Tyler Redway
MOUNT Gambier will finally see the return of the long-awaited Red Hot Summer Tour at the Old Mount Gambier Gaol in 2023.
Singer-songwriter Mark Seymour said the tour was unique in the sense that it travels into regional centres, which he said are not usually exposed to a lot of Australian music “in one go like this”.
He added that he had also played in Mount Gambier a few times in previous tours and said the highlight was playing at the Mount Gambier Gaol itself, which he described as “a real vibe”.
“It’s pretty much the biggest touring festival in Australia and it has grown exponentially every year,” Mr Seymour said.
He mentioned that he had attempted to join the Red Hot Summer Tour for two years during the pandemic but with no luck, as the tour was cancelled due to tight restrictions at the time.
Mr Seymour said regional audiences, such as Mount Gambier, were generally quite enthusiastic about the tour but added it could sometimes be difficult to travel out to regional locations.
“Back in the old days when pubs were the mainstay of live music in Australia, it was always unusual to get into towns in central NSW or northern SA,” he said.
“They [concerts] came around but not very often and I don’t think we were unique in that aspect.”
Through his career which spans several decades, Mr Seymour said it was critical as an artist to reach into regional Australian towns.
“I just think the Australian audiences would really appreciate it,” he said.
“It’s really important for audiences culturally to go and see artists get up on stage and play songs they know.”
Additional artists who are included in the tour include Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, Missy Higgins, Vika and Linda as well as Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daley.
Pre-sale tickets for the Red Hot Summer Tour are set to go public on August 30 at 10am, while the full sale will start on September 1.
