Famed for 80s hits like ‘Reckless (Don’t Be So…)’, ‘The Boys Light Up’, ‘Downhearted’ and ‘Errol’, Australian Crawl’s tour will take in both the North and South Islands.
This is the first time in 40 years that three Australian Crawl members – James Reyne, David Reyne and John Watson – will share the stage, joined by Brett Kingman, Josh Owen, Andrew McIvor, Sean Johnson, Melinda Jackson and Nicole Kurta.
Between 1978 and 1986, Australian Crawl managed to cram an entire cultural legacy into less than a decade, soundtracking beach towns, road trips and pub speakers with songs that still feel genetically encoded. In their short career, Australian Crawl delivered numerous chart hits and iconic songs.
Frontman James Reyne says of the band’s beginnings: “One can only shake one’s head at the sometimes wonderful inventions of folly in all its guises and forms for the trip was a blast; such fun and high spirits were had that upon return we decided we should perhaps give this thing a year, before we returned to our studies; just to see what happens. What a ride.”
The band’s original drummer David Reyne adds “Back in 1979, a bunch of us from the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula twanged some guitars, banged some drums, blended together some tunes and played a gig or two for the local board riders’ club. They swung from the rafters, stomped the floorboards and drank an Army’s worth of beer. Buoyed by the reaction, we loaded the gear into the back of a couple of old Holdens and plied our noise all the way up the East Coast. It was a riot. Each night a howling, joyous, sunburnt shindig. Australian Crawl was born. What a delight it will be to do it all again with those of us from the original gang who haven’t yet propped permanently at Heaven’s Bar.”
The Sound Presents
Australian Crawl
New Zealand Tour 2027
The Powerstation, Auckland – Friday March 5 – Tickets
Meow Nui, Wellington – Wednesday March 10 – Tickets
James Hay Theatre, Christchurch – Friday March 12 – Tickets
Tickets on sale 10am, Thursday September 10, from www.australiancrawlband.com.au
