Red Hot Summer Tour organisers are eager to make Bendigo a regular stop on their annual rock road shows.
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More than 8000 people poured in to the Bendigo Jockey Club on Saturday to see John Farnham, the Baby Animals, 1927, Daryl Braithwaite, The Black Sorrows, and Vika and Linda Bull perform.
Tour promoter Duane McDonald said he always enjoyed coming to Bendigo.
“Each year depends on the artists, their tour period and making sure we’re not clashing with anything else in the towns we visit,” he said.
“We have been lucky with Bendigo. We clashed with Easter our first year but since then it has fitted in well.
This year was the fourth time the Red Hot Summer Tour had visited Bendigo.
“Bendigo has a beautiful venue (in the jockey club). A lot of our staff were commenting how nice to be working on lush lawns after some dry venues. It was perfect,” he said.
“(This tour) attracts a different demographic that doesn’t forgive you. Some of (yougner) shows, kids are happy to wait an hour for drinks or toilets.
“Older demographic crowds, we have extra toilets, bars and food (venues). I was all seamless and a good venue helps with that.”
Mr McDonald said this year lifted up another level.
“We expanded the space a lot more this year and John Farnham took (the show) to another level,” he said.
“(Regional areas) are not spoiled audiences. We do some shows in Melbourne and it’s an audience that might go out twice a week to a show.
“In a regional area, it is a day out that's more special for us and the audience.”
Mr McDonald said orgainsers were already eager to return again next year.
“We are already plotting and planning for next year,” he said.
“Suzi Quatro played in Ballarat for the tour(in January). In an ideal world we could convince her come play Bendigo next year. But we haven’t confirmed anything yet.”