here. We’ve had a Slash-free Guns N’Roses tour Australia several times and an Axl-free Slash tour Australia playing Gunners songs, as well as a Slash and Axl-free Duff McKagan solo tour. But now all three men are back in Guns N’Roses — a line-up of GNR Australia hasn’t seen since 1993. They’ve just kicked off the cleverly-titled Not In This Lifetime tour to great reviews, which so far ends in the US in August. Their former manager said the volatile band won’t get paid until they finish the reunion shows. So if Axl and Slash can deal with being in the same band again, could a mountain of money convince them to bring it down under before it implodes — again. If any rock band is going to play outdoor stadiums in Australia in the next year, it’s the (almost) original Gunners line-up.
ALSO ON THE BUCKET LIST
WEEZER
Believe it or not Weezer have only toured Australia twice — 1996 and then 2013, where they played their debut album in full. With a new album out, can someone get them back for another visit? The band don’t like talking about their old songs in interviews, but hopefully they still enjoy playing them live.
DEPECHE MODE
The UK electronic pioneers came here in 1990 for their classic Violator album, but played one show in Sydney before singer Dave Gahan lost his voice and the rest of the tour was cancelled. They returned in 1994, but Australia is one of their least-successful territories, with many still freezeframing them as the dinky synth band behind Just Can’t Get Enough. The band play stadiums in Europe and the US and are quite open about not wanting to downsize their huge live show production (or lose money) by returning to Australia when they’re more popular elsewhere. Ironically Just Can’t Get Enough is back in their live show, but the band haven’t even been to Japan in decades, so bringing them here would be a huge risk for a promoter, and their albums don’t tend to sell outside their loyal but small local fanbase.
DAVID GILMOUR
With the chances of Pink Floyd reforming as likely as pigs flying, singer David Gilmour is on the road as a solo artist. Yes, he released a solo album but he’s filling arenas so people can hear the voice of Pink Floyd singing Money, Comfortably Numb and even Astronomy Domine in shows that go for two and a half hours. The tour ends in the UK in September. Anyone?
THE SPICE GIRLS
At the height of their fame the Spice Girls came here once, to promote their movie, but never performed live. When they reformed in 2007 they announced they’d do 11 shows around the world, including Australia. There was even a Sydney date, January 17, 2008. However demand was so intense they ended up adding more lucrative US and UK concerts and cancelled their Australian plans, as well as shows in China, South Africa and Argentina. So it wasn’t exactly a world tour. There are still rumours they’ll reform, although their 20th anniversary of Wannabe past last year with still no return to the stage. At this stage it seems Australia is good enough for Mel B and Geri Halliwell to (briefly) relocate to judge reality TV shows, but so far not good enough to play an actual concert for fans.
VAN MORRISON
Van the Man hasn’t been here since 1985. He’s not a fan of long haul flying, but is doing a swag of shows in the US and Europe this year. Promoters have tried for years to get him back on a plane here, but no dice.
PHIL COLLINS
He’s out of traction and back in action. Phil Collins told the world he is no longer retired and has been busy re-releasing his albums — and posing for new photos that replicate the original covers. No tour dates have been announced but expect major bucks to be thrown his way to return to Australia.
RICK SPRINGFIELD
We got close in 2014, when Rick Springfield announced what would have been his first ever Australian headline tour — he did play a handful of songs on the Countdown Spectacular package tour in 2007. However he cancelled the show to film Ricki and the Flash with Meryl Streep, promising to make up the dates. Fair enough. He even played along with that charade when back in Oz last year to promote the film that kept him from touring Oz. Yet still no rescheduled tour ...
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
James Murphy’s band helped revolutionise the way electronic music could be played live, before an era of laptop DJs took over. LCD reformed this year and are playing the festival circuit worldwide. Fans hoped they might be added to Splendour in the Grass, but no go. Can they get back here before splitting again?
TAKE THAT
The UK boy band played a very strange Australian tour in 1995, soon after Robbie Williams’ departure. They even covered Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, playing the instruments themselves. Since then Robbie’s become a superstar and rejoined the boy band band for a tour that skipped Australia in 2011. They’re one of the UK’s most successful live acts and just played in Singapore for the first time since 1995 (they’re now a three piece), but nobody managed to coax them to fly a little further for their patient Australian fans.
BOB SEGER
He’s never toured Australia but his Greatest Hits was back in the Top 10 four years ago, proving the demand is still there. At that point Seger hinted at finally visiting, but we’re still waiting. He’s currently not on the road so don’t hold your breath.
PETER ANDRE
THE last time Peter Andre did a huge Australian tour? Supporting Madonna back in 1993. Now a resident in the UK, the Gold Coast boy rarely visits home but still records and tours regularly in the UK. How has someone not snapped him up for one of these ‘90s revival tours that seem to do so well in Australia now?
CHER
Her ‘farewell’ tour came to Australia in 2005, but Cher wasn’t quite done yet. She did three years in Vegas from 2008 and was scheduled to come here on her 2014 world tour but fell ill. She has yet to rescheduled a string of cancelled US shows, but Australians at least get to enjoy her eccentric Twitter feed.
SHANIA TWAIN
Has Shania really retired? After the obligatory Vegas stint she took her Rock This Country tour (her first in 11 years) around the US and Canada and said it was her farewell jaunt. She toured here only once, in 1999, has battled voice issues. She is planning a new album but will probably only return to live shows in Vegas.
JASON DONOVAN
His ex Kylie Minogue has built a career as a live act, while Jason Donovan’s branched out into stage shows and radio work in the UK. This year he embarked on a British tour playing his first album, 10 Good Reasons, in full, but as yet no promoter has enticed Jase back home for what would be his first Australian shows in decades.
BARRY MANILOW
Baz cancelled an Australian tour in 2011 due to “unforeseen circumstances” Which is often music industry code for “tickets weren’t selling”. He’s still touring the US and UK this year, but there are still no return dates for local Fanilows who haven’t seen him here since 1996. Come on Baz.
OMD
UK pop duo Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark reformed a few years back and are on the road again this year. In the UK you can see them play classic, influential albums Dazzle Ships and Architecture and Morality in full, or the US they’re on the retro circuit playing a hits set (If You Leave!) with Barenaked Ladies. Could a local promoter bet on an OMD visit? We will settle for a big bill with OMD, Human League and Tears for Fears, cheers.
STEELY DAN
Back in 2011 Steely Dan played Australia with Steve Winwood. This year they’re touring the US (again with Mr Winwood), could this be the kind of event promoters will gamble on to pull a crowd in Australia again?
SIA
Back in 2011 Sia played the Big Day Out, and shortly after nearly selfdestructed from the evils of fame and drugs. Now sober and playing behind wigs, Adelaide’s coolest export ever has got shows lined up in the US (including Coachella) as well as festivals from Poland to New York. How about some homegrown festival love?
THE CORRS
They’re back! Reforming for a new album, White Light, the Irish family band are back on the road for the first time in a decade. They used to fill arenas in Australia, but the comeback album peaked at No. 18 here. Maybe not quite time to ship those tin whistles back to Australia yet, but then again a greatest hits show could tap into the Andre Rieu/Riverdance demographic.
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