Buckley, 25 Years On is a celebration of the life and career of one of the world’s most brilliant musicians, lost far too soon. The show brings together local artists with NYC guitarist Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart, Lou Reed, John Cale, Patti Smith, Nick Cave) commemorating the relationship between Jeff Buckley and the love which remains for his music here on Australian soil.

Taking on a semi-chronological flow, the show documents through music, film, and memoir, the story of how Lucas and Buckley came to work together — a creative partnership which resulted in Buckley’s highly acclaimed 1994 album, Grace.

Audiences will get the opportunity not only to listen in to first-hand recounts of the friendship between the pair, but also see a mix of previously unreleased, and archive footage, as well as hearing the music that they know and love.

With a setlist that incorporates tracks from Buckley’s father, lauded American singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, Jeff’s early compositions and collaborations with Gary Lucas, cover material from Buckley’s gigging repertoire (Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison etc.), and classics off of Grace, audiences will be able to enjoy a night of world-class music, played and celebrated by world-class musicians.

It is an intimate insight into the music and life of Jeff Buckley, whilst honouring the brilliant legacy he has left behind.

“Jeff Buckley was a pure drop in an ocean of noise” — Bono

“One of the best and most original guitarists in America...a modern guitar miracle" — Rolling Stone

I couldn’t have produced this show without the most incredible band, to them I am so grateful.

Featuring:

John Dixon | Lead Vocals, Guitar

John Dixon sings songs about love, change and life lessons with a voice that's both blue collar and bohemian, somewhere between Neil Young and Jeff Buckley.
His second and latest EP 'Resolutions' features John on vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass and keys with complex and layered arrangements as foundations for heartfelt and contemplative lyrics.  

Michael Carpenter | Electric Bass

Michael Carpenter's career continues to evolve and take unexpected turns. As a long time respected producer, he continues his 30 year plus career, being one of the most in demand producer/engineer/mixing people in Sydney, and an early adopter of Dolby Atmos mixing processes.

Russell Crawford | Drums

This Australian multi-instrumentalist has built a solid reputation as one of Sydney’s finest and in demand drummers, both in the live and studio arenas. Russell has toured the nation with the likes of Josh Pyke, Bryan Estepa, Fallon Cush, Perry Keyes and appeared on several acclaimed albums by these artists and more.

World-class guitarist Gary Lucas is on his way back to Australia. The Grammy-nominated songwriter, international recording artist and soundtrack composer for film and television, with over 50 esteemed records under his belt, will return to Australian shores in 2023 for the Buckley, 25 Years On tour.

The NSW tour will take place off of the back of a similar run of shows across Europe and America in 2022, honouring the life and career of dear friend and collaborator, Jeff Buckley, who passed away in April of 1997.

Kicking off in March of 2023, Lucas, along with local Australian artists and guest vocalists, will invite audiences to experience the music of Jeff Buckley, as well as the music that influenced his incredible yet too short a career. Bringing together archival footage, stories, and performances, the show is an intimate celebration of a person, a musician, and the inspiration behind one of the most highly acclaimed albums of all time.

Having recorded over 50 albums to date, Gary Lucas, former Captain Beefheart guitarist and co-manager, is not only an international recording artist, but a soundtrack composer for film and television, and a Grammy-nominated songwriter.

The Syracuse-born guitarist has performed in over 40 countries, and has collaborated with some of the world’s finest musicians including Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart), Jeff Buckley, Leonard Bernstein, Lou Reed, John Cale, Patti Smith, Chris Cornell, Bryan Ferry, Nona Hendryx, Los Van Van, Bob Weir, Nick Cave, Thurston Moore, Lukas Ligeti, Martha Wainwright, Camille O'Sullivan, and Steve Kilbey among others.

Gary has also received several Lifetime Achievement Awards for his songwriting with Jeff Buckley (‘Grace’ & ‘Mojo Pin’), the results of which can be heard on Buckley’s 1994 record Grace, which has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide, and certified 8x platinum in Australia.

"One of the best and most original guitarists in America...a modern guitar miracle" — Rolling Stone

“There's always something special about hearing the original musician performing material and Lucas's trademark guitar work is intricate, his unassuming style mesmerising.” — The Music

"A phenomenal guitarist" — Bruce Springsteen

"Can there be another musician as adventurous, ingenious, accomplished, diverse, intrepid, hard-working and well-travelled as Gary Lucas?" — Pete Frame, former editor of ZigZag Magazine

Born November 17, 1966, Jeff Buckley was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Growing up in and around Los Angeles, Jeff Buckley was engaged with music from a very early age. Playing the guitar from 5 years old, by age 12, Jeff knew he wanted to pursue a career as a musician. After completing tertiary studies at the New Music Institute in Hollywood, Jeff played in a myriad of bands, playing anything from jazz, reggae, metal and rock.

Greetings From Tim Buckley, a tribute to the late singer songwriter on April 26 1991, saw Jeff Buckley’s first recognised performance in New York. The concert, co-produced by Hal Willner, was a show in memory of Jeff’s estranged father, and marked the beginning of a truly extraordinary musical collaboration with guitarist Gary Lucas, who was also on the bill.

Together, the pair penned multiple compositions, usually with Gary providing the musical foundations on guitar, and Jeff filling in the gaps with lyrics and melody. Jeff remained in Lucas’ band Gods and Monsters until 1992 when he left the group to pursue his own solo sound.

After signing with Columbia off the back of these solo shows in small NYC clubs, and releasing his first commercial EP (Live at Sin-é), Buckley formed a band with drummer Matt Johnson, bassist Mick Grøndahl, and later recruiting a second guitarist in Michael Tighe, before releasing what would be his only studio album, Grace, in 1994.

Grace has since surpassed 2.5 million copies sold, winning multiple awards including being named one of Rolling Stone’s top 500 Albums of All Time, having 4 tracks included in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of All Time, named the No.1 Modern Rock Classic of all time by Mojo, and rated as Australia’s second favourite album by the ABC.

Buckley toured extensively until 1997, by which time he was getting organised to record his second album. However, on April 29 1997, Jeff Buckley waded into the Wolf River in Memphis, and drowned in the undertow of a passing boat. He was 30 years old.

Thankfully, Jeff Buckley’s story doesn’t end there. Fans continue to cherish Grace and the string of posthumous releases which followed, in turn nurturing new generations of listeners all over the world.

“The album that I've been listening to for the last 18 months is Grace by Jeff Buckley. He is a great, great singer. He has such an emotional range, doing songs by Benjamin Britten and Leonard Cohen as well as his own - such technique and command” — Jimmy Page

“That's something my favourite classical musicians can do, be themselves but use all that expertise to make the music more beautiful. Jeff did that naturally. Only a handful of people are capable of that” — Elvis Costello

“Jeff Buckley was a pure drop in an ocean of noise” — Bono