The BACK Tour (subtitled Old Songs, New Songs, F*** You Songs) was a concert tour by Australian musician Tim Minchin. The tour began on 5 March 2019 at the Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide before touring Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom before concluding on 22 January 2022 at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney.
Background On 29 August 2018, it was announced that Tim Minchin would be making his first tour following his orchestra arena tour in 2010 and 2011 (with the exception of a micro tour of Los Angeles in 2017 called Leaving LA) promoted by Live Nation Entertainment in Australian and New Zealand in March and April 2019 and Phil McIntyre in the UK in October and November 2019.
The 2019 tour featured old songs from his previous musical comedy shows and songs from his stage musicals Matilda, Groundhog Day and his TV series Upright. It also featured new songs reflecting Minchin's past experiences, relationships, social and political views such as "If This Plane Goes Down", "Leaving LA", "I'll Take Lonely Tonight", "Carry You" and "Talked Too Much, Stayed Too Long" which also feature on Minchin's studio album Apart Together released in 2020.
Due to the popularity of the sold-out Australian and New Zealand tour, it was announced that Minchin would be touring again as an Encore tour in March 2020, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic dates had to be rescheduled to January and February 2021, then again to June and July 2021, with a couple of dates announced as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Also dates were announced for an Encore tour of the UK in October and November 2021. The 2021 dates feature most of the songs from the 2019/20 tour with more songs replaced with songs from the Apart Together album including "Airport Piano" and "The Absence of You".
During the tour, VIP tickets were sold raising the money to various charities in which $1.25million was raised.
Tour band
Tim Minchin; lead vocals, piano, guitar Jak Housden; guitar, BV's Sarah Belkner; keys, BV's, guiro, tambourine, melodica, keytar, guitar, piano, assistant MD Pete Clements; bass guitar (2019 UK tour) Brad Webb; drums (2019 UK tour) Tom Richards; alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, dancer (2019 UK tour) Rory Simmons; trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, dancer (2019 UK tour) Emma Bassett; trombone (2019 UK tour)
Set list
"If This Plane Goes Down" "F Sharp" "Mitsubishi Colt" "Thank You God" "Airport Piano" "15 Minutes" "The Absence of You" "If I Didn't Have You" Interval "Leaving LA" "Cheese" "I'll Take Lonely Tonight" "Talked Too Much, Stayed Too Long" Encore "Carry You"
Tour dates DateCityCountryVenueAustralia and New Zealand tour5 March 2019AdelaideAustraliaThebarton Theatre6 March 20197 March 20198 March 20199 March 201912 March 2019CanberraCanberra Theatre13 March 201914 March 201915 March 201916 March 201919 March 2019PerthCrown Theatre20 March 201921 March 201922 March 201923 March 201926 March 2019SydneyState Theatre27 March 201928 March 201929 March 20193 April 2019MelbournePalais Theatre4 April 20195 April 20196 April 20197 April 20199 April 2019BrisbaneQueensland Performing Arts Centre10 April 201911 April 201912 April 201914 April 2019AucklandNew ZealandASB Theatre15 April 201916 April 201918 April 2019WellingtonMichael Fowler Centre19 April 201923 April 2019MelbourneAustraliaPalais Theatre24 April 201928 April 2019SydneyState Theatre29 April 201930 April 20193 May 2019Gold CoastThe Star4 May 2019United Kingdom tour15 October 2019IpswichEnglandRegent Theatre16 October 201917 October 2019OxfordNew Theatre18 October 201919 October 201922 October 2019SheffieldCity Hall23 October 2019NottinghamRoyal Concert Hall24 October 201925 October 2019ManchesterO2 Apollo26 October 201929 October 2019CardiffWalesSt David's Hall30 October 201931 October 2019LiverpoolEnglandEmpire Theatre1 November 20192 November 2019PortsmouthGuildhall5 November 2019PlymouthPavilions6 November 20197 November 2019LondonEventim Apollo8 November 20199 November 2019Palladium12 November 2019Eventim Apollo13 November 201914 November 201915 November 2019BirminghamHippodrome16 November 201919 November 2019EdinburghScotlandPlayhouse20 November 201921 November 2019GatesheadEnglandSage22 November 2019GlasgowScotlandSEC Armadillo23 November 2019EdinburghPlayhouse26 November 2019BrightonEnglandDome27 November 201928 November 2019Southend-on-SeaCliffs Pavilion29 November 201930 November 2019Australia – Encore tour6 March 2020PerthAustraliaCrown7 March 202012 March 2020HobartWrest Point Entertainment Centre13 March 202014 March 2020Australia and New Zealand – Encore tour (rescheduled due to COVID-19 pandemic)12 June 2021AdelaideAustraliaAdelaide Festival Theatre (as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival)13 June 202117 June 2021WellingtonNew ZealandMichael Fowler Centre19 June 2021AucklandCivic Theatre20 June 202125 June 2021ChristchurchChristchurch Town Hall2 July 2021MelbourneAustraliaHamer Hall3 July 20214 July 20215 July 20216 July 20217 July 202112 July 2021BrisbaneFortitude Music Hall13 July 202114 July 202115 July 2021United Kingdom – Encore tour16 October 2021AberdeenScotlandP&J Live17 October 2021EdinburghFestival Theatre19 October 2021YorkEnglandBarbican20 October 2021DundeeScotlandCaird Hall23 October 2021BirminghamEnglandHippodrome24 October 202125 October 2021BrightonBrighton Centre26 October 202128 October 2021PortsmouthPortsmouth Guildhall31 October 2021Newcastle upon TyneO2 City Hall1 November 20212 November 2021LeedsFirst Direct Arena3 November 2021HullBonus Arena6 November 2021ManchesterO2 Apollo7 November 20218 November 2021LondonEventim Apollo9 November 202110 November 2021PortsmouthPortsmouth Guildhall11 November 2021LondonEventim Apollo14 November 2021NottinghamMotorpoint Arena15 November 2021ManchesterO2 Apollo17 November 2021LeicesterDe Montfort Hall18 November 2021IpswichRegent Theatre20 November 2021BlackpoolOpera House21 November 2021Stockton-on-TeesGlobe Theatre22 November 202124 November 2021CardiffWalesMotorpoint Arena25 November 2021OxfordEnglandNew Theatre27 November 2021PlymouthPlymouth Pavilion28 November 2021BournemouthInternational Centre30 November 2021LondonShepherd's Bush Empire1 December 2021Australia – Encore tour (rescheduled due to COVID-19 pandemic)11 January 2022NewcastleAustraliaCivic Theatre12 January 202218 January 2022SydneyEnmore Theatre19 January 202220 January 202221 January 202222 January 2022
Filmed recording On 17 February 2022, Minchin revealed that the final UK shows at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London were filmed and due to be released at a later date. On 11 October 2022, it was revealed that the recording would be shown in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 23 November 2022.
References