On the heels of his performance at the inaugural CMC Rocks the Hunter festival, US country hitmaker Joe Nichols will return to Australia in April/May for his The Shape I’m In Australian Tour.

The tour will mark Nichols’ third visit to Oz shores – his first trip was for the Size Matters tour and CMC Rocks the Snowys festival in 2009.

“I was so blown away by the Aussie crowds and the way they responded at our shows in 2009, I couldn’t wait to come back”, says Joe. “This time I won’t have to wait as long to play for you guys and gals again. See y’all in April!”

Joining the platinum-selling US star on the tour will be special guests, Jasmine Rae and Peter McWhirter.

The Shape I’m In Australian Tour will kick off at the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba on April 29 and visit Caboolture, Rockhampton, Sydney and Albury before wrapping up in Adelaide on May 8.

Due to severe upper respiratory infection, Miranda Lambert is unable to join country superstar, Alan Jackson, on his Australian Tour, beginning this week. Lambert performed this weekend in the States, but her condition worsened and by Sunday, her physician ordered complete rest. 

“I was very much looking forward to Australia with Alan Jackson and performing for all the music lovers down under”, said Lambert. 

For Alan Jackson’s five Arena shows (in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane), Jasmine Rae will now perform the second spot on each night, with country music’s hottest duo, McAlister Kemp, added as the opening artists. 

At CMC Rocks the Hunter this weekend, John Williamson is now confirmed to step in for Miranda Lambert and is excited about being added to the Festival line-up.

Australian icon, singer and songwriter John Williamson will perform two special concerts in May at Melbourne’s Crown Casino accompanied by Orchestra Victoria.

Having just released his latest live CD and DVD John Williamson: In Symphony, recorded in late 2010 before a capacity audience at the Sydney Opera House, the multi award-winning artist is preparing to return to the stage with one of the country’s most celebrated orchestras.

‘I can’t wait for my Victorian mates from all around Melbourne to hear my songs with Orchestra Victoria. I know the orchestra will have fun playing my music, as they did in Sydney. It’s something different for them. And don’t worry, the campfire and my stomp box will still be on stage with me; along with guitarist legend Col Watson,’ said John Williamson.

The live concerts on Friday May 20th (8pm) and Saturday May 21st (8pm) will be delivered before what are expected to be sell-out audiences.

Keith Urban's Get Closer 2011 World Tour will kick off in Australia next April, with the multi-platinum selling Lady Antebellum joining Urban for the Australian tour as the opening act.

Beginning in Adelaide, the 'Get Closer 2011 World Tour' will then head to Melbourne, Tamworth, Sydney and Brisbane. It's said to the first time that Australia has been the starting place for a Keith Urban tour and follows the recent release of Get Closer, which has already reached gold sales.

Urban is in Australia this week for a short promotional visit which includes an appearance on one of Oprah's Australian filmed shows. Tickets for the Get Closer 2011 World Tour are on sale Friday 21st January, 2011, 9am.

KEITH URBAN: GET CLOSER 2011 WORLD TOUR

Friday 8th April
Adelaide - Entertainment Centre 

Saturday 9th April
Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena

Tuesday 12th April
Tamworth - Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre

Thursday 14th April
Sydney - Entertainment Centre

Friday 15th April
Brisbane - Entertainment Centre

Alan Jackson's first ever Australian tour next year is shaping up as being the biggest country music tour of the past fifteen years  with a third third Brisbane concert added for Saturday March 12, on-sale this Thursday October 14.

Jackson, sold-out his four east coast concerts this morning as fast as a speeding freight train. Concerts in Melbourne and Sydney and two in Brisbane were all but gone in the three price categories – platinum, gold and silver – by 10am eastern standard time.

The phenomenal demand, obvious within minutes of general sales opening at 9am, prompted promoters’ Chugg Entertainment and Rob Potts Entertainment Edge to consider additional shows.

Potts himself, on-ground in Nashville with Jackson’s U.S management, watched speeding reports as fans burned through ticket sales.  Negotiations were immediate and it was a quick decision to add a third Brisbane concert.

Regarding adding another date to the Australian tour, when reached on his boat, Jackson said, “I‘m a Southern man, and that‘s about as far South as we can go. Let‘s do it!”

“We’re over the moon,” said Rob Potts.

“Alan and his team over here are excited too.  And humbled.  I guess no matter how famous you are it’s hard to imagine just how big you are in a country so far away. We told Alan Aussie fans would go crazy for him, now he knows it’s true.”

Alan Jackson will tour Australia with the hottest name in country right now, the CMA female record-breaking nominated Miranda Lambert, and arguably Australia’s hottest up-and-comer Jasmine Rae.

“This is an amazing line-up, certainly the biggest-name country music tour we’ve done,” said Potts.

Alan Jackson’s forthcoming album 34 Number Ones will be released on 26 November through Sony Music Entertainment

Tim McGraw invited Australian country star and Southern Voice Tour support act Steve Forde onto the stage to perform with him on the final night of his first ever Australian tour as CMC Rocked North Queensland at Reid Park in Townsville. Jasmine Rae, Corb Lund, Peter McWhirter and Busby Marou were also in town to help warm up the crowd.

