Hailed for their highly original sound, combining a brilliant melodic touch with a genuine dark aggression and effortless cool, The Stranglers are now recognised as one of the most credible and influential bands to have emerged from the punk era.

Now over 45 years on, with 24 top 40 singles and 18 top 40 albums under their belt, The Stranglers are still finding the time to hit the road, making their return to Australia this February 2020 hitting up Peth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

First forming in 1974, the band’s no bullshit attitude saw them blaze an experimental trail, from Art Rock to Goth to New Wave Pop, inspiring a wave of prog rock guitar players and confrontational vocalists to find their roots in The Stranglers’ unabashed confidence. Their longevity and impact solidified with hits like Golden Brown, Always the Sun, No More Heroes, Strange Little Girl and Peaches – all establishing the legend of The Stranglers.

Australian fans are in for a treat when punk rock rabble-rousers The Stranglers return February 2020 to deliver a set for the ages, drawn from their eloquent and extensive catalogue spanning over 40 years.

“Carefree fun” – Independent

“the gig of the year” – The Rock Pit

“Unexpectedly poignant – ★ ★ ★ ★” – The Guardian

“…deeply confrontational and musically accomplished.” – BBC

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

The Stranglers 202 Australian Tour
5 February – ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH
7 February – THE FORUM, MELBOURNE
8 February – ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY
9 February – THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE
11 February – THE GOV, ADELAIDE
www.facebook.com/thestranglers

Presented in partnership with major Australian festivals Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival, the Spring Tour 2019 will kick off in the rolling hills of Dorrigo, NSW, cross the sunburnt outback of western Queensland and conclude on the sunny Victorian peninsula of Queenscliff.

The route sees the popular regional music tour take in three states over four weeks in October and November and will include some of Queensland’s most alluring reasons to take a road trip this spring.

Festival of Small Halls is Australia’s largest music tour dedicated exclusively to regional, rural and remote Australia. Producer Eleanor Rigden says programming the tour hand-in-hand with some of Australia’s biggest music festivals means regional communities can leverage access to the same standard of arts and culture as their metropolitan counterparts.

“These towns are some of the friendliest, most welcoming places I have ever been to,” said Ms Rigden.

“We’re inviting people to come away with us, plan a road trip and really experience the double whammy of this brilliant music alongside the country hospitality and hosts that just have to be seen to be believed.”

Hailing from Edinburgh, The Jellyman’s Daughter are one of Scotland’s most innovative new exports and are looking forward to the unique exposure of the tour.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our first tour of Australia,” said band member Graham Coe.

“It will be both of our first times over there and we’re looking forward to playing our music to a bunch of friendly Australian faces on the other side of the world, meeting some dangerous animals and finally getting to experience some (real) hot weather, said Graham.

“We’re also excited about getting out of the cities and seeing the diversity in the communities – touring is really the best way to properly experience a country and we’re super grateful that we’ll have the opportunity to do that in Australia.”

Described as a blend of bluegrass, post-rock, folk and soul music, The Jellyman’s Daughter promise “harmonies that squeeze the heart” and cello playing that can be “as percussive as a drum, as grounded as a bass or as sweet as a fiddle” (The Sunday Herald).

Ash Bell and Sara Tindley will ring familiar to many across the outback – Ash Bell comes from contemporary Australiana outfit and festival favourites The Starboard Cannons and is already looking forward to his second run with Festival of Small Halls. He’s formed a new partnership with Sara Tindley, who is fresh to the band from her fourth solo album, produced by Nick Didia (Bruce Springsteen, Powderfinger, Pearl Jam). Together they’ve created an iconic Australia roots sound which reaches down into the soul of the listener.

Festival of Small Halls Spring Tour starts 25 October 2019 at Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival, travelling to venues across western Queensland from 30 October – 17 November and concluding at Queenscliff Music Festival from 21-24 November.

