A Canadian, an American and a Brit walked into the MCG ... if it sounds like the start of a joke, Australia is anything but amused as the Australian Football League faces the music – once again – for its choice of entertainment for the 2015 AFL grand final.
Bryan Adams, Chris Isaak and Ellie Goulding will be the headline musical acts at the showpiece sporting event, an announcement that has been met with ridicule online – as well as accusations the AFL is failing to support homegrown talent off the field.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said Adams, Isaak and Goulding would cater to a broad audience, adding that the song Summer of 69 was a “personal favourite”.
But ABC commentator Francis Leach responded: “Someone needs to change the cassette inside the Walkman ... they’re obviously suffering post-traumatic Meat(loaf) syndrome.”
Leach was referring to 2011’s controversial headliner, who Guardian Australia sports writer Russell Jackson labelled “the benchmark for crappy international acts” in his roundup of the most memorable AFL grand final performers.
The event’s 2014 headliners Ed Sheeran and Tom Jones also attracted criticism from Australian music loyalists. In April, anticipating another foreign lineup for 2015, Melbourne football and music fan Leigh Ryan launched an online petition and hashtag #rockthegranny calling for the AFL to enlist only local acts to perform at the event.
“Let’s make it homegrown again,” wrote Ryan on the petition page.
“We have a bunch of world-class rad bands in this country that have been brought up with the love of footy. Bands such as Pond, King Gizzard and Lizard Wizard and Bad Dreems ... THESE are the perfect Australian bands to fire up the ‘G’ before 2015 Granny and deserve more than anyone the chance to perform on the grandest stage of them all.”
Do you agree with Ryan? Or are you Team Kylie, Iggy or Sia? Tame Impala even? As Leach pointed out: “There’s every chance it could be an all-West Australian grand final.”
Who would you sign up to sing in September? Share your team selection in the comments below.
