A music icon in the truest sense of the word, George Clinton is charting his return to Australia for a series of unmissable tour dates this September. The funk innovator and maestro will be touring the East Coast this Spring, bringing fans his inimitable style and curation of sound that has made him a globally renowned superstar.
Wednesday 17 September Miami Marketta Gold Coast
Thursday 18 September Fortitude Music Hall Brisbane
Saturday 20 September Palais Theatre Melbourne
Sunday 21 September Enmore Theatre Sydney
Redefining a genre and generation of black music with his Parliament/Funkadelic collectives, Clinton’s influence extended beyond the 1970s funk and Afrofuturism movements. Early chapters of Clinton’s work with Parliament merged together the soul of Motown, rawness of Hendrix and hedonism of Sly Stone, while firmly establishing his own style of musicianship and songwriting.
As he shifted into more experimental modes with music, Funkadelic was born upon a rich bed of psych and funk blends, as well as sci-fi and theatrical threads of storytelling. Concept albums including Maggot Brain, Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow, America Eats Its Young brought together insatiable dance beats and rhythms with rock and psych influences, properly enshrining Funkadelic as more than just a passion project for Clinton.
With Parliament/Funkadelic, ‘P-Funk’ was born: a movement that laid the foundation for musicians who, like Clinton, would go on to enjoy influential status themselves, including Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell and Eddie Hazel. As Clinton’s prophetic 1978 mantra claims, ‘One nation under a groove’ – the origins and evolution of Parliament/Funkadelic remains one of contemporary music’s most fun and intricate stories of success.
By the end of the 70’s, Parliament and Funkadelic had a combined 39 charting singles; with number one R&B hits such as ‘Flash Light’, ‘One Nation Under A Groove’, ‘(Not Just) Knee Deep’ & ‘Aqua Boogie’. The band also had 7 albums that either went gold or platinum throughout the decade.
Proving an open and curious mind for sound and bending genre expectation, Clinton inspired a wave of musicians who would follow his lead. Clinton’s solo career too, launched in the 1980s, would go on to provide integral ingredients for waves of hip hop that became internationally recognised in the 1990s – specifically the West Coast sound.
Clinton’s catalogue as a collaborator, and as an artist whose voice/work has been sampled by peers, is as extensive as his own body of original work. His distinct sound can be heard on a variety of records by artists including Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus, Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg and Drake – further proving his legacy status and enduring presence as one of modern music’s most impactful artists.
Of his Australian return this September, Clinton has expressed his excitement to get back to crowds Down Under and reconnect with a fanbase he has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with.
“We have a blast every time we come to Australia. Aussie’s know what it means to have a good time: the national motto should be free your mind and your ass will follow. My band has been funkin’ real hard lately…you don’t wanna miss what we be throwin down. Come on out and get funked up!” GEORGE CLINTON
As a touring artist, Clinton remains one of the busiest even now, over five decades into his career. Through rigorous tours with Parliament/Funkadelic and his other projects, the fire and excitement for live performances has never waned for Clinton; his Australian tour simply adds to what stands to be another fruitful year for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and mastermind of P-Funk.