Rock In The Park returns for 2016 with Jon Stevens and Mental As Anything plus some pretty cool guests performing in the picturesque setting of Lardner Park at Warragul on Saturday February 20.
Launching last year, Rock In The Park presents a fantastic, family picnic themed event with great music, a fine selection of food and drinks, providing all the ingredients for a magical afternoon this Summer. A host of guest artists including Scott Kingman and Paul Woseen from The Screaming Jets, Nick Barker, Mental As Anything plus John Stevens and his band complete a stellar line-up.
For over 30 years, Jon Stevens has had a remarkable career as a singer, songwriter and performer. His achievements have included ARIA chart-topping success as the frontman of legendary Australian band, Noiseworks, joining INXS as the “seventh member”, and maintaining a successful solo career as one of the country’s foremost touring artists.
Jon’s musical journey started off with success in his birthplace New Zealand, where he released his number one debut album. Once on Australian shores he wasted no time forming Noiseworks. Over the next five years the band produced three Top 10 singles and four Top 10 albums.
Following the success of Noiseworks, Stevens decided to pursue opportunities on a different kind of stage – starring as Judas in the 1992 highly acclaimed Australian Musical Production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. 2013 again saw Stevens treading the boards in the musical production, this time in the role of Pontius Pilot, which was met with critical acclaim.
In 2000, a studio collaboration saw Stevens become part of rock band INXS as guest vocalist and he embarked on a global tour with them. Shortly after, he was officially announced as the “seventh member” of INXS.
Returning to his solo career, Stevens then forged ahead with new material in the studio, unleashing a further two solo albums – “Changing Times” and then “Testify” in 2011. 2012 saw he and guitarist David Lowy form The Dead Daisies, touring across the USA and New Zealand during 2013 and 14.
2015 has seen Stevens return to his solo career, recording, producing and mixing his latest studio offering, “Woman” released in September.
Along with Jon Stevens at Rock In The Park comes confirmation of a popular urban myth concerns a group of art students including Greedy Smith and Martin Plaza who passed themselves off as a band in order to con the local publican into giving them a gig in exchange for free beer. The deception worked better than intended, and the group came to be known as Mental as Anything. Nearly two decades later, they are still irritating the public with their highly listenable, idiosyncratic brand of garage pop.
Mental As Anything are currently touring Australia with their hits – “Live it Up”, “The Nips are getting bigger”, “You’re So Strong”, “Too Many Times”, “If You Leave Me Can I Come Too”, “Rock & Roll music”, “Come Around”, “Lets Go to Paradise”, “Berserk Warriors”, “Spirit Got Lost”, “Romeo & Juliet”, “Mr Natural”, “The World Seems Difficult”.
Rock In The Park returns to Lardner Park in Warragul on Saturday February 20 from 2pm. Tickets for this unique family event are on sale now along with complete event details available at www.lardnerpark.com.au