Richard Marx closed his Australian tour in Melbourne with a surprise appearance by Kate Ceberano, performing an unreleased collaboration in a one-off live moment.
by Paul Cashmere
The final night of Richard Marx’s Australian tour delivered an unexpected collaboration in Melbourne on Friday, when he invited Kate Ceberano to join him on stage. The pair performed the unreleased track Go With Me, marking a rare live outing for a song that has remained unheard since it was written.
The appearance came as Marx wrapped the tour with his last show in the city, giving the Melbourne audience a unique moment tied directly to his current creative catalogue. Ceberano’s involvement added a distinctly Australian dimension to the finale, bridging Marx’s international repertoire with local music heritage.
The significance of the moment lies not just in the collaboration itself, but in the song’s history. Marx revealed that Go With Me was one of four songs he co-wrote with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. Of those four compositions, this remains the only one yet to be officially released, making the Melbourne performance its first public exposure in any form.
“I am so honored. It is a beautiful song,” Ceberano said as she joined Marx on stage.
Marx contextualised the performance by acknowledging both the song’s emotional tone and the spontaneity of the collaboration. “this song is so beautifully romantic in its own way. We ran through it literally one time today. She is just a trooper”.
Ceberano added a candid reflection on the preparation behind the performance. “I learned this desperately while I was driving around Melbourne all day today. I honor you so much as a singer songwriter and the words are so important to me. I like this song so much. I really don’t want to fuck it up”.
Watch the Richard Marx and Kate Ceberano performance of ‘Go With Me’:
From a setlist perspective, the concert leaned heavily into Marx’s most recent album, After Hours, which dominated the early portion of the show. The structure saw newer material presented upfront, a programming decision that delayed the audience’s connection to the artist’s established hits. Momentum built gradually, with many of the recognisable songs held back until later in the performance.
Nine of Marx’s biggest hits were reserved for the second half, often condensed into medleys or positioned within the encore. This sequencing reflects a broader trend among legacy artists, balancing promotion of new work with audience expectations for catalogue staples. While the approach can challenge pacing, it also underscores the ongoing relevance of new material within an established career.
A standout segment came when Marx paid tribute to John Farnham, performing the Farnham classics Thats Freedom and Burn For You. The inclusion of these songs anchored the show firmly in its Australian setting and acknowledged Farnham’s enduring influence on the country’s music landscape.
Within Marx’s broader career timeline, After Hours represents a later-phase project that revisits stylistic elements of the American songbook alongside original compositions. This hybrid approach situates the album within a lineage of artists reinterpreting classic forms while maintaining contemporary output. For Marx, whose catalogue spans global hits from the late 1980s and 1990s, the album signals both continuity and adaptation.
The Melbourne collaboration also reflects a wider industry pattern of cross-generational and cross-market performances. Bringing Ceberano into the set not only elevated the local connection but also demonstrated how touring artists increasingly integrate regional talent to create unique live experiences. For audiences, these moments offer something beyond the standard touring format, reinforcing the value of live performance in an era dominated by digital access.
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