A huge disco party in coming to Perth on Thursday 7 December. Disco legends KC and the Sunshine Band will be joined by Sister Sledge, The Village People and Marcia Hines for a massive concert in Kings Park.
Disco fever will running high with the latest line-up for A Day on the Green. The bands will start their national tour in Perth before heading around the country.
All the artists will perform with full bands, including an impressive 15-piece outfit with KC and the Sunshine Band.
The band scored some of the biggest hits of the disco era including That the Way (I Like It), (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty, Please Don’t Go, I’m Your Boogie Man, Keep It Comin’ Love, Get Down Tonight, Give it Up, Boogie Shoes and Come to My Island.
Joining them will be The Village People, with original lead singer Victor Willis returning to the band for the first time in 25 years.
Willis said he was excited to be coming back to Australia noting that one of his big career breaks was in Australia in the 1970’s.
“The biggest initial break in my career was in Australia in 1976 when I starred as the Tin Man in the Australian version of ‘The Wiz’,” Willis said. “So really, it all started for me there. Therefore, it’s fitting that I kick off my return as the lead singer in Australia because the people there loved me first.”
Willis was the lead singer when the band first hit the charts on featured on their biggest bits including In the Navy, YMCA, Macho Man and Go West.
The singer recently reached an out of court settlement with the band’s producer Henri Belolo, ending a long running dispute over songwriting royalties.
Willis has announced he’s returning to being the lead singer of the band, but it’s unclear which former members will be joining him. The Village People were in Perth earlier this year celebrating their 40th anniversary with Ray Simpson, who took over from Willis in 1980, on lead vocals.
Also on the line up is Australia’s own disco Queen Marcia Hines. Hines was in Perth earlier this year with the cabaret show Velvet and showed audiences that she can certainly still beat out a disco tune.
In the 1970’s Hines topped the Australian charts with hits including You, I’ve Got the Music in Me and Your Love Still Brings Me to My Knees.
In 2006 Hines released the popular Discotheque album which saw her cover many disco classics.
The fourth act on the line-up is the amazing Sister Sledge, who provided the LGBT community with the anthem We Are Family.
Working with Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edward they had some of the biggest hits of the disco era including He’s the Greatest Dancer, Lost in Music and Thinking of You. The band also scored a massive hit later in their career when returned to the charts in 1985 with Frankie.
A Day on the Green will be in Kings Park on Thursday 7 December, tickets go on sale on Monday 7 August from 10:00am. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.
image: KC and the Sunshine band by Larry Marano
Full tour dates: The Village People, KC & the Sunshine Band, Sister Sledge and Marcia Hines play A Day on the Green shows at Kings Park and Botanic Garden Perth on December 7, Leconfield Wines South Australia December 9, Rochford Wines Yarra Valley on December 10, Bimbadgen Hunter Valley December 16 and Sirroment Wines Mt Cotton on December 17. The line-up (minus Marcia Hines) play indoor shows at Margaret Court Arena Marriage Equality Arena on December 12 and Hordern Pavilion on December 14.
