27 Club tour, featuring music of Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse to play Empire Theatre

Legendary tunes by some of music’s most ill-fated rock stars will hit the stage at the Empire Theatre this as part of the smash-hit 27 Club tour — and it features plenty of top Aussie performers:

Sarah McLeod didn’t know much about Janis Joplin prior to joining the 27 Club tour five years ago, but one song made her a diehard fan of one of music’s most tragic figures.

“I knew Piece Of My Heart and that was about it, so I pulled up Spotify, and the first thing that came up was a song called Cry Baby,” the Superjesus frontwoman said.

“It just started with this scream, and I was like, ‘oh, yeah, let me sing that one — I want to sing that’.”

The legendary Australian rock singer and her band of notable music identities will hit Toowoomba and Queensland this year with 27 Club, which celebrates the music and lives of Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse (who all died at that age).

The 27 Club, made up of Australian musicians Sarah McLeod (The Superjesus), Justin Burford (End of Fashion, Rock of Ages), Carla Lippis (Mondo Psycho) and Dusty Lee Stephensen (Wanderers), will perform the hits of Cobain, Hendrix and Joplin at the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba on April 5.

Joining McLeod onstage will be Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell, End of Fashion’s Justin Burford, Mondo Psycho’s Carla Lippis and Wanderers singer Dusty Lee Stephensen.

The tour, which was created by Zac Tyler in 2015 and has been described as a live rockumentary, has been a constant presence for the past five years and has played to more than 20,000 people in 2023.

McLeod said each performer had an affinity with one of the five stars they were paying homage to, but said the shows were far more than a tribute act.

“It explodes right out of the gates, and once an artist is on stage, they stay on stage all night,” she said.

“It’s a really dynamic, fast-paced show, and really high-energy entertainment — a lot of the songs are medleys, and it goes ‘bang, bang, bang’ because there is so much material for us to get through.”

The 27 Club, made up of Australian musicians Sarah McLeod (The Superjesus), Justin Burford (End of Fashion, Rock of Ages), Carla Lippis (Mondo Psycho) and Dusty Lee Stephensen (Wanderers), will perform the hits of Cobain, Hendrix and Joplin at the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba on April 5.

Along with gaining a deeper understanding of Joplin, McLeod said her time with the show gave her a greater appreciation for this eclectic group of talented and ill-fated artists.

“I loved their authenticity, all these artists had such authenticity because they didn’t have to pretend to be anything for anyone,” she said.

“They weren’t working on their appearance, they didn’t really care — Janice never even wore makeup.

“We don’t have artists who are that pure anymore — there are too many other factors involved now.”

Sarah McLeod. Source: Supplied

The run of four shows will make for a busy first half of 2025 for McLeod, who is also set to release The Superjesus’ first album since 2003.

“What’s exciting is having new material — the tour starts in June and I can’t wait, we’re playing the whole album in full,” she said.

The 27 Club will play the Empire Theatre on April 5. For tickets, head to the Empire Theatre website or 27clubshow.com.