We just confirmed with a contact within the Van Halen camp that this info is indeed TRUE. In just over two months, Van Halen will perform in Australia on April 20th! Tickets go on sale Thursday!
Van Halen and Billy Joel will headline Australia’s Stone Music Festival April 20th and 21st. This will be the first time Van Halen performed there since 1998, and the first time ever with David Lee Roth. (VAN HALEN now appears on the official STONE MUSIC FESTIVAL website).
From AdelaideNow.com.au:
BILLY JOEL and VAN HALEN will headline a surprise addition to the Australian festival calendar inspired by the ’70s cult biker film Stone.
The vintage rockers will perform at the inaugural Stone Music Festival at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium over the April 20 and 21 weekend.
It will be a one-off event with hard rock supergroup Kings Of Chaos, Richie Ramone, Buckcherry, Lifehouse and Illumination Road also confirmed for the bill.
Major Australian rock acts, including some reunited 90s chart-toppers, are also expected to be named on the bill in the lead-up to tickets going on sale on Thursday.
Joel is renowned for his love of motorcycles which puts him in the frame for the event while Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth said the film had been discovered in America via “cinephiles” like Quentin Tarantino.
The wonderfully eccentric Lee Roth, who lives in Tokyo with his Australian cattle dog Russell, said he had been encouraging his bandmates to tour outside of America.
“The Van Halens are watching from afar and if anything are just becoming aware that maybe he’s onto something,” Lee Roth said.
He said he was looking to “sharing some strong drink and bulls… stories” with their co-headliner Joel.
The promoters have also joined forces with fans of the 1974 film to recreate The Stone Run, a motorcycle ride down the F3 freeway which was held in 1999 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie.
Back then, about 34,000 mates and movie fans took part.
A single day ticket for the festival starts at $179 and a weekend pass at $319 and go on sale from noon on Thursday.