Tickets on sale from 22 August 2019 at www.festivalofsmallhalls.com

Proudly presented by Woodfordia Inc in partnership with Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival. Festival of Small Halls – Spring Tour 2019 is funded under the Year of Outback Tourism Events program during the Year of Outback Tourism 2019.

Festival of Small Halls
Friday 25 October – Sunday 17 November 2019
Various locations around Queensland
www.festivalofsmallhalls.com

Life Will Be The Death Of Me: Chelsea Handler’s Stand-Up Comedy Tour, taking the same name as her just-released #1 NY Times Best Selling sixth book, Life Will Be The Death Of Me, will see the disarmingly honest and riotously funny Handler, head to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne from October 4.

Fresh from her 27-date tour in the US, this brand-new stand up show is classic Chelsea Handler. The brash candour and self-deprecating humour that fuelled her previous bestselling essays collections and wildly successful TV shows is here in spades. Regarded as one of the most successful figures in entertainment today, Chelsea Handler’s talk shows, best-selling books and stand-up comedy have attracted millions of fans worldwide.

Don’t miss the irrepressibly candid Chelsea Handler live and on-stage this October.

Life Will Be The Death Of Me: Chelsea Handler’s Stand-Up Comedy Tour
Friday, 4th October – Qpac Concert Hall, Brisbane
Saturday, 5th October – State Theatre, Sydney
Monday, 7th October – Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
www.livenation.com.au

Celebrating these remarkable feats by hitting the road in May on his Painkiller tour, Ruel will be stopping in Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Forbes, Darwin and of course, Sydney as he takes in the largest venues of his short but extremely eventful career and showcasing tracks from his highly anticipated second EP.

A transcendent new star on an unstoppable trajectory, the London-born, Sydney-based songwriter found himself on the ARIA podium as he took out the 2018 Breakthrough Artist gong for his soul-soaked banger ‘Dazed and Confused’, which landed in in triple j’s Hottest 100 alongside ‘Younger’.

Both tunes, taken from his ubiquitous debut EP Ready, were released amongst a tidal wave of hype which began to swell almost immediately around this young singer-songwriter as his extraordinary soul-tinged voice began to filter out.

His Like a Version rendition of Jack Garratt’s ‘Weathered’ showcased undeniable singing chops and forced folks in the know like Sir Elton John and Khalid to tip their hats, and world-class producers like M-Phazes to pick up their phones.

With these five-star endorsements, it was inevitable that fanbases would start mobilising worldwide and, with the help of ARIA Gold certified single Younger and most recent heartbreaker Not Thinkin’ Bout You (check out the remix featuring Grammy nominated rapper GoldLink), shows have been selling out all over the globe.

In fact, Ruel’s first ever show in New York City late last year also became his first ever sold out NYC appearance, such is the demand for his addictive blend of glitchy electro-soul beds and vocals reminiscent of James Blake, Frank Ocean or even Khalid himself.

Ruel will hit iconic venues like the Forum in Melbourne and Opera House in Sydney in peak form after completing a run of his first headline shows through Asia in March.

Ruel’s Painkiller Tour
5 MAY – TIVOLI, BRISBANE
9 MAY – UNI BAR HOBART
10 MAY – THE FORUM, MELBOURNE
16 MAY – SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY
www.oneruel.com

The four-time Helpmann nominated production, which received its premiere at La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre for Brisbane Festival 2015, is adrenaline-pumping, full contact theatre, inspired by Fidel’s remarkable own story story and those of people he has known.

It tells the story of Isa, a young Congolese boxer blazing an impressive career between the ropes. Gearing up for the national title fight, Isa soon discovers it’s not just his opponents he has to outdo, but the demons from his torturous past as a boy soldier.

“The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has reported a death toll of 5.4 million Congolese since 1996 – that’s almost a quarter of Australia’s current population,” 30-year-old Fidel said.

