GEORGE BENSON

International Grammy legend and ultra-cool groove genius, George Benson, performs two concerts on his Hits & Inspiration Tour at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne on Wednesday 21 August and Riverside Theatre, Perth on Saturday 24 August.

George is a distinctive guitarist with a silky smooth vocal style, melodic Pop, Jazz & R&B repertoire and an impeccable reputation as one of the most engaging and sophisticated entertainers.

Since becoming a global phenomenon in 1976 with Breezin‘ (the first Jazz album to reach #1 on the Pop charts and achieve Platinum status), George has been honoured with ten Grammy Awards and is acknowledged as a Jazz Master (America’s National Endowment for the Arts highest accolade).

Breezin‘ gave George his first of three Grammy Awards in 1976, along with This Masquerade and Theme from Good King Bad.  He received his first Vocal Grammy in 1978 for On Broadway and in 1980, triple Grammies for Give Me The Night, Off Broadway and Moody’s Mood.  Another followed in 1983 for Being With You and he shared Grammies in 2007 with Al Jarreau for Mornin’ and Jill Scott for God Bless The Child.

He has produced over forty albums and songs from this year’s June release, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, are included in the set list of timeless signature tunes from his immense catalogue of hits - Breezin’, This Masquerade, On Broadway, The Ghetto, Family Reunion, The Greatest Love of All, Give Me The Night, Turn Your Love Around, Feel Like Makin’ Love, In Your Eyes, Shiver, Lady Love Me (One More Time),  We’re In This Love Together, Living in High Definition and so much more.

George made his first public appearances at the age of eight, playing ukelele in nightclubs and switched to guitar as a teenager.  By the time he was twenty-one, he was already established as a respected Jazz guitarist and in fine company, with mentors Jack McDuff, Herbie Hancock and Wes Montgomery.

An adventurous musician with an appreciation for dance floor rhythms as well as intellectual Jazz, George launched his solo career and released his debut album in 1964, The New Boss Guitar, filled with juicy, blues solos, funk and swing.

In the late sixties, Miles Davis credited George as the “Baddest guitar player alive” and forty years on, George is an icon of the industry with sensational concert reviews as testimony to his passion for performance.

Don’t miss this opportunity in Melbourne and Perth for a beautifully breezy, soulful and romantic evening with the sublime George Benson and his band on the Hits & Inspiration Tour.

Tickets are on sale Friday 24 May in Melbourne from www.ticketmaster.com.au on 136 100 and in Perth from www.ticketek.com.au on 132 849.

Tickets: ON SALE FRIDAY 24 MAY

SEPTEMBER AUSTRALIAN TOUR DETAILS ANNOUNCED!

Future Entertainment and Mellen Events are excited to announce the return of chart topping London stars Rudimental to Australian shores this September!

Having made their way into the hearts of the nation with electrifying performances across the country at Future Music Festival earlier this year, Rudimental’s highly charged live show is not to be missed!

Featuring all the smash hits that sent fans into a festival frenzy, their debut album ‘Home’ was released earlier this month and sprinted straight to the top of both the iTunes and ARIA charts.

Don’t miss out on seeing Rudimental perform hits Feel The Love, Not Giving In, Hell Could Freeze, new single Waiting All Night and more LIVE this September…

Bursting out of London’s underground music scene with its thrilling world of pirate radio, crude DJ set ups, improvised studios, and bleeding edge beats came Rudimental (Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor and Leon Rolle): A pioneering melting-pot collective who have taken the British music scene by storm, championed for their uncompromising approach to music-making whilst avoiding rigid classification.

Their smash hit single Feel The Love blazed into the UK charts debuting at #1 on both the single and dance charts after it premiered as the Hottest Record in the World on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1.  In Australia, Feel The Love hit #1 on the iTunes singles and the iTunes dance charts, peaked at #3 on the ARIA singles and national airplay charts and is triple platinum!

Follow up singles Not Giving In and Hell Could Freeze have also helped solidify the band at the top of their game, charting top 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart and being crowned as the most played & requested track on Triple J respectively.

All of the members have worked with troubled youth and strongly advocate music as an outlet for disadvantaged kids. This attitude was mirrored beautifully in the LA Shorts Festival-winning and MOBO-nominated video clip for Feel The Love. Filmed in the US, the clip is based around the Fletcher Street Community Horse Riding Centre in Philadelphia which aims to do exactly that.

International music legend Engelbert Humperdinck returns to Australia in July on the Greatest Hits & More tour, performing five bliss filled concerts for romantics young and old in Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

The ultra-smooth King of Romance is the consummate entertainer, with an instantly recognisable voice and natural charisma which have endeared him to global audiences of all ages, including Royalty, Presidents and Heads of State, for more than four decades. 

Engelbert has released over eighty plus albums of tender ballads earning Gold (sixty three) and Platinum (twenty four) status, and his career is recognised with four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for Entertainer of the Year and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His 1967 signature tune, Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) from his debut album, was a number one hit in eleven countries and appeared on the British charts for fifty six weeks, preventing the Beatles’ double A-side release, Penny Lane & Strawberry Fields Forever, from reaching the top position.   

This concert tour is a brand new show where Engelbert will debut a virtual duet with Elton John and other material from his upcoming DUETS CD, (also features tracks with Smokey Robinson, Willie Nelson, Charles Aznavour, Kenny Rogers and others), along with iconic songs from his vast catalogue, cherished by lovers the world over - 

Release Me (And Let Me Love Again), Spanish Eyes, There Goes My Everything, The Last Waltz, Am I That Easy To Forget, A Man Without Love, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize, Quando, Quando, Quando, After The Lovin, Ten Guitars, Winter World of Love, The Way It Used To Be and more.

While staying true to his core audiences in performing songs of romance, Engelbert is constantly evolving and has attracted new fans through The Dance Album (Billboard Dance Chart Top Ten) and Lesbian Seagull, the Platinum-selling theme song to the latest Beavis and Butthead Do America movie.   He has also re-recorded Ten Guitars with our innovative surf band, The Break (Midnight Oil, Violent Femmes and Hunters & Collectors members).

Don’t miss your evening with Engelbert Humperdinck, a dynamic and versatile showman described by the London Times as “The premier voice of the 20^th Century”, on The Greatest Hits & More tour in July.

Following receipt of full production information for the tour Live Nation have decided that the Perth concert will need to move from the currently scheduled venue at Kings Park to the Riverside Theatre. The show date remains unchanged.

The concert will feature Josh Groban joined by an ensemble of world class musicians featuring Andre Manga on bass, Ruslan Sirota on keys, Pete Korpela on percussion, Tariqh Akoni on guitar and Dave DiCenso on drums, with a local eight-piece orchestra and 12 person choir.

Given the large performing ensemble and consequent increased production requirements it has become apparent that Josh Groban’s concert will be best presented at an indoor venue. As well as facilitating the production requirements, the change ensures that the audience’s enjoyment of the performance will be independent of any weather issues.

As a result of this change in venue and consequent change in ticketing company, current ticket holders are required to exchange their tickets for new tickets to the Riverside Theatre.

Every effort will be made to provide ticket holders comparable seats.

Ticket holders will be contacted via phone by Ticketek with further details.

Tickets to both of these events, PLUS our new cheese making courses on May 20 and 22, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow’s stop over on Wednesday May 22, are on sale next Monday March 25 from Ticketmaster and the Kununurra Visitor Centre.