• Welcome to your midweek edition of The Purge and we’re kicking it off this week with ‘Love Song’, the new single from UK soul/pop singer Zak Abel. Serviced to media this week following its release on Friday, the track was co-penned alongside superstar writers Steve Mac and Wayne Hector, who’ve worked with a slew of big name music acts, among them One Direction, Westlife, Ed Sheeran and Demi Lovato.
• Also new this week is ‘Push Back’, the new single from US R&B star Ne-Yo. The track features vocal appearances from both Bebe Rexha and Stefflon Don and has been produced by superstar production duo Stargate in Norway. It’s also set to feature on the singer’s recently-announced seventh studio album ‘Good Man’, which we’ll see at retailers across the planet on Friday June 08.
• Cardi B has also confirmed the upcoming release of a new album, though hers is going to be with us a little sooner than Ne-Yo’s. It’s called ‘Invasion of Privacy’, features her latest single ‘Be Careful’ and will be at your favourite music retailer from this Friday.
• Kasey Chambers will drop her new album ‘Campfire’ on April 27. Her 12th studio album sees the country superstar teaming up with The Fireside Disciples (three of her favourite musicians). She’ll be celebrating its release by heading across the country on an extensive tour, which kicks off at the Casino Returned Servicemen’s Memorial Club in New South Wales on Wednesday May 23. Tickets for all 35 shows are on sale now.
• Rapper and comedian Lil Dicky (pictured) is doing big business with his breakout smash ‘Freaky Friday’ (with Chris Brown), which bulleted from No.18 to No.5 on the ARIA singles chart over the weekend. So he’s capitalising on its success by confirming he’ll head down under for the first time in July for shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Sydney’s first up; the Enmore Theatre on July 13. It’s follows by shows in Brisbane (Eatons Hill Ballroom on July 14) and Melbourne (Forum Theatre on July 15). Frontier members get exclusive access to a pre-sale from 11am tomorrow, with general public tickets on sale from 10am AEST on Monday.
• Speaking of rappers, Indonesian performer Rich Brian recently confirmed his first ever Australian shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. And each and every one of them have sold out. But continued demand for tickets in Sydney and Melbourne has seen the team at Live Nation add second dates in both cities. He’ll now play 170 Russell in Melbourne on Monday May 21 and the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Thursday May 24. Tickets are on sale at 11am today.
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be back in Australia in September this year for shows in all five main capitals, including a gig at The Tivoli in Brisbane as part of the Brisbane Festival. They kick off the run in Melbourne (Forum Theatre) on September 12 before heading west (Adelaide’s Fat Controller on September 14), north (The Tivoli in Brisbane on September 15), south (Enmore Theatre in Sydney on September 16) and then west again (Badlands in Perth on September 18). Tickets are on sale from 11am local time on Monday.
• And Hoodoo Gurus and You Am I are teaming up for a co-headlining tour they’re calling the ‘You-Do Gurus’ tour. They’re playing C.Ex at Coffs Harbour on June 01, Kingscliff Beach Hotel on June 02, Revesby Workers Club on June 15, Waves in Wollongong on June 16 and Toowoomba University on July 07. Tickets are on sale now.
TICKETS PLEASE
WEDNESDAY APRIL 04 : Above & Beyond (Sydney, Melbourne)
WEDNESDAY APRIL 04 : Rich Brian (Sydney, Melbourne)
WEDNESDAY APRIL 04 : H.E.R. (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
FRIDAY APRIL 06 : John Cameron Mitchell (Sydney, Melbourne)
MONDAY APRIL 09 : Lil Dicky (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
MONDAY APRIL 09 : Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Nationally)