When superstars surprised Melbourne fans with secret concerts
From Mick Jagger turning up at a Richmond pub to Robbie Williams packing out Federation Square, Melbourne has a long history of global stars putting on surprise concerts.
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Robbie Williams joined an impressive list of megastars who took to the streets — or the pubs — of Melbourne to put on surprise concerts for lucky fans who will forever be able to say “I was there when ...”
Despite only giving his devoted Melbourne fanbase a day’s notice, some 12,000 people packed Federation Square on Thursday for the free concert, with the diehards lining up from about 10am to get a spot close to the stage.
But Melbourne has a long history of impromptu gigs, with many only announcing their secret concerts hours before or — in some cases — not at all.
Here’s a list of some of the performers who — literally — took Melbourne by surprise.
Mick Jagger and David Gilmour: The Corner Hotel, 1988
A secret gig for a few hundred at the Corner Hotel in Richmond quickly became a thriving concert for a few thousand after word got out that Mick Jagger — the lead singer of the Rolling Stones — was playing at the Swan St venue.
According to local folklore, what was meant to be a super secret show blew out of control after a radio presenter (accidentally) leaked Jagger was hopping on the stage at the Richmond pub.
Every man and his dog swears they were either at the Corner Hotel that night in October 1988 or had been at the pub all day only to leave minutes before Jagger came on.
Mick’s group on the night was promoted as “The Brothers of Sodom from Tasmania” — which also featured US rock guitarist Joe Satriani — played for about 2000 people, with people cramming the entrance to get a glimpse of the Stones legend.
The group played nine Rolling Stones songs, including Brown Sugar, Honky Tonk Women and It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Jagger told Molly Meldrum years later in an interview he “loved” the event.
“That was really good, I enjoyed that,” he said.
Earlier that year Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour also played several secret gigs at the venue after larger concerts elsewhere.
Gilmour and several others of the Pink Floyd touring group — except Nick Mason and Richard Wright — were promoted as “The Fishermen’s” at the Richmond pub across several nights.
Stevie Wonder’s Superstition and Bob Marley’s I Shot The Sheriff were among the covers the band played.
Prince: Bennetts Lane, 2003 and 2012
The artist formerly known as Prince loved this intimate Melbourne jazz bar so much he went back for more.
The night before a concert at Rod Laver Arena in 2003, Prince played a secret show at the Bennetts Lane Jazz Club off Little Lonsdale St as a warm up for the main act.
Kate Ceberano and Katie Noonan were among those in attendance, with Noonan revealing it was where the two Aussie music icons “fortuitously” met for the first time.
Nine years later he returned to the Bennetts Lane bar — this time after a concert — and played for three hours from about 2am for less than 100 people.
It’s believed tickets at the door went for about $200 once word got out the US pop megastar had returned to the bar.
The Killers: Howler and MCG, 2017
As a sold out footy crowd left the MCG about 6pm on Grand Final day 2017, in came the thousands of musos who were not going to let a unique opportunity slip.
Hours after putting on one of the greatest pre-AFL Grand Final shows in recent memory, The Killers (feat. Jack Riewoldt) backed it up with a free show on the hallowed MCG turf.
But this was not the only surprise show The Killers put on for their lucky Melbourne fans that week.
A night earlier the band played a secret concert at the Howler bar on Dawson St, Brunswick for some 400 lucky fans who won a Triple M radio competition to see The Killers at an undisclosed location.
The band played about 10 songs at the Brunswick venue, including Somebody Told Me and Mr Brightside — giving those 400 lucky fans a concert they will never forget.
Ed Sheeran: Hosier Lane, 2018
In between sold out shows at Marvel Stadium in early 2018, Ed Sheeran fans were given a few hours notice to get to Melbourne’s famous Hosier Lane by 10am for a surprise gig.
In the middle of the iconic Hosier Lane lined with street art, Sheeran did a live TV cross to the US before he played hit song Perfect from his Divide album in front of 1000 fans who got down within a few hours of getting the email.
Fans were given a few “boring but serious rules” ahead of the event that included no bags, smoking or filming — with this last one obviously overlooked as people could not believe their luck they were within touching distance of the global star.
Albeit this was only a brief one-song performance, with Sheeran telling the crowd he had to head off after one song to “save my voice” for the concert that night.
Five years later Sheeran played in front of more than 215,000 people across two shows at the MCG, setting a record for the highest concert crowd at the venue.
Jet: AC/DC Lane, 2018
Visitors to Melbourne would not have known what hit them when — the day after Ed Sheeran’s Hosier Lane appearance — Aussie rockband Jet announced it too would perform in a famous city laneway.
It did not take long for word to spread and AC/DC Lane became packed with diehard fans and workers on their lunch break — all crammed in to watch Jet put on a free show.
The impromptu gig, which featured hit song Are You Gonna Be My Girl, acted as a launch for the band’s national tour that year.
Daryl Braithwaite and Missy Higgins: Degraves St, 2020
Aussie icons Daryl Braithwaite and Missy Higgins headlined a series of pop-up concerts in the CBD as Melbourne’s strict Covid lockdown laws temporarily eased in late 2020.
Braithwaite surprised diners along Melbourne’s Degraves St with a surprise performance in December 2020, kicking off the local busking tour that month which also featured Missy Higgins and Mark Seymour.
The initiative was supported by City of Melbourne, the state government and entertainment agency Mushroom Group to get people into the city after the pandemic.
Tones and I: Bourke St Mall, 2020
Melbourne’s Tones and I gave fans a 30 minute heads up that she would be returning to her busking roots in late 2020.
A combination of fans and families observing the Myer Windows along Bourke St Mall got the chance to get up close to the local star — who went viral with her hit “Dance Monkey” about a year earlier.
Teens with masks hanging off their faces crowded around the chart topper at the end of the performance to take a selfie to commemorate her Bourke St homecoming.
“It was so good to get back to my roots and busk where it all started for me,” the performer said afterwards.
“Busking is as real as it gets and I’m so happy I got to do it again for everyone who has supported me.”
She then returned for a second surprise busking show the following year.
Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments below.
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