Live at the Bowl has officially kicked off the new year with a season of open-air performances at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Due to its early success and a strong appetite from audiences, Live at the Bowl will now be extended through to the end of April.
So far, over 39,000 tickets have been sold to events across the season which includes an all-Australian program of music, comedy, family-friendly events and more.
“Live at the Bowl was just an idea back in September and to see it come to life with the Victorian Government’s support in such a rapid period of time is nothing short of remarkable,” said Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Claire Spencer AM.
“There have been so many people involved in getting this season up and running and each has contributed to making our first live performances since closure in March last year a reality.”
“It is providing opportunities for artists and presenters to do what they do best and giving Victorians the opportunity to reconnect with the live entertainment they’ve missed, in what I hope will signal the path forward in our sector’s recovery,” said Ms Spencer.
With further announcements to come, the Live at the Bowl second line-up announcement includes Aussie music legends, indie favourites, pub rockers, dance/electro, afro-beats and some comedy greats. In alphabetical order:
30/70 – Archie Roach – Cash Savage and The Last Drinks – Cal Wilson – Close Counters – Dave Thornton – Dilruk Jayasina – Em Rusciano – King Stingray – MaRLo – Private Function – Ruby Fields – Skegss – Sui Zhen – Synthony – The Meanies – The Murlocs – The Vovos – Tom Ballard – Tommy Little – Yusupha Ngum & the AFFIA Band
As part of Live at the Bowl’s partnership with Melbourne Music Week–Extended, each Monday night in February iconic Melbourne music venues will program Happy Mondays. The month-long series celebrates what Melbourne does best: live music.
Featuring the best local artists as selected by loved venues such as The Old Bar, The Tote, Bar Oussou and The Evelyn, audiences will see Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, The Meanies, Sui Zhen and more instantly recognisable local legends take the stage.
Legendary singer-songwriter and ‘voice of the Stolen Generations’, Archie Roach AM, performs his final and only Melbourne show Tell Me Why on Friday 19 February at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. This not-to-be-missed live concert celebrates his eponymous memoir and ARIA Award-winning album Tell Me Why.
Roach will be joined on stage by his five-piece band, including award-winning jazz composer and improviser Paul Grabowsky and special guest Sally Dasty.
Audiences will hear seminal songs from his back catalogue alongside influential music from his youth and new autobiographical songs written since completing his memoir.
Also part of the Melbourne Music Week–Extended program, The Push and Arts Centre Melbourne have brought together an underage committee of next-generation music industry professionals – the New Slang team – to curate an incredible all-ages event as part of Live at the Bowl to take place on Saturday 20 February.
This all-ages afternoon will be drug, alcohol and smoke free: featuring Skegss who recently released their killer new single, Wake Up, indie rock outfit Ruby Fields, the “surf-rock dream team” King Stingray and Girls Rock! Melbourne alumni The Vovos. This will be the biggest all-ages concert of the summer.
As seen on The Project and heard on Hit Network’s Carrie & Tommy, Tommy Little will be putting on a Big Comedy Showcase at the Bowl with some of his funniest mates on Friday 12 March.
Although Tommy is one of the busiest comedians in the country with gigs on national radio, TV and on stages across Australia, it’s a safe bet that he’s had a bit of downtime during 2020.
He’s spent that time dreaming up the perfect line-up of some of his favourite comedians to showcase especially for Melbourne including Dave Thornton, Dilruk Jayasina, Cal Wilson, Tom Ballard and more.
Em Rusciano is one of Australia’s most well-rounded and talented performers. She has done everything – breakfast radio, sold out the Sydney Opera House, released chart-topping songs, books and audiobooks, and appeared on TV regularly.
This performance will be intimate and stripped back, allowing Em to reconnect with her beloved community in Melbourne after such a long time apart. She’s bringing her band, her Dad and a year’s worth of pent up frustration to Live at the Bowl ready to burst forth in a delightfully unhinged way on Thursday 18 March.
The sell-out success Synthony comes to Melbourne for the first time ever in a one-night-only epic outdoor show on Friday 16 April. Synthony is a unique collaboration between orchestra, DJs, live vocalists and feature musicians in a celebration of the last 30 years of dance music.
Hear some of the biggest dance anthems from icons such as Avicii, Eric Prydz and Fatboy Slim backed by the full might of the Synthony Orchestra.
There will also be special guests from across the Australian music spectrum including Miss Connie (Sneaky Sound System), Ilan Kidron (The Potbelleez), Jenny B (Corona), Mobin Master, Andy Van (Madison Avenue/Vicious Records) and Mark Dynamix playing their global hits.
With an immersive backdrop of visuals, lasers, and a state-of-the-art sound system, it’s a magical, uplifting, hands-in-the-air dance party like no other.
MaRLo is also returning to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Friday 26 March and will perform a three-hour set with new tunes composed over the past year. As previously announced, the now sold out The Avalanches joined the line-up in late December and will present their first live show following the release of their latest masterpiece We Will Always Love You. Taking the audience on a cosmic journey, this Melbourne supergroup will explore the vibrational relationship between light, sound and spirit on Friday 23 April.
The highly-anticipated Spinifex Gum performance has also been rescheduled to Friday 9 April. Initially billed to open the Live at the Bowl season, this performance was forced to reschedule due to travel restrictions and potential border closures.
Part protest, part celebration, Spinifex Gum is a uniquely modern Australian song cycle which has the power to disarm, inspire and speak to us in solidarity.
This show-stopping collaboration of voice, sound and movement features Marliya Choir, an ensemble of Aboriginal and Torres Strait teenage singers, together with Emma Donovan, The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill, as well as special guest artists.
Tickets for these new shows go on sale from 12.00pm – Thursday 21 January. For more information on Live at the Bowl, visit: www.liveatthebowl.com.au for details.
Image: Spinifex Gum (supplied)