“Prize Fighter is a mythical story inspired by my personal experiences of these wars, and resonates around trauma from family loss and motivations of the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

La Boite Artistic Director and Prize Fighter director Todd MacDonald said the story was not about statistics, but about the unspoken realities of the Congo.

“Part of this work reflects Future’s story; his history. Part is a fiction, but the stories are real and everything in this work derived from real situations that Future experienced directly or indirectly,” MacDonald said.

“Future’s incredible debut play captured our imagination and his energy and positivity infected us immediately.

“La Boite is committed to creating new Australian plays by new Australian voices. We worked with Future to bring this incredible story to stage – and we couldn’t be more proud to now take it to new audiences across the country. And what a story Prize Fighter tells – it will inevitably enrich people’s lives in a very profound and lasting way.”

The touring production reunites brothers Pacharo Mzembe and Gideon Mzembe, alongside original company member and Queensland theatre luminary Margi Brown Ash. Marcus Johnson, Ratidzo Mambo and Mandela Mathia complete the cast.

The 9-stop tour kicks off at Darwin Festival 20 – 26 August and takes in Townsville, Newcastle, Queanbeyan, Geelong, Northcote, Narre Warren Frankston and Merrigong, plus a return to South-East Queensland for a strictly limited run at Logan Entertainment Centre 13 – 14 September.

“Defeating your opponent requires strategy, but defeating your memories requires more than just that. Regardless of who or what your opponent is, everyone is a Prize Fighter.” – Future D. Fidel, Playwright

For tickets and information, visit laboite.com.au

Dunham released his latest standup special, Jeff Dunham: Relative Disaster, on Netflix this year.  The special features Dunham along with his ill-behaved and slightly demented posse of characters for a gleeful skewering of family and politics. Dunham and his famous cohorts Walter, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, Bubba J, and Peanut also consider what a new member to their already dysfunctional family could mean, putting the ‘relative’ in Relative Disaster.

Dunham, a Guinness World Record holder for “Most Tickets Sold for a Stand-up Comedy Tour,” has built an entertainment empire over years of non-stop touring and innovation.  With over a million YouTube subscribers amassing over a billion views, he has carved out his own unique space in the comedy world leading to record-breaking viewership with his comedy specials on Comedy Central and other networks.

Dunham’s contribution to the world of show business and comedy has recently been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, commemorating over two decades of superstardom.

“When I moved to Los Angeles in 1988 with a car full of clothes and a couple of dummies, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I would be tripping over my own star on the Walk of Fame.  It’s truly fantastic and a great honour; I just hope it’s not in front of an adult store.  Okay, actually, that would be hilarious.” – DUNHAM

Don’t miss your chance to see Jeff Dunham LIVE!

Jeff Dunham: Passively Aggressive
Melbourne – Monday, 24 September 2018, Hisense Arena
Brisbane – Tuesday, 25 September 2018, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Perth – Thursday, 27 September 2018, Perth Arena
Sydney – Saturday, 29 September 2018, ICC Sydney Theatre
www.jeffdunham.com

The Cat Empire have announced a National Tour for Sept 2018 through some of their favourite Australian venues. They will be taking some new songs out on the road, as well as The Empire Horns and the fabulous Odette.

Loved around the globe for their melody driven mood lifting music, The Cat Empire are one of Australia’s most celebrated musical outfits both at home and abroad, selling more tickets annually than any other Australian band. This is testament to the quality of their musicianship, showmanship and unstoppable energy and generosity as performers.

“Not only do The Cat Empire keep on getting better, but their phenomenal live performances show a band very clearly in their element” – Tone Deaf Feb 2018

The Cat Empire 2018 National Tour
6 September 2018 – Odeon Theatre, Hobart
8 September 2018 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
14 – 15 September 2018 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
16 September 2018 – UC Refectory, Canberra
20-22 September 2018 – The Triffid, Brisbane
23rd September 2018 – Gold Coast
www.thecatempire.com

With their debut LP Golden Magnetic hitting stores on February 23rd, they are excited to announce a national tour. With some of Australia’s best choirs joining them along the way, including the sixteen-piece WAAPA Choir for their Perth Festival show and Adelaide’s famous Gospo Choir for their set at WOMADelaide.

