Australian Crawl ProfileSimon Binks won’t be joining his bandmates in Australian Crawl for their upcoming reunion shows, which include headlining the Red Hot Summer Tour and embarking on a handful of tour dates with Men At Work.
Earlier this week, Binks sent out an email to media outlets – including The Music – to share that he’s not part of the touring line-up.
“I am NOT playing at the forthcoming Australian Crawl events, despite what is being reported,” he wrote.
Adding that he “rehearsed with the band twice” but pulled out of touring commitments due to family matters, Binks told The Music that ultimately, he “couldn’t fit the gigs in with my present commitments. No hard feelings but life has merely moved on from the early eighties.”
Since Binks sent out his original statement to the media, singer James Reyne has also clarified his bandmate’s position.
“It was great to catch up with Simon at rehearsal,” Reyne wrote on social media today (10 September).
He continued, “As Simon has stated, it’s unfortunate that due to unanticipated family responsibilities, he can no longer be involved in this celebration of Australian Crawl.
“We hope that everyone respects his privacy and who knows what the future may bring.”
In his media statement, Binks said he supports Reyne “100%” in the ownership of the name Australian Crawl.
Earlier this year, Reyne and Binks issued a statement addressing a trademark dispute with former bandmate Bill McDonough.
In March, the pair filed an application to the Australian Federal Court challenging McDonough’s acquisition of Australian Crawl trademarks, which he acquired in the '90s – more than seven years after the "then members of Australian Crawl unanimously voted Bill out of the band" in 1983, as Binks put it.
“Bill wasn’t even in the band when we did our first tour of the east coast of Australia. That was David Reyne on drums, which is why he’s involved in this reformation,” Binks told The Music.
He continued, “Bill was then engaged, against my vote, to play on The Boys Light Up album, but then sacked in 1983 when the rest of the band realised he was not up to the task.
“His ‘ownership' of the name is ridiculous, although perhaps profitable for him.”
This year’s edition of the Red Hot Summer Tour, headlined by Australian Crawl, has been met with extraordinary demand. Dates in Sandstone Point, Berry, Manly, the Hunter Valley, Coolangatta, Mornington, and Swan Valley are sold out, with shows in Toowoomba, Ballarat, and Glenelg selling fast.
Additionally, Australian Crawl and Men At Work confirmed that they’ll also perform two shows in metropolitan locations earlier this week, taking over Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Brisbane’s Riverstage.
The two headliners will be joined by homegrown favourites Vika & Linda and Boom Crash Opera – both also appearing at this year’s Red Hot Summer Tour alongside Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, and Killing Heidi’s Ella Hooper.
