AFL Grand Final 2020: Powderfinger won’t perform at Gabba — but who will?
Hit Aussie rock band Powderfinger have ruled out reforming to play at The AFL Grand Final in Brisbane. But this is who they think should get the gig.
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Beloved rockers Powderfinger have officially ruled out reuniting to headline the entertainment at the historic AFL Grand Final in their hometown of Brisbane.
The band, who joined forces for their first gig in a decade in May for the One Night Lonely live stream event, had been widely tipped as the dream headliner for the match.
And with a statement online which dashed the hopes of fans and organisers, the band confirmed promoter Michael Gudinski and the AFL executive had made a “generous” offer to get them to the Gabba.
“We were extremely flattered to have been asked to perform at the Gabba AFL GF,” they said via a statement posted on their socials.
“A very generous and enticing proposal made by Mr Gudinski and the AFL board (thanks ladies & gents) but it is not to be this time folks.
“We’d rather make way for active Queensland artists.”
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The sports mad quintet joked they may still get to the final but they’ll be in the stands.
“Might see some of you at the Gabba Oct 24 but we will just have a beer and a pie in hand not guitars. Love Yez, PF.”
Fanning told News Corp when they reunited for One Night Lonely, which was filmed with each member performing at their own home, studio or venue, that ”bands are a strange beast and sometimes it will take a while to wind into having the right feel for things.”
Getting the band back together for the grand final – a tough gig at the best of times – would be almost logistically impossible.
The band would require several weeks of rehearsal for their first official live and on the same stage gig since all their Sunsets farewell tour.
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To get back into the same rehearsal space would need border exemptions as frontman Bernard Fanning lives in Byron Bay.
Rather than a one-off gig, it is widely rumoured the band are plotting a reunion tour in 2021 or 2022.
They confirmed this week on Double J they will release an album of new songs later this year, unearthed from their vaults when they were searching for bonus material for the 20th anniversary reissue of the Odyssey No. 5 record which came out on Friday.
A new song Day By Day is reportedly dropping within the next two week.
Meanwhile, the band decided to start their own poll of which Queensland act should get the AFLGF gig, kicking off with the suggestions Amy Shark, Ball Park Music, Busby Marou, Cub Sport, DUNE RATS, DZ Deathrays, Nat Dunn, The Chats, Thelma Plum, Violent Soho and WAAX.
Vote below and have your say on Powderfinger’s picks:
Originally published as AFL Grand Final 2020: Powderfinger won’t perform at Gabba — but who will?