Australian Rock Collective – comprising Spiderbait’s Kram, Powderfinger’s Darren Middleton, Jet’s Mark Wilson, and You Am I’s Davey Lane – are taking the Eagles’ iconic Hotel California on tour next month.
The supergroup will play the 1976 record in full to celebrate its 50th anniversary, alongside a selection of the band’s greatest hits, at shows throughout the country, kicking off in Brunswick Heads on June 5th.
The album is widely regarded as the Eagles’ true masterpiece. Featuring the legendary title track “Hotel California” as well as hits like “New Kid in Town” and “Life in the Fast Lane”, it went on to critical acclaim and commercial success, cementing the Eagles’ status as one of the defining acts of the ’70s.
Australian Rock Collective formed in 2014 when, on a whim, the four friends were asked to perform at the World Cup in Brazil. Since then, the group have forged a tight-knit musical kinship as unique as the careers that made them so successful in their own right – including ARIA Hall of Famers Jet, You Am I, and soon, Spiderbait.
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As well as regularly playing festivals and events the nation over, Australian Rock Collective regularly draw from their earliest inspirations to present classic albums at some of the most prestigious venues in Australia.
They’ve previously played the likes of Abbey Road, Let It Be, Harvest, Dark Side Of The Moon and Led Zeppelin IV – even while continuing to make records and undertake extensive tours with their own bands.
Ahead of their tour, Tone Deaf spoke with the members of Australian Rock Collective about their favourites Eagles songs.
“The Last Resort”
Kram: “The Last Resort” says a lot about Don [Henley]’s views on the environment, development, exploitation of the land and its people – so called progress.
The song seems a perfect finale to Hotel California as the band’s masterpiece album – at once a record of great beauty but also a scathing rebuke of the vacuity of fame and fortune. “You call some place paradise, Kiss it goodbye.”
“New Kid In Town”
Darren Middleton: I’ve always been drawn to Glenn Frey’s songs, the way he tells a story, weaving through simple and beautiful melody. They always gets under my skin.
“Hotel California”
Mark Wilson: It’s a total cop out but I can’t go past “Hotel California”. I just love that bass line so much and it’s a lot of fun today play. The song is obviously omnipresent but it’s a classic for a reason.
“Wasted Time”
Davey Lane: I’m more an album ‘deep cut’ guy than a ‘hits’ guy (maybe one of the reasons my own attempts at songwriting have harvested many the former and none of the latter?!), but how deep is a deep cut on one of the biggest selling LP’s of all time? “Wasted Time” has all I crave in music – gut wrenching chord progression, and dazzling string and background vocal arrangement. C’est un regal, as they say somewhere in the European continent…
For complete tour and ticket information, see here.
AUSTRALIAN ROCK COLLECTIVE TOUR 2026
Friday, June 5th
Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads NSW
Saturday, June 6th
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane QLD
Tuesday, June 9th
Civic Theatre, Newcastle NSW
Friday, June 12th
Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul NSW
Sunday, June 14th
Llewellyn Hall, Canberra ACT
Tuesday, June 16th
Hamer Hall, Melbourne VIC
Thursday, June 18th
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW
Saturday, June 20th
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide SA
Wednesday, June 24th
Astor Theatre, Perth WA
