Inside what Russell Crowe thinks of the Gold Coast ahead of his Miami Marketta gig with his band

The Gladiator actor is bound for the Gold Coast ahead of a jam-packed year playing more than 50 music shows, filming four movies and releasing another three. Read what he said

Movie megastar Russell Crowe has opened up about his career, music and why the Gold Coast has earned the right to “show off” as a film-making Mecca ahead of a visit to the Glitter Strip.

The Gladiator actor is bound for the Gold Coast ahead of a jam-packed year playing more than 50 music shows, filming four movies and releasing another three.

Crowe will be performing with his band Gentlemen Barbers at his Indoor Garden Party event at Miami Marketta on January 19.

The event will mark the beginning of an “extremely busy” year where he will play more than 50 shows, including the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy on February 6.

A packed year ahead with the band didn’t stop the Oscar winner from signing on for four new films – including Nuremberg, a film in Europe, a film in Vancouver, an independent Australian film and one he was waiting to find out the location of.

On top of his filming schedule Crowe has three films coming out in the next 12 months including the Land of Bad, Sleeping Dogs and Kraven the Hunter.

Pictured is Russell Crowe filming his movie Poker Face at a house on McHatton Street in Waverton. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“I turn 60 this year and to me it’s crazy that I’m working more now than I was 20 years ago,” he said.

“The fact that people are still willing to line up for me to work with them. I have to respect that and I have to show gratitude to the film gods for being in that position.”

Land of Bad starring Liam Hemsworth was set to premiere on February 16.

“The Land of Bad was a great experience,” Crowe said.

“I lived on a house in the Gold Coast hinterland and had the most incredible view of the strip and the ocean.”

Crowe said the film’s production was a testament to how well Queensland had progressed in the industry.

He added that the Gold Coast had built a “solid” reputation with movie makers since he shot one of his first films called Blood Oath – starring Bryan Brown – at Warner Brother Studios in 1989.

Hollywood royalty Russell Crowe jetted into the Gold Coast to announce the Glitter Strip as host of Australia’s answer to the Oscars for the next three years. Picture Scott Powick

“Film crews in Queensland are so on it these days,” he said.

“You have a very enthusiastic and smart state government that know what it means to have those productions on the ground because the money that those people are paying to make the film, goes straight back into the community.”

In December, Crowe, as president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television announced they were moving the annual awards show to the Gold Coast – coining the city as ‘Goldywood’.

“We had a really good look at everything that was on offer to us, in Victoria and NSW and the conversations with Queensland were so positive that we ended up moving the awards to the Gold Coast for the next three years,” he said.

“That’s a huge indicator for the amount of respect that the film industry has within Queensland.

“The Gold Coast has earnt it. They’ve earnt the right to show off.

“Bottom line, it’s a great place to make a film.”

Crowe said music was what had kept him grounded throughout his years in the entertainment industry.

Russell Crowe set to make his way back to Miami Marketta for his Indoor Garden Party event. Russell Crowe performing at the Hoey Moey in Coffs Harbour. Photo: Supplied,

Since his first record release in 1982, he said he gained a habit of writing down his thoughts and feelings in the form of a song.

“It’s something that I naturally do. It’s how I grew up,” Crowe said.

He said working in nightclubs and pubs when he was younger led him to musical theatre.

“The last big musical theatre tour I did in New Zealand was for an Australian production company and they implied if I happened to be in Australia at the time of year they did another show that I might get the gig,” Crowe said.

“I followed that implication and that’s what happened.”

Russell Crowe in the movie Gladiator.

In 1988, when performing a Willy Russell musical called Blood Brothers a director called George Ogilvie asked Crowe to audition for a film called The Crossing which he ended up starring in, in 1989.

“I ended up doing two films that year and that’s the beginning of how I moved into film,” he said.

“No matter which area of life or what films I’ve been in, music has always tracked along with me. It’s good for the soul.”

Crowe said the band was excited to come back to Miami Marketta after a successful show in 2023.

He said the “fantastic” Lorraine O’Reilly and Myth of Her were opening the night “where I gather people I admire, musicians and storytellers”.

Russell Crowe set to make his way back to Miami Marketta for his Indoor Garden Party event. Russell Crowe performing at the Canberra Theatre. Photo: Supplied,

Gentlemen Barbers are made up of Dave Kelly, Stewart Kirwan – who were members of Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts and played with Chris Kamzelas and Stu Hunter in The Ordinary Fear of God. Crowe featured in both bands.

“Some of the relationships in this band go back 30 years,” he said.

Crowe said the Indoor Garden party will cover a “whole bunch of different genres including RnB, gospel, dirty country songs and powerful inspiring sing alongs”.

Fans will be able to listen to some of Crowe’s older songs as well as Gentlemen Barbers’ new single Let Your Light Shine and songs from their album which will be released this year.

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