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| Legendary singer songwriter, Ralph McTell, returns to Australia
by Erin Jameson
Returning to Australia for the first time in five years, UK musical legend Ralph McTell will perform his much loved classics from his illustrious career that spans over six decades, armed simply with his songs, his guitar and his stories. Playfully titled the “Streets of Oz Tour”, the iconic “Streets of London” singer songwriter will travel the country throughout February and March, performing at seventeen venues across Victoria, including Port Fairy Folk Festival, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. The unassuming singer songwriter is a prolific touring and recording artist with a knack for illuminating the present and the road ahead with a strong connection to a shared, storied, past. McTell is an artist who has always defined his own artistic term, his music emanating grace, experience and learning, natural poise and deep substance with harmonic and melodic riches contained in voice, songs and six stringed guitar glory. Audiences all over the world still flock to hear and sing along to the timeless classic that catapulted him to global fame. Fondly abbreviated from Streets of London to “Streets”, the melodic beauty and cold hard truth of the song keeps it forever relevant. McTell also tells his incredible life stories to enraptured audiences with song and banter. From hitch hiking with Rod, then known as Mod Stewart, playing the Isle of Wight Festival alongside Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, a crap game with Tom Waits in LA, an Ivor Novello and numerous folk awards. But it’s McTell’s excellence as a finger picking guitarist and writer of pointed, empathetic songs that have always guided him. His songs have covered a broad stylistic waterfront including the blistering early autistic awareness of ‘Michael In The Garden’, and the priceless immigrant lament ‘From Clare To Here’. ‘Bentley & Craig’, the social injustice ballad born on the streets where he was raised, led him to support the ultimately successful campaign for a posthumous pardon. Many more songs besides and as worthy of attention as his most famed composition are threaded through his fastidious and measured life work. Prepare to be enthralled! Tickets to see Ralph McTell’s Streets of Oz Tour are on sale now and are already selling fast! Check ralphmctell.co.uk for updates. |
