Music
News: Kelly Clarkson announces Australian tour dates!
KELLY CLARKSON, the world’s first ‘American Idol,’ now a certified pop sensation, is bringing her All I Ever Wanted TOUR to Australia. Clarkson latest studio album, All I Ever Wanted has been dominating Australian airwaves since it’s March 2009 release, and in April 2010 she will be hitting Australian shores with her infectious, high-energy live show.
The tour will begin in Auckland on Sunday 11 April at Vector Arena; it then makes the jump to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 13 April before heading to the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Thursday 15 April. The following weekend, she’ll pick up at Acer Arena in Sydney, on Saturday 17 April, and then rock out in Melbourne at the Rod Laver Arena on Monday 19 April. Her last stop on the tour and in Australia will be Thursday 22 April at Challenge Stadium in Perth.
Currently opening for Kelly Clarkson in the USA, her compatriot Eric Hutchinson will also join the Australian and New Zealand legs of the “All I Ever Wanted” World tour. Eric Hutchinson, probably best known for his catchy song “Rock and Roll”, featured on the hit TV show Packed To The Rafters, won over countless fans when he toured Australia in April this year with Jason Mraz.
All I Ever Wanted is Clarkson’s fourth album, about which, compared to her previous releases, she says is, “definitely more in your face and kind of a dance-rock-soulful kind of thing, which is different for me.” The tour’s title taken from the hit album is a great personal fit for Clarkson. She admits, “All I ever wanted is just to do music; I love playing, singing live, recording and writing and this song just encompasses that.”
Fans can look forward to hearing all of her hits, from Since You’ve Been Gone, Because of You and My Life Would Suck Without You, to a few surprises such as covers from the likes of Kings of Leon and Patsy Cline to the White Stripes. She adds, “I cannot wait to get on the road and tour… When I’m putting an album together, I’m thinking about what am I going to want to perform on tour because I love touring. I’m always thinking, what songs will be fun to sing? It’s going to be a fun record to tour.”
Kelly Clarkson became the first winner of American Idol in 2002 and since then her records have been widely successful and she has truly broken away from the Idol mould. Her second album Breakaway spent 52 weeks in the top 10, and was certified 6 x Platinum. It was Breakaway that earned Clarkson her two Grammy Awards; one for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” and “Best Pop Vocal Album.”
Clarkson has sold more than twenty million records worldwide, with over 950,000 of those in Australia alone. These sales make her the highest-selling Idol winner in history. Eight of her singles have made it to the Top Ten and she has won two Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, two MTV Awards and 11 Billboard Awards; and even been nominated for a CMA Award.
Tickets go on sale Thursday 12 November. Don’t miss your chance to see US pop sensation Kelly Clarkson live in April 2010. Your life would suck without this show!
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It's a pretty horrible one actually. On the Australian Made Tour in, it was about 87' - 88'. There was us, there was Barnsey (Jimmy Barnes), The Models, The Divinyls. You know it was a really fun tour actually, and we were sharing a brass section with The Models and the guy... One of the brass players he was fairly frail, he was quite young and he had a pacemaker and he actually collapsed and died during our set which was rather disturbing. It would be the most memorable but, only because it was so unpleasant. I would have to say that one sticks out for me.
What's your ideal festival line-up? Gee, that's a hard one. It's pretty good these day's they have guys like Neil Young coming out, and it's good. It shouldn't be a real generational thing. There are still a lot of good musicians that have inspired a lot of the younger bands and I think that it's nice that they put these guys on the bill. It's an economic thing, obviously a lot of people want to see them but, I think it's also good for the younger people to see where a lot of this kinda stuff came from in the first place. I think the bills are pretty good actually.
Also, with the older bands and artists playing at shows it's a big thing for the younger ones because they have been inspired by that performer and seeing them play and being able to play along aside them is a big kick. Yeah, I think it's great and as long as they can still cut the mustard, I've heard that on some occasions they have been a bit disappointing but, they really have got there acts together these guys if they are still doing it. It's pretty obvious when they aren't. I sort of jokingly say "I'm getting the hang of it now", because I sort of am really, It's taken awhile but, you kinda have to be a bit more professional as you get older about doing it because, you need to be. It's amusing to see the 20yr old guys staggering around drunk on stage, that's kinda entertaining. But, when you get older it's not such a good look. You need to start thinking about being a bit more professional and getting your act together a bit.
The fall of the aging rock star. Haha Yeah, that's your job. If you want to keep doing it you need to stay reasonably healthy. I swim, I try and swim some laps everyday. That's how I occupy myself on tour. I've got to find out where the pool is otherwise I get a bit twitchy if I don't get to do my laps every day. You start to realize if you don't have your health you don't have anything. It's true of anybody but, particularly for entertainers if you let yourself go, your in trouble.
What's your most favourite artist you have seen at a festival? I would have to say Roy Orbison. I saw him only a couple of year's before he died. I couldn't believe it. He had already had the open heart surgery and, he had a shocking life the poor guy. He's always been a hero of mine. I actually got to see him, which was a big thrill.
What are your tips for attending a festival? I don't know. My kids are going to them kind of regularly and they seem to have a good time. I think the main thing is you need to get in early if you want to get ticket's to these things, because they seem to sell out really fast. They are really popular and just enjoy them.
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