By Hollie Harris
If you only go to one gig this year, this is it. Jon Stevens comes to Villa Noosa with his Best Of tour, traversing all the hits of his career, from his solo work, right through to Noiseworks, INXS, The Dead Daisies and even Jesus Christ Superstar.
With a back catalogue jampacked with smash hits, and no shortage of great songs to choose from, the revered singer-songwriter is looking forward to reliving the different times of his musical journey, and sharing those experiences with audiences.
Hot off the heels of his latest release, Starlight, which received international acclaim after its release last year, Jon has picked 2018 as the time to embark on the tour that fans have been asking him to do for years.
“After doing back-to-back albums – WOMAN in 2015 – and then Starlight in 2017, and touring those albums, I played a few of the older songs on those tours, but it was pretty much all new material,” says Jon. “Fans are always asking me to play certain songs that I haven’t done in
years, so here we are in 2018 and it just feels like the right time to explore my back catalogue. It’s interesting for me as I always try to keep moving forward, always adding something new, but I have to say that dusting off some of the old tunes has been nothing short of a revelation.
“While I can’t play every song, as there are way too many, I have chosen my favourites and I think fans will love it.”
With songs like Welcome To The World, Lock N Load, RIP Millie, Don’t Change and Superstar, to name a few included in the setlist, the show is guaranteed to delight. While Jon has been working on the setlist over the festive break, ready to hit the road, he acknowledges that once the tour starts, it will no doubt be a work in progress. “It’s been really difficult as there are so many songs, but I think there we have a good balance,” he says.
“But, by the same token, once we start touring I’m sure the fans will have their say in wanting to add to the setlist.”
Jon Stevens hasn’t really stopped working – touring, writing or recording – since he first started out in the industry as a young musician. More recently, the 2017 release of Starlight saw him co-writing and producing with Eurythmics legend Dave Stewart, who enlisted the great Ringo Starr on drums alongside Australia’s own Orianthi and Richie Sambora on guitars. All that hard work has paid off, as Jon Stevens is now considered one of the country’s premier artists.
For Jon though, it is all about getting out on the road and connecting with fans – the most important part of his job.
“My main focus now is getting out and performing all around Australia,” he says. “Time seems to be going by at such a rapid rate and I have missed being on the road in Oz, as I have spent so much time overseas the last couple of years. We are going to play in as many places as possible over the next four months. I also spent January in the studio writing and recording and am well on the way to completing a new album. I will continue to create and experiment and do my very best every time I climb on the stage and share with the fans a moment in time that you only get when you see a performer live.”
See one of Australia’s biggest music legends on Friday 4th May at 8pm, Villa Noosa Hotel. Tickets are only $39.80 via www.villanoosa.com.au and don’t forget to book the courtesy bus online too! (reaches Coolum and Eumundi)
