US hit-makers One Republic ready to rock at NRL grand final
NRL grand final entertainers have ranged from the widely panned (we’re looking at you, Billy Idol) to smash hits (Jess Mauboy, Keith Urban and Macklemore) in recent years. Read which hot US rockers the NRL has chosen to headline this year’s pre-GF concert.
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One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder has been warned that playing the NRL grand final can be a tough gig.
And American hit-maker, who says he is “enamoured by rugby league”, is well aware of the responsibility he faces after signing up as the pre-match entertainment for the final game of the 2019 season.
“We do our research; we are prepared. The stuff we do is anthemic,” Tedder told Confidential, indicating he will play hits, including Counting Stars and Something I Need, but will steer clear of global smash Apologise because it is a slower track.
“It is not the cheese side of pop so I think that has always worked in our favour. They are songs for punters and that is what I am, I am from the middle of nowhere in the US from the country, not from a big city or any place fancy, didn’t come from money so that is where I write songs from and I think that will connect.”
The two top teams of the season will face off in the 2019 NRL Grand Final at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Sunday, 6 October.
One Republic follow a long list of big-name artists to have played an NRL grand final and appreciate that sometimes the feedback has been brutal.
Billy Idol was slaughtered for his performance in 2002, whileRichie Sambora was widely criticised in 2016.
Gang of Youths, though, rocked it last year and Macklemore smashed it in 2017. Cold Chisel were legendary in 2015.
Keith Urban, The Veronicas,Jess Mauboy, the Hoodoo Gurus, Slash and Train have also performed at grand finals over recent years.
“We’ve had some big athletic moments around the world, those crazy stadium moments the energy is just so high I thrive off of that,” Tedder said. “And it is just another good excuse to get down to Australia.”
One Republic is one of the biggest bands in the world, so the NRL has scored a major coup in securing them to perform at this year’s Grand Final.
It has been three years since the group’s last studio album — Oh My My — and they have just dropped a new single: Rescue Me.
Originally published as US hit-makers One Republic ready to rock at NRL grand final
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