Under the Southern Stars tour featuring Cheap Trick and Bush postponed

Here’s why punters won’t be seeing Cheap Trick, Bush or Stone Temple Pilots as the first international rock tourists in Australia since COVID next week.

The festival being touted as the first international rock tour since the COVID shutdown has been bumped to next year.

Promoter Andrew McManus had spruiked Under the Southern Stars as the festival to get international artists back to Australia.

The event, originally headlined by Live, was to feature Cheap Trick, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots and was due to start on April 30 in Wollongong and travel nationally through May.

However just days out from the event being due to occur it has been postponed yet again.

Promoter Andrew McManus pulled the pin on flights last week, with all the bands and crew due to leave America last Thursday.

American band Cheap Trick were due to headline Under the Southern Stars. Picture: Supplied

“The tour was ready to go, but with what happened with Bluesfest getting cancelled by the New South Wales Government the day before it was due to start, we just can’t take that risk,” McManus told News Corp.

“I didn’t want to get all the artists here, pay for all the quarantine, pay for all the flights and then find that one or two of the shows on the tour would be cancelled, it would kill us financially.”

McManus says the slow vaccine roll out by the Morrison Government is having a knock-on effect to concert tours and punter and promoter confidence.

“It’s hurt the music industry enormously. If Australia was at four million vaccinated as per the planned roll out by the Government we’d be in a different position. It’s difficult enough knowing the borders can shut any second. We can’t afford that to happen on any of our shows. Bluesfest dealt with one state Government, I’m dealing with five state Governments on a national tour.

“Our only problem now is reinforcing consumer confidence and that has to come from the Government. We need them to come up with a plan and tell the world what the plan is and then maintain some sort of exact blueprint on how things are going to be rolled out so punters can see that tours can go ahead.

US band Stone Temple Pilots were also on the rock line-up. Picture: Supplied

“There’s so few Australians vaccinated. They’re doing four million Americans a day, we’re doing a few thousand. All the American bands and promoters know that. That’s an issue.”

McManus had originally pitched a Hunter Valley quarantine camp for all the international bands and crew, which was then knocked back by the New South Wales Government.

He said he had accommodation secured for the Meriton Hotel in Pitt Street Sydney, where international film stars had done quarantine before starting movie work in Australia.

The promoter also pointed out the double standard between sporting events operating at full or near full capacity, while live music is still subject to strict capacity guidelines.

Delta Goodrem moved her arena tour, due to be happening now, until later this year under similar fears of a potential COVID breakout or border closures.

Outdoor touring has been happening over the summer in Australia with an all-local line-up, with festivals Summersalt and Red Hot Summer Tour playing COVID-safe shows across the country.

However McManus said sport is still given a priority.

“I should have put (Bush singer) Gavin Rossdale to strap on footy boots and play his set, we would have been fine, because we’re sport. It’s absolutely farcical.

“Music events outdoors still have to contain capacity, people have to be 1.5 metres apart. But sporting events are having 20,000, 50,000 or more people. Everyone walks in together, they get the train together, they talk together, sit next to each other, yell out together, sit on each other’s shoulders. But for an outdoor festival we have to have 4000 in a ground that would hold 12,000. That makes it very difficult to do business when we’ve already had a tough year.”

Cheap Trick were due to arrive in Australia next week. Picture: Supplied

McManus has proposed the Australian Government backing an insurance plan where tour promoters could take out policies that would protect them against COVID — related cancellations.

“If something like that was in place, and I’m lobbying the Government to come to the party about that now, I wouldn’t have to move these shows. We need insurance to cover our backs.”

US band Live were originally on the Under the Southern Sky bill but pulled out last year during COVID, replaced by Cheap Trick.

McManus says despite requests from Facebook, they will not rejoin the 2022 tour.

“They will come to Australia but they’re just not comfortable touring now with where the world is at.”

Two artists, one international and one Australian, will be added to the 2022 bill, with McManus asking punters to hold onto their tickets rather than seek a refund.

“Hang in, believe in us, hold on to your tickets, we’re an industry already on its knees. We’re asking the people who have bought tickets to stick by us, I’ll add two amazing bands on top of Cheap Trick, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Rose Tattoo and Electric Mary at no increase in ticket price.”

McManus is also bringing US rock band Kiss to Australia in November – band member Paul Stanley told News Corp he is willing to do two weeks quarantine if necessary.

Paul Stanley of American rock band Kiss is ready to quarantine in Australia. Picture: Supplied

“If Paul does it everyone will,” McManus said.

“We are hoping that by November the quarantine is either reduced from two weeks. All my bands have all already had their jabs, Kiss plus also all Cheap Trick, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots – they’re already to come and answer all the questions pertaining to getting in the country.”

McManus said Australian Border Control have moved his approvals to next year and he will release new line-up information and new dates in the next few weeks.

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