Russell Morris The Farewell Tour Is A Treasure Trove Of Hits and Rarities

Russell Morris was almost apologetic when he stepped onto the Hamer Hall stage in Melbourne for the first night of The Farewell Tour on Wednesday (27 August 2025). He admitted to his fans that a 60-year career can look confusing from the outside. The truth is, Morris was never one to sit still.

Across six decades he has shifted shapes and sounds – from Australian pop prince to rock frontman, from flirtations with country to blues storyteller, and then the unexpected reinvention with the Jack Chrome albums. In the process, he became one of the rare Australian artists to sustain a recording career over sixty years.

Condensing that much history into a single night was never going to be simple. To take the pressure off, Morris left the song selection to Spiritworks promoter Phil Bathols. Bathols faced the task of building a setlist that would satisfy the faithful who bought “The Real Thing” in 1969, those who rediscovered Morris with Sharkmouth in 2012, and the diehards who knew the hidden gems scattered between.

That third group – the deep divers – were richly rewarded. Songs like Blue Eyed Girl from Morris’ self-titled 1975 album, Coming On Strong from 2008’s Jumpstart Diary, and New Dawn from 1991’s A Thousand Suns were breathtaking inclusions. Many in the audience would never have heard them live before. These rare performances elevated the evening far above a “greatest hits” nostalgia exercise.

Morris acknowledged that timing hasn’t always been kind to him. Foot In The Door (1979) was released at the tail end of punk, A Thousand Suns (1991) just as grunge conquered the world. Both albums were overlooked in their day, but tonight they were reintroduced as forgotten treasures. In many ways, this show could have been subtitled The Refresher Tour.

Of course, the hits were there. “The Real Thing”, “Sweet Sweet Love”, “Rachel”, “Mr. America” and “Wings of an Eagle” rang out as the anthems they are. But it was the stories around the songs that gave the evening a personal heartbeat. Morris recalled writing “Live With Friends” with Brian Cadd one morning in a television studio. The producers wanted a new song for the broadcast. It was written, recorded and performed in a single day – and went on to become one of his biggest hits.

The show also honoured Morris’ very beginnings with Somebody’s Image. “Hush” and “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” took the audience back to the Melbourne of the late 60s, when a teenage Russell Morris was starting out on a journey that has now come full circle.

The encore was a perfect bookend. “End of the Beginning”, his brand new single, looked to the future as Morris mused on moving forward. From there he closed with “Wings of an Eagle”, “Sweet Sweet Love”, and finally the song that made him a star, “The Real Thing”.

The Setlist

Set 1
Mr. America – single, 1970
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan cover) – b-side of Somebody’s Image “Hush”, 1968
Get Your Mind Right – Jumpstart Diary, 2008
Blown Away – Jumpstart Diary, 2008
As Far As I Remember – Jumpstart Diary, 2008
Blue Eyed Girl – Russell Morris, 1975
The Girl That I Love – single, 1969
Rachel – single, 1970
Live With Friends – Wings of an Eagle and Other Great Hits, 1973
New Dawn – A Thousand Suns, 1991
Hush (Joe South cover) – Russell Morris & Somebody’s Image, 1967

Set 2
Sharkmouth – Sharkmouth, 2012
Squizzy – Sharkmouth, 2012
The Drifter – Sharkmouth, 2012
Black Dog Blues – Sharkmouth, 2012
Coming On Strong – Jumpstart Diary, 2008
Van Diemen’s Land – Van Diemen’s Land, 2014
Tartan Lines – A Thousand Suns, 1991
Doctor in the House – Foot In The Door, 1979
Hot Love – Foot In The Door, 1979
Thunder Ground – single, 1979
Part Three Into Paper Walls – single, 1969

Encore
End of the Beginning – single, 2025
Wings of an Eagle – Wings of an Eagle and Other Great Hits, 1973
Sweet Sweet Love – Bloodstone, 1971
The Real Thing – single, 1969

The Tour Continues

Russell Morris will perform two final shows at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall today (28 August) before taking The Farewell Tour to:

6 September – Thirroul, Anita’s (two shows)
7 September – Sydney, Sydney Opera House

Full details: russellmorris.com.au/tour

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Tagged as: 70s, Australia, Hamer Hall, rock, Russell Morris, The Farewell Tour