Features
Aussie Tours: Foo Fighters, Nelly
After a 2011 sellout ruin, Foo Fighters return for the band’s biggest stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Foos play eight dates Feb. 18 to March 7 through Frontier Touring.
Photo: Owen Sweeney / Invision / AP
Firefly Music Festival, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del.
The 2015 run includes the band’s inaugural visit to Christchurch (also played a fundraiser in Auckland for the city following its 2011 earthquake) and the first return since 1998 to Hobart after writing about two trapped Hobart miners in “Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners.” Chicago’s Rise Against and Melbourne band The Delta Riggs are on the bill.
Nelly, who played Supafest 2011, returns headlining an arena bill with Lupe Fiasco, and B.o.B. The six shows, Jan. 8-17, are through Epic Presents.
Alt-J, whose two club shows in Sydney and Melbourne last month sold out in seconds, returns for five arenas through Frontier May 8-15.
Gaynor Crawford Presents has the Richard Thompson Electric Trio for six dates March 4-13, including include Adelaide Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and WOMAD NZ. Scandinavian collaborators Röyksopp and Robyn extend their Do It Again world tour with two theatre dates, Jan. 5-6, for Live Nation.
David M. Hawkins has Macy Gray doing nine theatres March 7-19. The singer was last here in 2012 playing sellouts.
Hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030 – made up of Dan The Automator, Del The Funkee Homosapien and Kid Koala – make its Aussie debut with five club dates for Select Touring, Metropolis Touring and Trent Slingshot Presents Feb. 25 to March 1.
Popfrenzy has Baltimore’s Wye Oak for three inaugural dates early January. More first-time visitors are Los Angeles’ Dickies, doing seven clubs through Australia and New Zealand April 16-26 for Metropolis Touring.
Photo: John Davisson
NPR Showcase, Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, SXSW, Austin, TX
Atlanta all-female punk band The Coathangers makes its bow for Bone Soup for eight club sets Jan. 15-25.
Making its Australian debut are reunited Austin band Mineral, for Destroy All Lines Feb. 22-24. The three club shows see them joined by Texas Is The Reason frontman Garrett Klahn on his inaugural run.
Also making his debut the same month, for Live Nation and Niche, is Oakland emcee G-Eazy with three club appearances Feb. 13-16. Live Nation and Niche also have R&B / hip-hop singer-songwriter Tinashe on her inaugural visit, taking in three clubs Feb. 15-20.
Paris Combo brings its French chanson, swinging gypsy jazz and alt-pop back after 10 years. The dates kick off June 7 at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival following up with three theatre dates until June 11.
Heartstop Music has Conor Oberst with The Felice Brothers doing seven appearances Feb. 25 to March 8, including two as part of a music-in-zoos series in two cities, and the Golden Plains festival. Rufus Wainwright does a Best Of set in his first visit in three years. Already announced for WOMADelaide, Chugg Entertainment has him at three theatres March 4-12.
Peter Hook & The Light perform New Order’s third and fourth albums, Low Life and Brotherhood, in a nine-theatre run through Australia and New Zealand, Feb. 14-27, for Metropolis Touring and Select Touring.
Metropolis and Select added extra shows for Sydney and Melbourne for Ice Cube’s sold-out tour in December.
The two companies also team for four dates by UK alt/dance heroes Jesus Jones March 12-15. Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten follows up her Golden Plains festival set with three club shows for Mistletoe March 1-4.