Alert your Dads, because it looks like Powderfinger is making a comeback

7 May 2020 | 7:45 pm | Pilerats
Originally Appeared In

The band will celebrate ten years since their split this November, and this September marks 20 years since their break-out record... What could it all mean?.

We're not often ones to hype up comeback rumours because let's face, they never tend to end up happening. Take Daft Punk, for example. Ever since getting back together for Random Access Memories - hell, even before that - news of their reunion tour has popped up at an almost-monthly basis, from hoax websites with countdown timers leading to nothing, right through to the duo's friend of an uncle's brother's goldfish who says they're "definitely playing Coachella this year". We've heard it all.

However, news today of Powderfinger's reunion comes with a little more than just a countdown timer on a website, even if that website is very well-designed. Rumours around Powderfinger's eventual return have been floating around for a while, and the closest we've gotten to a full reunion was when they played a couple of tracks at the tail-end of Bernard Fanning's victorious Splendour In The Grass show, back in 2017 (albeit without their drummer Jon Coghill, who was also absent when the band covered Neil Young at Brisbane institution The Triffid a few years earlier).

That Splendour jam - a mere two songs, stretched out over 10-15 minutes - was monumental, because Powderfinger are one of the only groups that have actually stuck to their word about calling it a day; the show - and that aforementioned performance two years earlier - being the only time some of the members have gotten together since they ended in November 2010, and even then, it didn't include the whole band. 

Every year since, Powderfinger have been hot-rumoured for a Splendour In The Grass reunion, and with charity gigs for both COVID-19 and bushfire relief dominating the year so far, it's a surprise to see that none of the big guns have been able to pull Powderfinger out of retirement to raise a couple of bucks, although that might be soon changing. 

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Last night, they posted an update to their Facebook page with a call to action, encouraging people to sign up to the Powderfinger mailing list. Then, this morning, came an update to their profile photo and cover photo, both being throwback pictures from the group in their heyday. It's worth noting that the group don't change their profile pictures often - they 'turned the lights out' for charity back in 2018, changing their profile picture to a black square (another technique used to anticipate comebacks), but before then, it's nothing until 2010.

As Junkee points out, there's a couple of pointers that lead to a potential Powderfinger reunion incoming. This November will mark ten years since their final performance, while this September will also mark 20 years since the release of Odyssey Number Five, their most popular and acclaimed record. That, plus news coming through yesterday that Falls Festival are going all-Australian for 2020/2021 (and likely Laneway Festival too)... could it be?

Who knows, but it sounds like we might be finding out very soon.

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