“Mama Kin Spender produce a set that epitomises what this festival is — Kin drumming upright with a voice that builds and projects, Spender on guitar, a twenty (or so)-piece choir, they breath soul and vitality into the place.”
Rolling Stone Magazine

Mama Kin Spender is a lightning bolt moment between two long-time friends, co-writers and mischief-makers: ARIA-nominated Mama Kin and producer Tommy Spender. It’s a stripped back duo of brooding guitars, primal drums and howling harmonies, illuminated by a chorus of singers arranged by Virginia Bott (Brighter Later, First Chorus Band of Singers).

Mama Kin Spender’s songs rattle, roll and tremble, from block-party to heart-rending ballad. With a sound that is as raw as it is joyful, Mama Kin Spender brings the collective, collaborative and chaotic, inviting you to traverse the golden magnetic.

Mama Kin Spender Golden Magnetic National Tour
February 28 – Perth Festival, Perth
March 2-4 – Nannup Festival, Nannup
March 9-12 – WOMADelaide, Adelaide
March 18 – Leura Park Estate with John Butler Trio, Curlewis
March 20 – Albury Entertainment Centre with John Butler Trio, Albury
March 21 – Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts with John Butler Trio, Ballarat
March 22 – Ulumbarra Theatre with John Butler Trio, Bendigo
March 24 – Summersalt with John Butler Trio, Wollongong
March 25 – Summersalt with John Butler Trio, Port Macquarie
April 21-22 – Fairbridge Festival, Fairbridge
April 29 – The Basement, Sydney
May 3 – Howler, Melbourne
May 9 – The Foundry, Brisbane
www.mamakinspender.love

Disco fever will hit a day on the green with five shows nationally, plus in conjunction with Frontier Touring, indoor shows in Melbourne and Sydney.

All artists will perform with full bands, including an impressive 15-piece outfit with KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND.

The Australian tour sees the welcome return of original lead singer and ‘cop’, Victor Willis – the first time he’s performed with the VILLAGE PEOPLE in more than 25 years. “The biggest initial break in my career was in Australia in 1976 when I starred as the Tin Man in the Australian version of ‘The Wiz’,” said Victor. “So really, it all started for me there. Therefore, it’s fitting that I kick off my return as the lead singer in Australia because the people there loved me first.”

Joining the celebration at a day on the green will be Australia’s own disco royalty – MARCIA HINES.

Picture this: The king of boogie and the queens of disco sharing the same stage with a cowboy, a construction worker, a Native American, a policeman, a biker and a soldier at an event jam-packed with guaranteed party-starters. Can you dig it! We’re talking:

That’s The Way (I Like It), Give It Up, Boogie Shoes, Get Down Tonight, Shake Your Booty, Can’t Stop The Music, Y.M.C.A, In The Navy, Macho Man, We Are Family, He’s The Greatest Dancer – and that’s just for starters!

Get up and shake your booty with the kings of disco, KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND. Formed in Miami, Florida in 1973 by Harry Wayne Casey (KC), the band ruled the charts in the mid-’70s with four number one hits in a row – Get Down Tonight, That’s The Way (I Like it), (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty and I’m Your Boogie Man. The string of hits kept coming with Keep It Comin’ Love, Boogie Shoes, and 1980 saw them top the Australian and US charts with Please Don’t Go. In 1983, the band made a welcome return to dancefloors around the world with the chart-topping Give It Up.

With irresistible elements of funk, disco and R&B, KC’s music has resonated with fans for four decades. The Grammy Award-winners have sold more than 100 million records and were honoured with a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2015 KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND released Feeling You! The ’60s, KC’s tribute to the era that shaped him. Celebrating more than 40 years of making booties shake, they’ve been a frequent visitor to our shores over the decades and were last here in 2014.

