Powderfinger announce their ‘Sunset’ The Final Tour before they disband
Australia’s biggest band, Powderfinger, announced details of their most
extensive Australian tour to date at a press conference today together with
the news that they will be disbanding following the tour.
This will be Powderfinger’s first major national tour since the hugely
successful Across the Great Divide tour with Silverchair almost 3 years ago.
MC, James Mathison, welcomed the media to The Annandale Hotel in Sydney’s
inner west, where Powderfinger sat on a same stage they first played on
almost twenty years ago, and announced the details of their upcoming Sunsets
tour before Bernard Fanning read a Statement on behalf of his fellow band
members – Jon Coghill, John Collins, Ian Haug and Darren Middleton.
In that Statement, the band advised details of their most extensive tour of
Australia ever – The Sunsets tour will include shows in 21 different cities
across every state and territory and be stretched over a seven week period
from early September through to late October.
The band’s final announcement today was that they would be disbanding
following the completion of the Sunsets tour. In the prepared statement,
the band advised that ‘the ‘Sunsets’ tour will be Powderfinger’s last ever
run of shows. We have decided, after much deliberation and agonising, that
after this final tour we will call it a day as a recording and touring band.
With the completion of our last album, Golden Rule, we feel that we have
said all that we want to say as a musical group. We firmly believe that it
is our most complete and satisfying album and can’t think of a better way to
farewell our fans than with music that we all believe in and also with,
hopefully, our best tour to date’ (See over for the full Statement)
Joining Powderfinger for all but the first three shows on Sunsets will be
old friends, JET.
With millions of albums sold worldwide and four Top 10 Modern Rock hits, JET
recently returned to form with Shaka Rock, an album that parallels their
smash, Get Born, which produced hits like Are You Gonna Be My Girl and Cold
Hard Bitch. The new album closes the gap between the raw roots of Get Born
and the grace and melody of Shine On (recorded just after the passing of Nic
and Chris Cester’s father), which together went on to make JET an
international band of style and substance. Shaka Rock captures the charisma
and energy of classic rock and roll with just enough punk swagger and
contemporary flair to create something uniquely JET. The first single from
Shaka Rock, She’s a Genius, has recently reached Gold sales as has the album
itself. This will also be the first time JET have had the opportunity of
performing in many regional areas throughout Australia.
Taking on the support slot on the first three shows (Newcastle, Gold Coast
and Brisbane) will be THE VINES in a rare live performance. THE VINES have
had an intriguing and brilliant career since they first appeared from
nowhere to grace the cover of the UK’s prestigious New Music Express back in
2002. A combination of brutal power and melodic genius, the band are truly
one of the countries greats. In 2010, THE VINES continue with a new album
release planned and a series of exclusive performances including these dates
with Powderfinger.
The band also announced today that they would be partnering with an
organisation called Yalari on the tour. Yalari sponsors Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children from regional, rural and remote areas to
attend boarding schools all around the country so they can receive the a
first class education through full boarding scholarships at the highest
achieving secondary schools. Yalari is an organisation that looks to the
improvement of the standard of living of Aboriginal people all around
Australia by lifting education standards and creating inspirational
incentives to children that would not ordinarily be afforded these types of
opportunities.
‘I’m really excited and humbled by the support Powderfinger, such a great
Australian band, is giving Yalari. The credibility of Powderfinger, and
their awareness of Indigenous issues in this country, goes a long way with
their fans so I’m really looking forward to sharing more about Yalari with a
whole new bunch of people. Through this partnership I feel we are all
further along the road towards a better future for Indigenous people in
Australia. And I know the children on Yalari scholarships are going to have
a great time at the concerts and meeting the band backstage’ said Waverley
Stanley, Founding Director, Yalari Limited.
Powderfinger’s extensive career spans nearly two decades with sales in
excess of 2.5 million albums in Australia alone. Winner of 16 ARIA Awards,
the band holds an unprecedented three successive ARIA Awards for Album of
the Year. Powderfinger has achieved 6 No. 1 ARIA Album Chart debuts and
recently scored 2 entries in the Triple J Hottest 100 of all time (2009) ‘
These Days (#21) and My Happiness (#27). Powderfinger’s 7th studio album,
Golden Rule, was released to critical acclaim in November, 2009, debuting at
No. 1 and spawning the radio and chart hits, All of the Dreamers and Burn
Your Name. The 3rd single from the album, Sail the Widest Stretch, will be
serviced to Australian radio today, Friday 9 April.
A full video version of the press conference will be online at
www.powderfinger.com later today.
Tickets for Sunsets ‘ The Farewell Tour go on sale 9.00am, Friday, 30 April,
2010.
