Boy to light up Civic Hall

DON’T be so reckless as to miss this night of live music.

James Reyne is coming to Ballarat this month to perform at Civic Hall as part of his rescheduled Way Out West national tour.

Reyne will be joined by former Killing Heidi frontwoman, now soloist, Ella Hooper, who he has collaborated with on a new version of Way Out West; a hit song which he originally covered in 1992.

The former Australian Crawl lead singer and writer behind hits like The Boys Light Up said he is keen to get the series of concerts going following an ankle injury which put him in a moon boot, and saw the tour postponed.

“I’m excited and am going to relish each and every day and gig, every beautiful and bountiful experience I have, every wonderful, inquisitive, well-meaning and heartfelt person I encounter,” Reyne said.

“I have seen the specialist who was most encouraging indeed. It seems I’ve been a good patient and have been doing all, and that’s not much, that I was told to do, and things are looking positive.

“They’ve upped the rehab ante somewhat and I’m doing lots of physio, stretching the ankle, pushing it, pulling it, clockwise, anti-clockwise, shaping out the alphabet with my foot, cold water, hot water, pool work. You name it.

“The long and short of it is that. I’ll be ready and raring to go to re-start our Way Out West Tour with the lovely Ella Hooper.

“Chipper, convivial, corky, perky, sunny side up, man. Pleased as punch, happy as a clam. A regular ray of zippy sunshine. Happiness Jim, that’s me. It’s going to be sickening.”

Hooper’s most recent album, Small Town Temple, reached number one on the ARIA country chart, and she toured the record around Australia in early-2023.

The concert is set for Saturday 22 July at 7.30pm. Head to jamesreyne.com.au for tickets.