Brian “BT” Taranto’s Love Police turns 30 in 2027, with new tour announcements beginning tomorrow and The Wallflowers set to lead the anniversary year with their first Australian shows.
by Paul Cashmere
Love Police will mark 30 years of Australian touring in 2027, with founder Brian “BT” Taranto preparing a series of new announcements beginning tomorrow, September 1. The anniversary follows three decades in which Taranto’s independent operation has moved between touring, merchandise, artist services, festivals, design and recorded music, with The Wallflowers scheduled to make their Australian debut in December as part of the company’s current touring programme.
The Love Police story began in Sydney in 1997, when Taranto and his collaborators adopted the name in a park, describing it as a concept built around the union of people and the organic way things happen.
The company had initially been involved in merchandise for festivals including Big Day Out and Summersault during the summer of 1996-97. In March 1997, it moved into tour promotion, beginning with an unlikely first assignment: blues veteran Tony Joe White, who had not toured for years.
Seven shows were initially booked. By the end of the run, 27 had been played.
That early experience established a model that would become central to Love Police: identifying artists with strong connections to audiences, bringing them to Australia and allowing demand to determine where the touring could go.
Taranto remains closely involved with the operation. “I’ve always felt like a kid doing this stuff. Still do, and it’s been decades, but that feeling remains,” he says. “Our passion for what we do is unquestionable. Caring about how it is all presented and how it all rolls is important. We look forward to a special year of celebration and good times.”
Over the following decades, Love Police developed a reputation for presenting international artists across alternative rock, Americana, blues, folk and roots music. The touring catalogue has included Gomez, Wilco, John Cale, The Black Keys, Justin Townes Earle and Lou Reed.
The Lou Reed tour in 2007 was among the company’s more ambitious projects. Reed performed his 1973 album Berlin in full, taking the record’s theatrical and narrative qualities into a large-scale live production.
The Black Keys were another significant Love Police association. The company brought Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney to Australia before the duo developed into one of American rock’s major touring acts. Auerbach also undertook a solo Australian tour with Love Police in 2009.
Gomez became another important connection, with Love Police presenting the British group in Australia around the turn of the century. Wilco, John Cale and numerous Americana and independent artists followed, reinforcing the company’s position within a particular part of the international touring circuit.
Love Police also expanded beyond promotion. In 2004, Taranto and You Am I’s Andy Kent established Love Police Records, initially as an extension of the same independent philosophy that informed the touring business. The label was created after the company responded to music it believed deserved a release rather than as part of a long-term plan to build a conventional record company.
Love Police later developed Love Police Records and Tapes, linking recorded music more directly with the touring and merchandise operations. Releases have included music from Warumpi Band, Melissa Carper, Alex Hamilton and Mylee Grace.
Taranto also founded Out On The Weekend in 2014, creating a Melbourne festival centred on Americana, alt-country, roots and related music. The event established itself at Seaworks in Williamstown and hosted international and Australian artists before taking a hiatus in 2026 amid rising costs across the independent live music sector.
The economics of touring have become increasingly challenging for independent promoters, particularly with higher international artist costs, insurance and operational expenses. Love Police’s decision to pause Out On The Weekend illustrated those pressures while leaving its touring operation active.
That activity includes The Wallflowers, who will make their first Australian concert appearances in December. The band will perform Bringing Down The Horse in full, marking 30 years since the 1996 album, followed by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Long After Dark. Love Police has confirmed five Australian performances in Melbourne, Thirroul, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
The Wallflowers connection also reflects the musical territory Love Police has occupied for much of its history. Bringing Down The Horse became the band’s breakthrough record, producing One Headlight, 6th Avenue Heartache, The Difference and Three Marlenas. The Australian concerts will place Jakob Dylan’s band alongside a complete performance of an album by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, an important influence on Dylan’s songwriting.
With Love Police entering its fourth decade, the immediate focus is on what comes next. The company has confirmed that the first 2027 tour announcements will begin tomorrow, opening a new chapter for an operation that started with seven Tony Joe White shows and developed into one of Australia’s enduring independent touring companies.
The Wallflowers Tour Dates
December 4, Melbourne, Palais Theatre
December 5, Thirroul, Anita’s Theatre
December 6, Sydney, Liberty Hall
December 8, Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
December 9, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
Ticket Details
The Wallflowers tickets are on sale through Love Police.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first-Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