cid:image002.jpg@01CAD743.839E97F0
Featuring JET & THE VINES
Wednesday, 1 September, 2010
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
* Note: Support will be The Vines *
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849
Friday, 3 September, 2010
Gold Coast Convention Centre, Gold Coast
* Note: Support will be The Vines *
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849
Saturday, 4 September, 2010
Riverstage, Brisbane
* Note: Support will be The Vines *
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/>
www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100
Tuesday, 7 September, 2010
Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre, Tamworth
Tickets available from Tourism Tamworth: <http://www.visittamworth.com/>
www.visittamworth.com, 02 6767 5300
or in person at Cnr. Peel and Murray Streets, Tamworth
Thursday, 9 September, 2010
Win Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849
Friday, 10 September, 2010
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849
Tuesday, 14 September, 2010
Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/>
www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100
Thursday, 16 September, 2010
Memorial Drive, Adelaide
Tickets available from <http://www.venuetix.com.au/> www.venuetix.com.au or
(08) 8225 8888
Saturday, 18 September, 2010
Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/>
www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100
Friday, 24 September, 2010
Supreme Court Gardens, Perth
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849,
<http://www.heatseeker.com.au/> www.heatseeker.com.au + usual outlets
Sunday, 26 September, 2010
Gardens Amphitheatre, Darwin
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849,
<http://www.darwinentertainment.com.au> www.darwinentertainment.com.au or
08 8980 3333 or in person at D.E.C box office & outlets
Tuesday, 28 September, 2010
Convention Centre, Cairns
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketlink.com.au/>
www.ticketlink.com.au or 07 4031 9555
Friday, 1 October, 2010
Entertainment Centre, Townsville
Tickets available from the venue, <http://www.tecc.net.au/> www.tecc.net.au
or 07 4771 4000
Sunday, 3 October, 2010
Showgrounds, Mackay
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849, Mackay Entertainment &
Convention Centre: <http://www.mackaytix.com.au/> www.mackaytix.com.au or
07 4961 9777
or in person at M.E.C.C & Anarchy Clothing, Mackay (07 4957 3803)
Thursday, 7 October, 2010
Showgrounds, Rockhampton
Tickets available from <http://www.pilbeamtheatre.com.au/>
www.pilbeamtheatre.com.au or 07 4927 4111
Friday, 8 October, 2010
Caloundra Music Festival, Kings Beach
Tickets available from <http://www.caloundramusicfestival.com/>
www.caloundramusicfestival.com (Day + Full Event Tickets) or
<http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849 (Powderfinger
show day only)
Saturday, 9 October, 2010
University of Southern Qld, Toowoomba
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849 or in person at
Bon Amici Café, Toowoomba (07 4632 4533)
Tuesday, 12 October, 2010
University of Canberra
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849 or in person at
Landspeed Records (02 6248 9220)
Wednesday, 13 October, 2010
Sports Ground, Albury
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849 or in person at Leading Edge,
Albury (02 6021 4471), Megas Music, Wodonga (02 6056 1044) or
Indigo Central, Beechworth (03 5728 1002)
Friday, 15 October, 2010
Showgrounds, Bendigo
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849 or in person at New Generation, Bendigo (03 5442 6512)
Saturday, 16 October, 2010
North Gardens, Ballarat
Tickets available from <http://www.ticketek.com.au/> www.ticketek.com.au or
132 849 or in person at New Generation,
Ballarat (03 5333 2444)
<http://www.myspace.com/powderfinger> www.myspace.com/powderfinger
<http://www.powderfinger.com> www.powderfinger.com
<http://www.getmusic.com.au> www.getmusic.com.au
www.yalari.org
****************************************************************************
*****
BAND STATEMENT
Good morning everybody and thank you for coming out to see us this morning.
I am going to read a statement on behalf of the band which will include a
few announcements with regard to what we have coming up.
Firstly, we are preparing to embark on the most extensive Powderfinger tour
of Australia that we have undertaken in our career. It will include at least
shows in 21 different cities across every state and territory and be
stretched over a seven week period from early September through to late
October – from Perth to Brisbane, Darwin to Hobart.
We will be supported on all but 3 of those shows by JET and on the first
three dates will be The Vines. The opening spots are to be taken by various
other local Australian bands. The tour is titled ‘Sunsets’ and will be one
on which we play songs from each of our 7 albums, spanning our whole career.
Secondly, on this tour we will be partnered by an organisation called Yalari
which sponsors Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from regional,
rural and remote communities to attend boarding schools all around the
country, so they can receive the highest levels of education available.
There are presently 180 kids attending 34 schools and these numbers, with
the help of both private and public monies, are growing every day. It’s an
organisation that looks to the improvement of the standard of living of
Aboriginal people all around Australia by lifting education standards and
creating inspirational incentives to children that would not ordinarily be
afforded these types of opportunities. Waverley Stanley from Yalari is here
and will be happy to answer your questions with regard the organisation
following this press conference.
Our third, final and biggest announcement today is that the ‘Sunsets’ tour
will be Powderfinger’s last ever run of shows. We have decided, after much
deliberation and agonising, that after this final tour we will call it a day
as a recording and touring band.
After a career that has lasted for over 20 years, 7 studio albums, a live
album, two DVD’s, 30 odd video clips, around 1,000 shows, 16 ARIA Awards and
hundreds of thousands of kilometres travelled around the globe on local,
national and world tours, we believe that the time has come to call an end
to what we think has been an extremely privileged and rewarding run.
We have always maintained that the important factor for us as a group is
that our music remains relevant and that we continue to have fresh ideas
that inform our new songs. With the completion of our last album, Golden
Rule, we feel that we have said all that we want to say as a musical group.
We firmly believe that it is our most complete and satisfying album and
can’t think of a better way to farewell our fans than with music that we all
believe in and also with, hopefully, our best tour to date.
Following the release of our last few albums there has been speculation in
the press that we were ‘breaking up’. We have only come to this decision to
disband following our run of Festival shows this last summer and even toyed
with the idea of delaying this announcement until our tour was over.
Finally we decided that it was much better mannered, and made a lot more
sense, to give people the opportunity to come and celebrate with us as we
make our way around the country one last time.
There will be further releases made by Powderfinger in the future as there
are obligations to fulfil with the great folks over at Universal who have
essentially been our label from the beginning of our recording career.
There will be more news to follow over the coming weeks re fundraising
initiatives, support band announcements and fanclub pre-sale.
At this point we would like to say thanks to everyone that helped us
organise today. If anyone has any questions we’ll be happy to try to answer
them!
