The live music to see in 2015
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Bring it … Taylor Swift sees in the new year in New York’s Times Square. Only 11 months before she’s on Australian soil. Picture: Getty.
Source: Getty Images
Brace yourself. The year 2015 is shaping up as a good one for lovers of live music. Here’s the tours we’re looking forward to most, and a few on our wish list.
Taylor Swift
When: November/December
IT’S almost a year away, but Swift’s 1989 tour is tipped to be one of the most successful of 2015 on a global level. She’s taking Melbourne’s Vance Joy on the road with her – he’ll play all manner of stadium and domes across North America and Canada. Swift’s album 1989 is already one of the biggest sellers of the year in Australia and while cynics mocked her putting tickets on sale so early they miss the point that many ticketholders are patiently counting down the days and their excitement levels will be akin to shaking up a soft drink bottle for 12 months by the time Swift steps on stage.
Listens to her fans … Taylor Swift performs at Madison Square Garden in December. Picture: AP
Source: AP
One Direction
When: February
One Direction of course pioneered putting tickets on sale over a year in advance. In the world of short attention spans, it was a wise move for the boy band. They don’t sell records in the levels they used to, the massive hits have dried up a touch and sources say there’s still plenty of tickets available for these stadium shows. Maybe stadiums were a little optimistic? We’ll see shortly. Rumours are British band McBusted (a amalgam of McFly and Busted) will support them in Australia, although they really needed someone well known to help sell more tickets, surely? Still, prepare for screaming bouncing around stadiums.
Heading south … One Direction perform in Madrid in December. Picture: Getty
Source: Getty Images
Kylie Minogue
When: March
2014 wasn’t the best year for Kylie Minogue, let’s be honest. She’s never had more TV exposure, being on both the UK and Australian versions of The Voice. Yet her Kiss Me Once album was her most modest seller in years. At least she can always fall back on touring, and the Kiss Me Once tour wisely doubles as a virtual greatest hits show. Indeed, a performance released as part of the iTunes festival demonstrated this could be Minogue’s most enjoyable tour in years. There’s one show only in each state. She’s already left the UK Voice to do this Australian tour, but will she pony up on the local Voice this year?
Read my lips … Kylie Minogue performs in Liverpool in September, on what’s been dubbed her most fun tour yet.
Source: Getty Images
Billy Idol
When: March
It’s been 13 years since Mr Rebel Yell has toured here, which is exactly what you want when you’re selling a retro tour. And rest assured, while Idol has a surprisingly strong new album, he does not shy away from playing the hits live. Expect Rebel Yell, White Wedding, Dancing With Myself, To Be a Lover, Hot in the City, Mony Money, Flesh for Fantasy, Cradle of Love, Eyes Without a Face and more. The shows also include US rock icons Cheap Trick, themselves no strangers to hits.
Idol threat … Billy Idol is touring Australia for the first time in 13 years.
Source: AFP
John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John
When: April
Forget that tour of Farnsey and Lionel Richie, where they were like two ships passing in the night, just on the same night at the same venue. This is an actual combined, collaborative tour. John and Livvie will sing separately and together all night, with his incredible band and a 60 piece orchestra for company. Between them there’s no shortage of hits.
Love all … John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John.
Source: Supplied
Drake
When: February/March
There are not too many major artists who have never toured Australia. Drake has been the whale promoters have been trying to catch for the past few years and he’s coming for the Future Music Festival in February and March. His status as one of the coolest performers on the planet was reinforced with swift sales for Drake’s sideshows. We don’t know what he’ll be like on stage, but with those songs and that voice, it’s hard to go wrong.
Come on down! … Rapper Drake has finally been tempted to tour Australia.
Source: AFP
Foo Fighters
When: February/March
It’s finally stadium time for the Fooies. New album Sonic Highways isn’t their best, but by now that doesn’t matter as you’re guaranteed a good night out. It’s pretty much just the Foo Fighters and Coldplay who are bands formed in the last two decades who can regularly fill stadiums. And bonus points for playing Tasmania.
Grohl lotta love … Dave Grohl performs with his band the Foo Fighters in Adelaide.
Source: News Limited
Spandau Ballet
When: May
The British band have reformed, again, and seem genuinely happy to be back together. A new documentary, Soul Boys of the Western World, pinpointed their place in UK musical history and how they went from new romantic pop to white boy soul to stadium rock. Expect examples from all periods of their career in these shows, and luckily for them saxophone is back in fashion.
Gold standard … British band Spandau Ballet in Melbourne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
Source: News Corp Australia
Ed Sheeran
When: March/April
Not since John Denver has a one man and one instrument played arenas in Australia. Ed Sheeran has a not-so-secret weapon – his hi-tech peddle board which can quite literally turn him into a one-man band with just a few recorded loops. And it all happens before your eyes. Also, between his two albums, Ed Sheeran has at least a dozen stone-cold crowd favorites. These will be his biggest Australian shows, but you get the feeling things can only get bigger.
One man band … Ed Sheeran is the first solo/one instrument act to tour Aussie arenas since John Denver.
Source: Getty Images
Paul Simon and Sting
When: February
Another joint tour from two men with a whole evening of hits between them. They’ll play their own gems, sing each others, perform duets – expect a fun night from two gents known for being slightly grumpy.
Rock of ages … Sting and Paul Simon perform in Houston in Feburary. Picture: WireImage
Source: Supplied
The Eagles
When: February/March
Glenn Frey says the band are approaching this tour like it could be their last. Who knows. What we know is that there’s a twist this time in that it follows the excellent, warts-and-all documentary The History of the Eagles. They’ll leave the warts on film, but take you on a chronological musical ride on how the Eagles formed, gelled and then conquered the world. Fans will also see founding member Bernie Leadon rejoin the band for the occasion.
Eagles soar … the legendary US band will tour with founding member Bernie Leadon.
Source: News Limited
5 Seconds of Summer
When: June
The Sydney pop/rockers take a big leap into big venues. And indeed, some shows sold out a long time ago. They’ve already released a live album (just a few months after their debut) so it seems they want to be taken seriously as musicians… underneath all the screaming.
Boy band of brothers … Luke Hemmings (L) and Calum Hood of 5 Seconds of Summer perform in Washington DC in December. Picture: Getty
Source: Supplied
WHO WE WANT TO TOUR IN 2015
Paul McCartney
The elusive one. Paul McCartney hasn’t toured since 1993. A one-off show in Melbourne in 2002 was planned then cancelled just weeks before it was due to happen by Macca as apparently it wasn’t the right time for a rock concert after Bali Bombing. Rumours of low ticket sales swelled and even Macca fans pointed out he played 9/11 benefit shows shortly after September 11. Since then Macca has almost annually toured the US and South America, even Japan this year, but no one has managed to lure him here where he’d surely be able to fill a stadium. Surely.
Madonna
Another serial Australia dodger. Each of Madge’s last five world tours have skipped Australia. The last was the closest – dates were locked in but then yanked at the very last minute, with the singer citing the need to be near her kids. That’s seen her repeatedly tour the US and UK, but not venture too far from those territories. There’s rumours she wants to come here this time, but we’ll believe it when she’s on ground.
Tom Petty
Word is Tom Petty hates to fly, which is why he and his band The Heartbreakers haven’t toured here in more than 20 years. They only tour for a few months every second year or so, but can someone get Tom on a plane again?
