Music
News this week
New this week: Sam Smith, Bernard Fanning, AFL Finals, Pippin, Imaginaria, more
Our weekly round up of this week's biggest news in music, sport, theatre, and comedy from around the globe.
News this week; Sam Smith and Benee announce global livestream performances, Bernard Fanning leads a stacked Queensland lineup, AFL Finals head into an exciting second week, Pippin announce a star-studded cast, Imaginaria is coming to Melbourne – and that’s only scratching the surface.
Here’s the latest, biggest news in live entertainment.
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Music news this week
Some of our favourite Aussie musos are set to light up Sandstone Point Hotel next month and we cannot wait. Local legend Bernard Fanning will be joined by Matt Corby, Boy and Bear, Thelma Plum, and Tia Gostelow for a day that is sure to be chockful of huge singalongs. Get ready, this stellar lineup lands at Sandstone Point Hotel in Queensland on Saturday 21 November. Tickets on sale next Tuesday 13 October @ 9am via Ticketmaster.com.au
The huge live music news just keeps on coming with the one and only James Reyne heading up a stacked Kickstart Summer Concert lineup. He’ll be joined by the king of singalong anthems Daryl Braithwaite, Aussie rock stalwarts Thirsty Merc, and the iconic songbook of Diesel. It’s all going down at Ascot Racecourse, WA on Saturday 6 February 2021. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au.
Ready to hang with some of your favourite musicians from the comfort of your loungeroom? Because the next batch of mega livestreams is rolling in. International pop superstar Sam Smith will celebrate the release of their forthcoming album Love Goes with a special performance live from the iconic Abbey Road Studios. It will take place on Saturday 31 October at 8pm, and see Smith performing with their full band alongside special guest collaborators. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au.
But that isn’t it. Wrapping the first major tour to take place in New Zealand since March, indie-pop phenomenon and rising global superstar BENEE will livestream the final night of her sold-out tour to a global audience on Saturday 17 October. This will be the world’s first livestreamed show in front of a sold-out arena audience since concerts have returned. Get more info here.
Some of Australia’s finest DJs are set to takeover HBF Stadium for two massive nights. First up, Syndicate’s 5th birthday sees PhaseOne team up with Shocks, Flick, and more on Friday 4 December before Flowidus and Macshane lead up a night of Inhibit on Saturday 5 December. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au.
ARCA’s Desk Tape Series is an initiative of the Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA), a not for profit organisation dedicated to the welfare of live production crew across Australia. Their team have been uncovering and releasing incredible live performances from some of the world’s greatest acts. A couple of months ago we met Men at Work right in the middle of this transition period thanks to the recently surfaced live album recorded during their show at New Zealand’s Christchurch Town Hall in 1982.
Now they’ve delivered the next two stunning instalments in their series. The first, and seventh in the outstanding series, sees folk-rockers Goanna performing Live At Canberra Workers Club in 1985. Three years after they exploded into national and international success with ‘Solid Rock’, the recording captures the bridge between Spirit Of Place and the follow-up Oceania. The eighth instalment features Neil Finn playing an intimate solo show in the York Theatre in Sydney in late 2010. Check out Goanna and Neil Finn now.
Legendary Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen has passed away at the age of 65. Following the news of his death, countless musicians paid tribute to the late rock icon on social media, including John Mayer, Metallica, Quincy Jones, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Queen’s Brian May, AC/DC’s Angus Young, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Patti Smith, the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Weyes Blood, and many more. Leaving a huge mark in music’s history books, the band sold more than 80m albums worldwide, 11 of their studio albums reached the US Top 10, and four reached No 1. In 2012, Van Halen was ranked top of Guitar World magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
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Sport news this week
It has been a very different AFL season in 2020, but one thing definitely remained consistent – anything can happen come finals time. We welcomed this year’s finals series with a huge week of action, marking what has been described as one of the best opening weeks of an AFL Finals Series in recent memory. While Port Adelaide and Brisbane wait to see who they’ll face in next week’s Preliminary Finals, this week sees Richmond and St Kilda do battle at Metricon Stadium, before Geelong and Collingwood take over The Gabba on Saturday 10 October. Remaining tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au.
The French Open is heating up with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Diego Schwartzman all advancing to the French Open Semi-Finals – will we get another Nadal V Djokovic showdown? An upset might be brewing in the Women’s Draw with half of the Quarter-Finalists unseeded competitors. Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova will face off for their chance in the final, facing the winner of Iga Świątek and Nadia Podoroska, in what is sure to be an exciting final.
Melbourne Vixens put on a show-stopping performance to outclass the Sunshine Coast Lightning 63-47 and earn their first-ever spot in a Super Netball Grand Final. Melbourne secured the minor premiership with three games left in the season and on Saturday condemned the second-place Lightning to a preliminary final. The Vixens will play either the Lightning or the winner of the NSW Swifts and West Coast Fever match in the grand final on Sunday 18 October.
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Theatre news this week
The stunning Cabaret De Paris is ready to launch at Crown Theatre Perth in less than two weeks, and now they’ve added an extra performance on Thursday 15 October to their run. Be prepared to witness more feathers, sequins, rhinestones, and jewels than you can imagine when this spectacular production takes flight. Get your tickets at Ticketmaster.com.au.
Pippin has just announced their incredible, star-studded cast that will bring their Australian season to life including Ainsley Melham as Pippin, Gabrielle McClinton as Leading Player, Kerri-Anne Kennerley as Berthe, Simon Burke as Charles, and a stack more. New seats are now on sale for performances at Sydney Lyric Theatre from Thursday 17 December – Sunday 3 January, tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.au.
Theatre is, at last, confirmed to return to Melbourne, with a bumper summer of outdoor performances including Shakespeare and a children’s classic at the Royal Botanic Gardens. A Midsummer Night’s Dream starring Melbourne actors Richard Piper and Alison Whyte will open on Friday 18 December, followed by Macbeth on Saturday 30 January. Tickets to A Midsummer Night’s Dream are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.au.
The incredible Andrew Lloyd Webber has teamed up with Carrier Fletcher to deliver a beautiful rendition of ‘Far Too Late’, the first track to be revealed from his upcoming Cinderella production in an empty Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Fletcher – Carrie has starred in Heathers, The Addams Family, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins, and is currently playing Fantine in Les Miserables – will star as Cinderella when the play opens.
And if you need some more at home viewing, Disney Cruise Line’s has released a special presentation of their Broadway-style production Tangled: The Musical for your viewing pleasure. This previously recorded video features the original cast from the show’s opening.
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Special Event news this week
Imaginaria is set to bring an immersive wonderland of light and sound to the heart of Melbourne this December. Step inside The Imaginarium’s Portal (find it below the Melbourne Star) and you’ll slide and climb your way through dreamlike landscapes of shimmering light sculptures, multi-dimensional mazes, architectural inflatables, and even a black hole – all designed by renowned architects, artists, authors, music producers, scent designers, and more. Tickets go on sale Tuesday 13 October @ 10am AEST via Ticketmaster.com.au.
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Stay up to date on all the latest live entertainment news at Ticketmaster Discover. Tickets to the best music, sport, theatre, comedy and more are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.au.