Also celebrating 40 years in show business, VILLAGE PEOPLE have sold more than 100 million records and ingrained themselves into pop culture history with some of the biggest hits and most memorable characters of all time. Created by French music producer and composer Jacques Morali in 1977, the VILLAGE PEOPLE quickly became one of the most successful acts of the disco era with their flamboyant albums and catchy songs, including the Top 10 smash hits on the Australian charts – Can’t Stop The Music, Y.M.C.A, In The Navy and Macho Man. The guys are also great mates with KC – he wrote and produced their 2013 single Let’s Go Back To The Dance Floor.

The VILLAGE PEOPLE have always shared a special bond with their Australian fans. The Can’t Stop The Music movie – starring the VILLAGE PEOPLE, Valerie Perrine, Bruce Jenner and Steve Guttenberg – found its biggest audience in Australia, and is now shown every New Year’s Eve on Channel Nine. In 2004, the band performed at the NRL Grand Final and even made a film here in 1998 called Village People Go North Down Under, sharing music and culture with Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.

In 1979 SISTER SLEDGE teamed with Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards and released their iconic album We Are Family. The album’s first single, He’s The Greatest Dancer, shook up dancefloors around the world, while the follow-up title track skyrocketed the group into disco royalty. Other hits include Lost In Music, Thinking Of You and 1985 saw them back at the top of the charts with Frankie. As one of the original “girl groups”, Grammy Award-nominees SISTER SLEDGE have collected a string of Gold and Platinum records and sold more than 15 million records worldwide. Known for their electrifying live shows, they have performed on some of the most prestigious stages in the world. As the Chicago Tribune said, “Sister Sledge has the stuff legends are made of.”

MARCIA HINES came to Australia in 1970 from Boston to star in the stage musical Hair. She was just 16 and had no idea where Australia was – she thought she was going to Austria. But Marcia quickly became one of our most-loved stars, crowned Queen of Pop in 1976, 1977 and 1978, and having hits in three decades, with 11 Top 40 entries, including You, From The Inside, I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself and Music Is My Life. She was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the Order of Australia (AM) in 2009. Marcia shows no signs of slowing down, recently starring in the smash hit musical Velvet.

If you wanna feel the funk and get down with da boogie, this is the show for you! Feathers, sequins and cowboy hats optional. As the Village People say: You can’t stop the music!

Day on the Green December Disco Fever Tour staring KC & The Sunshine Band, Village People, Sister Sledge, Marcia Hines
Thur Dec 7 Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth, WA
Sat Dec 9 Leconfield Wines, McLaren Vale, SA
Sun Dec 10 Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley VIC
Sat Dec 16 Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley, NSW
Sun Dec 17 Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton, QLD
www.adayonthegreen.com.au

Sia headlines a stellar all-female lineup in an Australian exclusive, which will see the hit maker team up with Charli XCX, MØ and Amy Shark, three of the most exciting artists on the global music stage.

A multi-platinum artist, songwriter and international icon, Sia last toured Australia in 2011 to wide acclaim. Since then, she has shot to superstardom, becoming one of the most influential and prolific artists in the world. She has collaborated with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and David Guetta, has penned songs for Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, Camila Cabello, and more, chalking up accolades including multiple Grammy Award nominations, and building a dedicated army of fans across the world, all the while maintaining an air of enigma and mystery that only adds to her allure.

The global pop sensation dazzled audiences with her unique live show at last year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, with TIME calling the performance “one of the festival’s best.”

Maddie Ziegler, the enthralling young dancer that stars in five of Sia’s music videos, will also join the artist on her Australian dates.

SIA’s Nostalgic For The Present Tour
November 30 2017 – AAMI Park, Melbourne
December 022017 – Allianz Stadium, Sydney
www.siamusic.net