Youth Group, Beautiful Girls announced as Powderfinger, Silverchair support

Written by Jess Keeley

Monday, 20 August 2007

POWDERFINGER and SILVERCHAIR have announced the opening artists for most their Across The Great Divide tour, with news that THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, YOUTH GROUP, BLUE KING BROWN, KEV CARMODY, DAN KELLY, THE SCARE and more will be joining the reconciliation conversation on various dates

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The close to thirty shows on the tour will play host to a variety of special guest opening artists from around the country, each band bringing their own flavour to an already huge mouthful of music.

Shows are sold out in Melbourne and Brisbane but limited tickets are still available for the second shows in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong, Newcastle and Townsville. Tickets are also selling fast for all the regional shows and with this first announcement of outstanding special guests, fans are advised to get in quick!

The artists who will be opening dates on this tour are as follows …

THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS are riding high on the release of their third record, Ziggurats. Growing solidly and consistently, both in sound and popularity, the band have remained proudly independent, showcasing their reggae infused rock n roll to a very welcoming Aussie audience. Catch THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS on Across The Great Divide in CANBERRA (11 September), WODONGA (12 September) and MILDURA (14 September).

EXPATRIATE have endeared themselves to Aussie audiences over 2007 with the release of their debut album In The Midst Of This and having the tour van in constant motion. A sold out national tour, multiple festival appearances, and supports including Wolfmother, Simple Minds and Powderfinger, these boys will be well at home on the stage in MELBOURNE (19 September), PERTH (22 + 23 September) and ADELAIDE (26 & 27 September).

Together since the late 1990’s Sydney band YOUTH GROUP found their time to shine in 2006 with the release of their third record, Casino Twilight Dogs. Touring internationally with Death Cab For Cutie and finding a firm place on Aussie festival stages, this group of talented song writers will find themselves on stage with Powderfinger and Silverchair in SYDNEY (9 September) and Wollongong (24 October).

Festival favourites BLUE KING BROWN have made a huge impact on the Australian music scene in their short time together. Their release of their debut album solidified the acclaim for their catchy, reggae fuelled pop, driven by the distinctive vocals and lyrics of front woman Natalie Pa’apa’a. Activists in their own right, BLUE KING BROWN will fit right in on stage in BRISBANE (31 August), TAMWORTH (4 September) and COFFS HARBOUR (6 September).

Melbourne boy DAN KELLY has become one of the darlings of Australian acoustic rock, following in the steps of his much revered uncle Paul. With 4 ARIA nominations, two acclaimed records and an album of the year award under his belt, you’ll catch him in solo mode in MELBOURNE (18 September).

Sunshine Coast born, THE SCARE have recently made the UK their home, with appearances on the Reading and Leeds festival circuit in 2007. Expect their debut album to hit Australia October 6th via Below Par/EMI and catch them on stage in GOLD COAST (2 September) and SYDNEY (8 September).

Aboriginal Australia has many contemporary musical voices, and KEV CARMODY is often revered as one of the ultimate inspirations. Touted as the black Australian Bob Dylan, his blunt but eloquent protest songs and grit-edged voice has brought awareness to Aboriginal issues over the past 18 years. Powderfinger and Silverchair are honoured to have Kev join Across the Great Divide in TOOWOOMBA (14 October).

Central Coast lads SOMETHING WITH NUMBERS have grown from being the ‘emo punk’ band in their early years, to fully fledged rock n roll powerhouse in 2007. About to kick off a huge national tour with Grinspoon, they’ll jump from one stage to another when they play BENDIGO (15 September).

From Arnhem Land in the NT, NABARLEK will make their way Across the Great Divide to join Powderfinger and Silverchair live on stage. Playing tracks from their third record Manmoyi Radio, expect songs based on traditional stories, with a little bit of Men At Work thrown in. Part of the new wave of Indigenous music emerging from Arnhem Land, NABARLEK is the garage band that never had a garage.  See them kick off the tour in NEWCASTLE (29 August).

