Brisbane
QPAC Concert Hall- Thu 3 Jul @7.30 pm
This July five electrifying Australian singer-songwriters— Adalita (Magic Dirt), Diesel, Steve Kilbey (The Church) Isabella Manfredi (The Preatures), and Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans/Jebediah)—join forces to perform the songs that defined a generation. Backed by an all-star band, they will infuse energy and reverence to Lennon’s most iconic works, from the raw power of Instant Karma! to the intimate heartbreak of Jealous Guy.
Set in Australia’s most prestigious venues—including the Sydney Opera House, Hamer Hall, QPAC Concert Hall, and Adelaide Festival Theatre—this is more than a tribute. It’s a celebration of Lennon the songwriter, the radical, the dreamer.
About the show Meet the Artists
Modern Australian rock icon Adalita is best known as front woman for the multi-ARIA Award nominated Aussie rock band Magic Dirt. Since 2011 Adalita has forged a successful solo career and blitzed the music scene, landing awards such as the Best Independent Release at the 2011 AIR Awards, the 2014 ARIA nomination for Best Female Artist and the Age/Music Victoria award for Best Female.
Among her many achievements Adalita has worked on various creative collaborations, has been invited to speak at numerous artistic events and she also adds mentoring, acting, film scoring and photography to her repertoire.
In 2022, Adalita released her highly anticipated third solo album, INLAND, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. She has also been back on the road with her hugely successful band, Magic Dirt, who have been welcomed back with rapturous ovations and coveted reviews.
I’m so excited to be part of the John Lennon "Give Peace a Chance" tour. His music has been a big part of my life since I was a kid, and it always resonates with me. It’s such an incredible opportunity to perform these iconic songs with such amazing artists, and I seriously can’t wait to be a part of this!
Mark Denis Lizotte is an American-born Australian singer-songwriter and musician who has released material under the name Diesel, Johnny Diesel, as leader of band Johnny Diesel & the Injectors, and as a solo performer. Two of his albums reached No. 1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Charts, Hepfidelity in 1992 and The Lobbyist in 1993.
Since 1987, Lizotte, has played on several albums by his brother-in law, Australian rock singer, Jimmy Barnes. Although better known as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, Lizotte is also competent on bass guitar, drums, percussion and keyboards; and has also produced an album by Richard Clapton and one by Vika and Linda Bull. He has won six ARIA Music Awards with three for ‘Best Male Artist’ in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
I've been enamoured by the songs of John Lennon since I was a child and I can't wait to get my head and hands around his body of work with a truly inspiring array of people on stage.
Best known as the lead singer/bassist of the Australian dream rock outfit the Church, Steve Kilbey is also an accomplished solo artist and writer. Drawing upon psychedelic rock, glam rock, and post-punk, Kilbey first emerged with the Church in the early ’80s and gained worldwide fame with the band’s sixth studio album, 1988’s Starfish, which featured the classic hit single “Under the Milky Way.” Along with his continued work with the Church, he has regularly issued solo albums like 1987’s Unearthed, 1990’s Remindlessness, and 2018’s Sydney Rococo. He has also collaborated with All India Radio’s Martin Kennedy on a handful of electronic albums, including 2011’s White Magic and 2017’s Glow and Fade. Along with publishing his 2014 autobiography, Something Quite Peculiar, Kilbey has written books of poetry and kept an ongoing blog, The Time Being.
John Lennon was the yin in the best songwriting partnership this world will probably ever see. As a singer he made so many breakthroughs into territory up till then unexplored by anyone before him. His music was sublime. It is at the very heart and fabric of the music we now call 'rock'.
The success of The Preatures introduced the world to Isabella Manfredi. As noted by iD-Vice “Isabella Manfredi has It — that thing one step up from plain-old charisma” and SMH for her “electrifying presence”. With multiple ARIA nominations, accolades and global tours under her belt, Isabella has become a strong artist advocate in the Australian music scene – as well as an esteemed rock vocalist. She has released the acclaimed solo album, izzi, produced the score for the HULU original film (Plan B, directed by Natalie Morales) and recently reformed with The Preatures for a celebration of their seminal debut album, Blue Planet Eyes.
