Next year marks the 40th anniversary of one of Australia's most iconic songs, Icehouse's enduring anthem 'Great Southern Land'.
The band, led by frontman and songwriter Iva Davies, will bring the Great Southern Land 2022 concert series all across the country with five concerts revealed today with more events in the works that will be announced in the coming weeks once 'venues, artists, politicians, musicians and roadcrew settle their schedules'.The first five shows announced will travel to Sydney, Perth, Toowoomba, Jacobs Well (located between Brisbane and Gold Coast), and Darwin between February and May 2022.
Icehouse will be joined at each concert by a revolving set of top-shelf guests including Missy Higgins, James Reyne, Kasey Chambers, Eskimo Joe, Something For Kate, Jebediah, Baby Animals, William Barton, Vanessa Amorosi, Christine Anu, Busby Marou, Emily Wurramara and more.
From soundtracking millions of backyard barbies, to serenading the national cricket team as they enter the playing arena, to even being part of the passioned Mabo discussions, 'Great Southern Land' is as Aussie as lamingtons, Stubbies, chicken parma, Tim Tams and our poisonous wildlife.
First released in August 1982 as the lead single Icehouse's multi-platinum second studio album, 'Primitive Man', 'Great Southern Land' made its debut on 2JJJ (as Triple J was then known) landing at #5 in the Aussie singles charts its first week of release.
"I had a classic Australian outdoor childhood," Iva, who grew up in Wagga Wagga, recollects, "racing through the endless grass paddocks behind our house, building billy carts to race down Willans Hill, swimming in the river, and picnicking high up on the Rock, where the countryside stretched away for miles on all sides.
"That landscape became part of me, emerging often in my music and lyrics, most especially in 'Great Southern Land'.
"I recall the lightbulb moment when I was flying from east coast Australia to the west [after Icehouse's first overseas concert tour], falling asleep over inland desert and waking several hours later still over desert – for the first time, the continent's vastness really hit home."
Tickets to Sydney, Toowoomba and Jacobs Well shows on sale from 10am (local time) 26 October; the Perth and Darwin concerts on sale from 10am (local time) 29 October. More information.
Icehouse: Great Southern Land 2022 Tour Dates
Sat 19 Feb - Cockatoo Island (Sydney)Sat 23 Apr - Kings Park (Perth)
Sat 7 May - Queens Park (Toowoomba)
Sun 8 May - Harrigan's (Jacobs Well, QLD)
Sat 28 May - Darwin Amphitheatre (Darwin)
Sydney guests
James Reyne
Kasey Chambers
Busby Marou
Christine Anu
True Vibenation
Perth guests
Something For Kate
Jebediah
Emily Wurramara
Toowoomba guests
James Reyne
The Angels
Baby Animals
Vanessa Amorosi
Christine Anu
Emily Wurramara
Jacobs Well guests
James Reyne
The Angels
Baby Animals
Vanessa Amorosi
Christine Anu
Emily Wurramara
Darwin guests
Missy Higgins
Eskimo Joe
Emily Wurramara