The night was a huge success with over 12,000 people in attendance. There was literally not one spare hotel room left in the Townsville region. Many fans drove for hours/days to see McGraw live. It was the biggest event in Townsville since Elton John performed there five years ago.

A fan captured part of McGraw and Forde's performance of 'I Like It, I Love It'. Check it out!

Photo: Dean Turnbull (Next Edge)

Following a triumphant debut voyage to Australia earlier this year, multiple-CCMA and Juno Award winners, Doc Walker, are returning here again in  January 2011, for three shows only! The first show is a one-off event at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, followed by a concert in Brisbane and another in Sydney.

“We had such an incredible time in Australia”, said Doc Walker’s Chris Thornsteinson. “The way we were embraced by the Aussie crowds is unlike anything we’ve experienced outside of Canada. We can’t wait to get back!”

Doc Walker’s 2010 Australian Tour kicked off at CMC Rocks the Snowys Festival in Thredbo, followed by dates around NSW and QLD with Texan country-rocker, Jack Ingram, and our own Steve Forde. With their soaring harmonies, tight band interplay and easy-rockin’ country sound, the Canadian trio won over crowds around the country, making many new fans who are clamouring for them to return.

Their new album, Go, debuted at #12 on the ARIA Country Chart earlier this year and their current single, 'I’m Gonna Make You Love Me', just topped the Canadian video charts and features footage from their first Australian trip.

It was just announced that Doc Walker received nine nominations for the 2010 CCMA Awards, including Album, Single and Group of the Year.

The Doc Walker 2011 Australian Tour will kick off at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, after which you can catch them at Brisbane’s Pioneer Village Country Music Club and Sydney’s Rooty Hill RSL Club.

Special Guest on the Tamworth and Sydney shows is ABC Music recording artist, Peter McWhirter, the energetic country-rocker whose debut album, Lucky As A Seven, recorded in Nashville, is due out on September 10. Queensland country-folk duo, Busby Marou, will perform on the Brisbane show. 

DOC WALKER AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 
Saturday January 22 – Blazes Showroom @ Wests, Tamworth
Sunday January 23 – Pioneer Village Country Music Club, Petrie
Tuesday January 25 – Rooty Hill RSL Club, Sydney

Less than a month after being honoured with the award of a Member of the Order of Australia, guitar maestro Tommy Emmanuel has announced plans to return to his home country this December/January - for a series of special concerts with his brother Phil Emmanuel.

Fans who have witnessed the incredible chemistry and intuitive energy of their live performances have been clamouring for the two to reunite and now they will get their wish. To celebrate 50 years of professional performance together, Tommy and Phil will be hitting the road with the TE All Star band.

This will be a rare opportunity for fans to catch Tommy flexing both his electric and acoustic guitar muscles - and only the second time the brothers have toured together in 15 years. This is the complete Emmanuel experience! Singer-songwriter, and Phil’s daughter, Jesse Emmanuel will join the tour as special guest, making it a real family affair.

Recognised internationally as two of the world’s finest guitar pickers, Tommy and Phil have been performing live since the early 60s, when they were just young kids, honing their chops in the Emmanuel Family Band. They’ve gone on to enjoy huge success independently, their careers occasionally intersecting with collaborations on the 1995 album ‘Terra Firma’ and an exemplary performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony.

The iconic fingerpicker, Chet Atkins, called Tommy “one of the all-time greatest guitarists on the planet”. Rock historian Glenn A. Baker said of Phil that “[his] musical prowess is so astonishing that there are times when the man becomes the guitar and the guitar becomes the man.”

“There’s a magic that happens when Phil and I play together”, says Tommy. “It’s like the two of us together makes a third player who’s better than both of us. After 50 years, we can still surprise each other on stage”.

TOMMY & PHIL EMMANUEL CONCERT DATES

Thu 9 Dec - Lyric Theatre, Star City Casino, Sydney Sat 11 Dec - Palais Theatre, Melbourne Sun 12 Dec - Royal Theatre, Canberra Fri 17 Dec - Wrest Point, Hobart Sat 18 Dec - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Mon 20 Dec - Burswood Theatre, Perth Wed 19 Jan - Blazes - West League Club, Tamworth Thur 20 Jan - Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane Sat 22 Jan - Jupiters, Gold Coast.

Country music superstar Tim McGraw is confirmed to tour Australia for the first time, promoters Chugg Entertainment and Rob Potts announced today.

McGraw, and his band the Dancehall Doctors, will bring his Southern Voice Tour to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney for shows in September.

"My career's been going for a while and I've been looking for opportunities to come down, and this is the first time the timing's worked out.  I'm very excited," said McGraw when asked about Australia and touring here for the first time.

Chugg Entertainment's Executive Chairman, Michael Chugg said, "This is big news, full stop, but for country music fans, it's massive!

"It's actually Tim's birthday in the US (May 1) today, so to announce his first Australian tour timed with that is special."

In Australia McGraw's setup will include an 18 metre catwalk that takes him up the centre floor and puts him in the thick of it with audiences.

McGraw will play the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Thursday 16th, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, Sunday 19th and Sydney's Acer Arena, Tuesday 21st.

Pop act, The Jonas Brothers performed at the Housten Rodeo recently and did a cover of Keith Urban's 'Somebody Like You'.

Take a look at their attempt...