Overview
If you grew up in the 90s, odds are that you tried to memorise every single word to Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start the Fire'. Every 90s kid did. That's a skill that probably hasn't been called upon much since — other than while watching one specific episode of Parks and Recreation, and all of The Boys — but it's about to get its time to shine. Yes, the Piano Man himself is coming Down Under to sing us a song or several.
Making his first trip to Melbourne in the longest time — well, in 14 years — Joel will only play one Aussie gig. He's hitting up the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, December 10, in an Australian exclusive thanks to the Victorian Government's Always Live program. That's the blockbuster live music program that's designed to attract international acts to the state, and kicked off earlier in 2022 with the Foo Fighters playing in Geelong.
When Joel takes over the MCG, the sounds of AFL club tunes will be replaced with everything from 'Uptown Girl' and 'It's Still Rock and Roll to Me' to 'You May Be Right' and 'Only the Good Die Young' — plus 'Tell Her About It', 'Big Shot', 'River of Dreams' and, yes, 'The Longest Time' and 'We Didn't Start the Fire'.
Joel hasn't been our way for a while, but the six-time Grammy-winner has been playing one show a month at New York City's Madison Square Garden since January 2014 — and became the venue's first-ever music franchise in the process. Before he makes the trip to Melbourne, he'll notch up his 84th monthly and 130th show at The Garden.
Obviously, that's just one of his achievements. Joel has sold over 150 million records, making him the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time and the third best-selling solo artist.
If you're now keen to see the Piano Man in what's promising to be one huge gig, tickets go on sale at 10am AEST on Monday, July 4, with pre-sales from 11am AEST on Thursday, June 30.
Billy Joel will play the MCG on Saturday, December 10. Tickets go on sale at 10am AEST on Monday, July 4, with pre-sales from 11am AEST on Thursday, June 30.
Images: Myrna Suárez.