John Foreman, one of Australia’s most gifted musicians, will appear not once, but twice at Night at The Barracks. He is part of both 80’s Symphonica and Symphony Under the Stars, with his Aussie Pops Orchestra.
“Manly is one of the world’s great places, and I can’t wait to perform under the stars at The Barracks Precinct. It’s such a stunning, brilliant location.” John continues, “Outdoor concerts can be magical, breathtaking events, and very memorable for performers and audiences alike. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of sitting under the great open sky and listening to live music.”
The Aussie Pops Orchestra’s 80’s Symphonica will be a fantastic party concert, starring the incomparable and brilliantly entertaining Tim Campbell, with the magnificent and insanely talented Bonnie Anderson, singing everyone’s favourite 80’s classics – with an orchestra! Then, for Symphony Under the Stars, you’re invited to gaze up at the stars as you listen to the sublime voices of tenor Lorenzo Rositano and soprano Clarissa Spata as they bring some of the world’s most glorious classical music to life at one of planet earth’s most captivating locations.
Darren Middleton, the much-loved figure in the Australian music scene through his role in legendary rock band Powderfinger, his solo work, and now with Australian Rock Collective (ARC) – a group in partnership with Mark Wilson (Jet), Davey Lane (You Am I) and Kram (Spiderbait) – will perform The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ in its entirety, marking its 50th anniversary.
Looking forward to the prospect of playing under the Great Southern Sky in such an exquisite location, he says, “It will undoubtably rub off on us and the show. The environment you perform in always plays into a show, sonically and ‘vibe’ wise. Playing under the stars at the headland, it’s going to be incredible. We haven’t had the chance to perform this album outdoors, so we are very excited about this show and how it translates in the outdoor arena.”
Sydneysider Josh Pyke is equally enthusiastic about playing at North Head. “It’s great fun playing home shows! It means my family gets to come along and waking up in your own bed is always nice too!” With the uniqueness of the venue in mind, Josh continues, “I’m so keen to play at this amazing venue. I grew up surfing at Manly and Freshwater and have spent time bushwalking at North Head. The Barracks themselves, it’s a stunning space, and I think it’s important that communities use spaces like these for different types of events, so I’m really excited to be a part of the series.
With the location in mind, Josh has tailored his performance to suit perfectly, “At these sort of festival shows I always like to play stuff from across my whole catalogue. I like the crowd to get involved and sing along, and on my recent tour I was so happy to see that people were singing along to the new songs as well as the old favourites.” Josh will be playing with his full band, which is always exceptional. “So, it’ll be more of a loud rock n’ roll show than some people may expect.” It’s going to be awesome!
Night at the Barracks concert series launches Friday 9 September with Jessica Mauboy’s anthology show and runs for 16 enthralling performances featuring Australia’s biggest names in pop, indie, musical theatre, dance, rock, opera and jazz through to the Tim Finn finale on Sunday 9 October.
Book tickets here: nightatthebarracks.com.au