EPICURE emerged from Ballarat’s local live scene as fresh faced young lads, and they’ve now solidified themselves as one of its proudest success stories. Currently in the studio and working towards a tour with Mia Dyson, these crooners will join Across the Great Divide in their hometown, BALLARAT (16 September).

From rocking inner city pubs and clubs to outback shacks, WIRE MC has been breaking new ground with his Bowra-mission-hip hop-drop-bush-reggae style. A true voice for his people, see WIRE MC in WOLLONGONG (23 October).

Brisbane will get its hands on another of their great local produce, when singer songwriter ANDREW MORRIS adds his own brand of alt-country balladry to the tour. Fresh from the release of second album Valleys, see Andrew and band join the tour on stage in BRISBANE (1 September) and TOWNSVILLE (8 October).

From the clan of triple j and festival favourites Local Knowledge comes Australia’s deadliest new rap sensation, STREET WARRIORS. Having been on stage at Homebake, The Great Escape, Groovin The Moo and more, these brothers are proudly and fiercely presenting their strong aboriginal heritage. The debut album is on the way, so be prepared! In the meantime see STREET WARRIORS in their hometown of NEWCASTLE (26 Oct).

Opening artist announcements for Darwin and the North Queensland shows in the near future will cap off an already amazing musical offering.

This eclectic list of choices reflects both bands’ desire to cover several different bases with the selection of their special guests. Due to the tour’s association with www.reconcile.org.au Silverchair and Powderfinger wanted to involve some artists with a connection to indigenous Australia (eg: Nabarlek, Kev Carmody and Blue King Brown). Both bands also had some new indie bands like The Scare and Expatriate that they wanted to help expose to a broader audience. There was also a desire to use local groups in some cities and then there were some more established artists like Beautiful Girls and old friends such as Dan Kelly and Andrew Morris who will help make these shows even more special for bands and fans alike

In their first big warm-up show leading into Across the Great Divide, POWDERFINGER played a killer headline set at Splendour in the Grass earlier this month.  In front of a sold-out festival crowd, the band performed a bunch of live favourites and previewed new tracks from Dream Days at the Hotel Existence, including the cracking new single, "I Don't Remember".

With a video that went straight to high rotation on all video music channels, and storming up the Australian radio airplay chart, "I Don't Remember" was released exclusively digitally via iTunes on July 31. The iTunes release will feature an exclusive bonus track - a haunting live version of “Black Tears”.  The in-store single features two bonus tracks recorded LIVE in June 2007 at the Brisbane Powerhouse – Who Really Cares (featuring the sound of insanity) and perennial ‘Finger favourite, “My Kind of Scene”.  This version of the single will be in-stores August 11.

Meanwhile, SILVERCHAIR are racking up frequent flyer points on an overseas tour that's taken isold out US and Canadian shows over recent weeks. That jaunt climaxed with a mainstage Lollapalooza performance alongside Bright Eyes and the Arcade Fire that attracted rave reviews. The band is now in Europe playing sold out dates in the UK and across the continent.

On the back of all this touring Young Modern debuted at #70 in America and #25 in Canada this week following the best critical reception of the group's international career. Silverchair is also on a huge roll at U.S. radio where "Straight Lines" has cracked the top 20 on the modern rock airplay charts and is also attracting airplay at other radio formats for the first time in the band’s career. In another all time first, VH1, FUSE and MTV2 are all flogging Silverchair's video leading many to tip a big future for Young Modern in North America over coming months.

Tickets for remaining Across the Great Divide shows on sale now!

For more information on ticket outlets and various booking charges please visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.acrossthegreatdivide.com.au" www.acrossthegreatdivide.com.au

 HYPERLINK "http://www.powderfinger.com" www.powderfinger.com

 HYPERLINK "http://www.chairpage.com" www.chairpage.com

 HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/silverchair" www.myspace.com/silverchair

 HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/powderfinger" www.myspace.com/powderfinger

 HYPERLINK "http://www.reconcile.org.au" www.reconcile.org.au

 HYPERLINK "http://www.climatefriendly.com.au" www.climatefriendly.com.au