LEGENDARY UK crooner Phil Collins isn't the only rocker proving he's 'not dead yet'.
Crowds went crazy when Collins took to the stage with the aid of a walking stick (no stage dives this time for the former Genesis frontman) after back surgery for his sell-out Not Dead Yet tour across Australia earlier this year.
And the 67-year-old singer is just one of a long line-up of veteran entertainers choosing to bring their live shows to Australia this year - proving that golden oldies still have what it takes for life on the road.
From Elton John to Fleetwood Mac and more, here's a round-up of mature musos heading to our shores in the coming months.
Air Supply
They've been thrilling audiences for 40 years, and now soft rock duo Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell are returning to Australia and New Zealand, accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra. Expect all-time classics such as All Out of Love and Love and Other Bruises and other hits.
The tour kicks off on April 23 with shows in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth in April before heading to Auckland. Click HERE for tickets.
Iggy Pop
Known for his dynamic stage performance and bare torso, 71-year-old punk rock icon Iggy Pop is making a return to Oz in April with shows at Sydney Opera House and Festival Hall in Melbourne before heading north to play at Bluesfest in Byron Bay.
From his early-70s work with The Stooges, Michigan-based Jim Osterberg (as he's known to family and friends) is also famous for his vast canon of solo material, including hit Lust for Life.
Commenting on his Sydney Opera House show, he said: “What a thrill to perform beneath this bold carapace. I’ll do my best to rock the house”.
Apia Good Times All-Stars
A line-up of seven Australian acts are on tour in May with the 7th Apia Good Times All-Stars roadshow.
Australian music legends Brian Cadd and Russell Morris join sister act Vika and Linda Bull, The Black Sorrows' Joe Camilleri, ARIA award-winning singer Kate Ceberano, Oz rock icon Ross Willson and John Paul Young complete the line-up.
Each Allstar will perform their hits and favourite songs, culminating a finale with all seven taking to the stage.
The tour kicks off in Bunbury on May 16 and finishes in Canberra on June 16. For dates and tickets click HERE.
The Monkees
Hey, hey, look out for The Monkees when the last two surviving members - Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz - head to Australia in June.
Performing their hits with The Monkees spanning more than five decades, the pair will also sing Mike and Micky hit singles. "I love being on stage with Micky,” said Nesmith, of the tour. “We’ve been collaborating for over 50 years, so it’s hard to believe it’s never been just the two of us. I’m excited to dust off some tunes that I haven’t played for a long time too."
The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show starts in Brisbane on June 12, stopping at Melbourne and Perth and finishing at Sydney Opera House on June 18. Click HERE for tickets.
John Farnham and Jimmy Barnes
These two powerhouses of Aussie rock - Farnsie and Barnsie - are both taking part in the By the C concert series, belting out their classic hits in beautiful beachside locations.
Fans of 'The Voice' in WA can see Farnham at Cottesloe Beach in Perth on April 7 before he whizzes over to NSW for a show in Woollongong a week later.
Jimmy Barnes will be joined in Hervey Bay, Queensland, on May 11 by Baby Animals, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Killing Heidi, Mental As Anything and Boom Crash Opera. Barnes is releasing his new album, My Criminal Record, in May, so expect some brand new songs thrown in too.
Click HERE for tickets.
Fleetwood Mac (with Neil Finn)
No, they are not Rumours. Crowded House's Neil Finn really is in the new Fleetwood Mac line-up following the departure of guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Buckingham. They band are set to play arenas on their huge headline tour across the country in August and September.
Buckingham left the band in 2018, so 60-year-old Finn said he was happy to step in. The band is now made up of Finn, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and another newcomer, former Tom Petty collaborator Mike Campbell.
The tour kicks off in Perth on August 9, then visits Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne finishing on September 9. For tickets click HERE.
Petula Clarke
Petula Clarke has sold nearly 70 million records in a career spanning over 67 years. Now the 86-year-old first lady of British music is here with her Once More With Love tour, featuring all her classic hits.
The Grammy Award-winning singer will perform everything from I Know a Place and My Love to This is My Song, and I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love as well as tracks from her latest album Living for Today. She also released an album in French Canadian in 2018 called Vu D'Ici.
She's at Hamer Hall in Melbourne on May 7, Sydney's State Theatre on May 11 and Perth Concert Hall on May 18. Click HERE for tickets.
Metallica
It's been six years but heavy metal rockers Metallica are headed back to our shores. And while they may not have reached the pension age just yet, all four band members are believed to be in their 50s and have announced an Aussie visit, with a stadium tour in October.
In their first tour since 2013, Metallica will play in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane, with special guests Slipknot.
The Australian dates are a continuation of Metallica’s WorldWired Tour that started in 2016, where every ticket sold comes with a physical or digital copy of the band’s latest album Hardwired … to Self-Destruct.
For tickets click HERE
Elton John
After touring for more than half a century, this is the Australian leg of Sir Elton John's HUGE final ever world tour.
Hitting our shores in November the legendary singer’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will hit 15 dates across Australia and is 48 years on from his first ever Aussie show at Perth’s Subiaco Oval in 1971.
The three-year global tour is expected to be the curtain call for the 71-year-old performer in Australia, and from touring. He's in Australia from November 30 2019 to February 1, 2020.
The tour began in September 2018 and is designed to celebrate the half a century Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin have collaborated. "“I want to go out with a bang," he said.
If you're lucky enough, you've already scored your tickets. For ticket info HERE.
Geraldine Cardozo
Features Editor at The Senior.
Features Editor at The Senior.