Bob Evans, the ARIA winning alter ego of Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell, has graced the Australian music scene for more than two decades and has written some of the country’s most beloved songs. Under the alias of Bob Evans, Mitchell has released six studio albums, all of which showcase the versatility and skill of this talented songsmith. Gentle, acoustic melodies prevail, enveloping the classic folk storytelling and strong emotional pull that characterises Mitchell’s substantial body of work. His second release, ‘Suburban Songbook’,saw Kev pick up a 2006 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album, chalking up Gold accreditation in the process.
‘Goodnight, Bull Creek!’ earned Mitchell dual 2009 ARIA Award nominations for Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Album while ‘Familiar Stranger’ followed up with a 2013 ARIA Award nomination for Best Adult Contemporary Album. Evans has graced the Triple J and Double J airwaves over the years as well as hosting a highly successful Podcast, ‘Good Evans, It’s a Bobcast!’ featuring special guests from Australian music, sport and culture.
The music of John Lennon is in my DNA. He has always been my favorite Beatle, and his solo career provides just as much magic as his days with the Fab 4. What a dizzyingly spectacular songbook he has left for us all!
Guitarist for The Church, Paul Kelly, The Stems, & the RocKwiz Orkestra, singer/songwriter/ guitarist with beloved Melbourne band Even, co-conspirator in The Grapes, The Ronson Hangup, Monterey Honey & Ashley Naylor Spaceship, and a musician who has worked with with Vika & Linda, Tim Finn, both Stephen Cummings and The Sports, Fanny Lumsden, the Countdown Spectacular house band, the Allman Betts Family Revival and more. Ashley Naylor is also an acclaimed solo artist who has released solo singer/songwriter and guitar instrumental albums.
Wez Prictor plays keyboards with Ashley Naylor in his Spaceship band, as well as psychedelic alt-country outfit Ten Gallon Head. Wez has also played with artists including The Ronson Hangup, Thee Marshmallow Overcoat, and Chris Cheney (The Living End).
Wez has also worked in many areas of sound and music production, and has a vast amount of experience in keyboard/synthesizer programming and sound design. He is especially skilled at painstakingly recreating iconic keyboard parts and sounds with incredible accuracy and attention to detail.
Lachlan O’Kane has been a prominent drummer in the Australian music scene for over fifteen years, performing with a diverse array of artists both locally and internationally.
Throughout his career, he has played with renowned acts such as Vika & Linda, Ashley Naylor, Batts, Angie McMahon, Wilsn, Eagle & the Worm, Dorsal Fins, Bob Evans, Oh Pep!, and Davey Lane, among many others. In addition to live performances, Lachlan is an in-demand session musician, contributing to numerous albums and singles.
Richard Bradbeer a Melbourne based electric and upright bassist with over 20 years of professional experience across a breadth of styles, from Jazz, Rock, Pop,Afro-Cuban, Klezmer and everything in between.
He has extensively perfomed nationally and internationally with an array of acclaimed artists including, Paul Kelly, Mia Wray, Mark Seymour, Ian Moss, Troy Casser-Daly, Olympia, Alex Lahey and many more.
Additionally, Bradbeer appears on over 70 recordings with artists including Vika & Linda, Tim Rogers, Bob Evans, Didirri, Oh Mercy and Little Red.”
A highly respected figure in the Australian music industry, Lindsay Field is known for his exceptional talent as a vocalist, musician, and vocal coach. His career spans decades, including work as a musical director, arranger, and executive producer.
A longtime member of the John Farnham Band, Lindsay has also toured with Olivia Newton-John, Jimmy Barnes, and Glenn Shorrock, among others. His vocal expertise has been showcased on TV shows, major concerts, and theatrical productions, including HAIR and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Lindsay’s work extends beyond performance; he has been instrumental in major music productions, including Qantas’ Still Call Australia Home campaign and the Spirit of Christmas charity CDs, which have raised over $5 million.
As a sought-after vocal coach, Lindsay continues to mentor Australia’s rising stars, shaping the next generation of talent while maintaining an active career in studio work and touring.