Kate Ceberano's Australian Made Tour Returns for Encore After 40 Years
From the sidelines of stadium stages in the scorching summer of 1986, Kate Ceberano witnessed a revolution in Australian music. She watched as icons like INXS, Jimmy Barnes, Divinyls, Models, The Saints, Mental As Anything, and The Triffids electrified tens of thousands with their raw energy and undeniable talent. Concert promoters had once claimed only international acts could fill large venues, but the Australian Made tour proved them spectacularly wrong, drawing massive crowds across the nation.
Ceberano, then just 20 years old and performing with her band I'm Talking, recalls feeling "perpetually terrified" amidst these volatile and talented rock stars. Yet, amidst the chaos, she forged lasting connections and gleaned invaluable lessons that would shape her career. With INXS's charismatic frontman Michael Hutchence, she bonded over shared passions for books and poetry. From Andrew "Greedy" Smith of Mental As Anything, she found a kindred spirit, describing their connection as "two little sparks from the same engine." And from Chrissy Amphlett of Divinyls, she learned the crucial lesson to always remain true to herself, never imitating others.
A Personal Tribute to Lost Legends
When Ceberano's husband and manager, Lee Rogers, reminded her of the tour's impending 40th anniversary last year, it sparked a deep reflection. Over the decades, Ceberano has released 31 albums, with 11 reaching the top 10 across five decades, earned 22 ARIA nominations, and seen her debut solo single "Brave" go triple platinum. She has performed over 6000 live shows, been inducted into the Australian Songwriters' Hall of Fame as the first woman, and starred alongside John Farnham in Jesus Christ Superstar. Yet, with many of her contemporaries no longer alive, she faced a poignant question: how best to honor their legacy?
The answer came in the form of a tour last year, a stripped-back affair with just five musicians and crew crammed into two cars. Despite its modest setup, audiences "went off their nuts," with nearly every show selling out and a live album hitting No. 7 on the ARIA charts. This "unexpected runaway success" made an encore inevitable, leading to this year's expanded tour.
Reviving Classics with Heart and Soul
For the encore, Ceberano has assembled a new lineup, featuring multi-instrumentalist Kathleen Halloran and blues-rock musician Dusty Lee Stephensen, replacing Darren "Harts" Hart who is focusing on his own album. Ceberano sees this as an opportunity to champion under-recognized talent, noting that independent musicians often lack the support of top-tier artists. "I felt that it was by giving them that audience and putting them in front of all my people, it was a way of also extending that conversation," she explains.
The show features iconic songs from the Australian Made era, such as "Burn For You," "I Touch Myself," and "You Got Nothing I Want," alongside Ceberano's own hits like "Brave" and "Pash." It also includes more recent tracks from artists like Wolfmother and Sia, creating a journey through decades of Australian music. Ceberano describes it as putting audiences "into kind of a romantic reverie of who they were, then drags them through to become who they become."
Lessons from a Bygone Era
Reflecting on the original tour, Ceberano shares vivid memories of the aggressive, raw culture of 1980s rock bands. "They were born out of the earth, whatever little patch of dirt they called home," she recalls. From figures like Chris Bailey of The Saints, she learned about resilience and authenticity. Amphlett's blunt advice—"get the f... out of my face. What are you, trying to be me? Go be yourself"—reinforced the importance of self-discovery.
As Ceberano approaches her 60th birthday during the tour's final week, she feels a disconnect from her younger self but embraces the growth that has come from mistakes and failures. "I think coming into 60, you have to kill off so much of the things you had retained, thinking you might need them," she muses. "I just feel so remote from who I've been these days." Yet, when asked who she wanted to be when she grew up, she confidently answers, "Kate Ceberano."
The 2026 Australian Made Tour will visit venues including the Astor Theatre on September 4, ManPAC in Mandurah on September 5, and Heart in Margaret River on September 6. For more details, visit kateceberano.com.
