Crowded House reportedly pulls out of AFL Grand Final gig

According to reports, iconic band Crowded House have pulled the pin on an AFL Grand Final show that would have lit up the MCG.

Crowded House (from left) Nick Seymour, Elroy Finn, Mitchell Froom, Neil Finn and Liam Finn. Picture: Kerry Brown 2021

Crowded House have reportedly pulled out an appearance for this year’s AFL grand final.

In a slightly odd announcement, considering it didn’t appear to be well known that the iconic band was actually planning to play the grand final, they are now not, according to a report in the Herald Sun.

One of the most popular bands in Australian music history, Crowded House would have been an extraordinary addition to the list of acts to grace AFL’s biggest game of the year.

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The report states the decision was made last week to pull out of the show, leaving the league just 54 days to find a replacement.

AFL spokesperson Jay Allen is quoted saying only: “The pre-match entertainment for the 2023 AFL grand final will be announced in September.”

Crowded House (from left) Nick Seymour, Elroy Finn, Mitchell Froom, Neil Finn and Liam Finn. Picture: Kerry Brown 2021

Last year, Robbie Williams earned widespread acclaim for his performance on grand final day, when Geelong thrashed the Sydney Swans.

The Killers, Ed Sheeran, Birds of Tokyo and Jimmy Barnes have been some of the better performances over the last decade.

Meat Loaf and an appearance by Angry Anderson in a Batmobile are among those events not recalled quite so fondly.

Robbie Williams performing at the 2022 AFL grand final. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Williams and Delta Goodrem. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Crowded House enjoyed enormous success in the 1980s and 90s before performing an iconic farewell concert at the Sydney Opera House in 1996.

The reunited in 2020 and currently includes original band members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour, plus some newcomers including two of Finn’s children.

They released a seventh studio album in 2021 titled “Dreamers are waiting”.

The band announced their tour of America for 2022 was sadly postponed due to the pandemic, they instead returned Down Under to play a number of shows.