Tina Arena popped in and absolutely tore the roof off. We’re talking truth bombs, taped boobs, and tour dates, betch.
She’s hitting the road around Australia through April and May for her Don’t Ask Again tour (yes, the hits are coming), and she'll be lighting up the Australian Idol grand finale this Sunday night on Channel 7.
We covered everything from Splendour memories and Matt Corby duets to keeping the dream alive without chasing the fantasy. And look—Tina says if you’re not in this game for the right reason? Get out. Queen energy only.
Also, she might call us next time she’s on mushrooms. Fingers crossed.
Ricky Ingel, we were talking eroding.
We were to start.
Yes high Tina Arena.
Small talking so much of it, it's time to bring it on air.
Can give you the small talk though, because we were talking yesterday about how with some singers, not all, a voice takes a lot of effort, thought and time to sustain what it always has done right. And there are some singers because sometimes we see people who we've loved since we were twelve, and then what happened to their voice? What happens is age. You can't sing like that for ead time and age.
You've got to take all of that into consideration. The face doesn't stay the same. The breasts usually as.
I'm glad, I'm glad to the breast so I didn't have to.
Be having to take my boobs to my book now, don't Ricky, please you?
I take the boys the other day. I've got to strap my tits to my back.
Nounright, Listen, Maybe in your next life you might understand what we mean.
I know in my next life, I want to be Tina Arena.
No you don't, Yes, I do.
I idolize you. I love you.
You said in fantasy you said that about Andy lady the other day as well.
I did say that about and so you're a good company.
You're being just you. Look, we're discovering.
Yes, you know, we love you so much.
You are, in my eyes, our greatest Australian artist. You and John Farnham are the two. You're the king and Queen and nothing will ever change my mind. You your voice, your songwriting, your chops, you as an artist, you as a person.
I know and love you deeply.
But just just I'm I'm.
I'm so happy to have.
Been alive in the time to have been inspired by you.
You're very sweet, darling. Yeah, you're gorgeous.
You know I was alive at the time in twenty seventeen when and I went to Splendor in the Grass.
And what were you doing at Splendor in the Grass? I hate to think.
And then all of a sudden it Sunday afternoon, almost teetering on evening, and then you come out with cliently Ason for Sorrento. Ah, what a moment with Monty.
I had a really good time.
With those, We had a good time.
I was in the crowd.
I didn't ever see me.
Monty is like, we're going to do Splendor in the grass, I said, dul I'm a bit old for s We walked out on stage. We got the most ridiculous reaction. I said, none of these kids know who I am. Of course, we just went out and had the best time. It was really fun. If it's not fun, don't do it.
But do you think that's the most fun type of performance when you can just kind of throw your hands in the air and surrender and say, you know what, We're going to have a good time no matter what happens. Because we all put so much pressure on the performances and the shows that we.
Should have do it. We should do you know what I loved about that. I said, I'm so happy to come on and do this. And I also did one with Matt Corby as well, but I said, I'll come on one provisor. Please just don't tell anybody I'm going to be there. I just don't want everything. I don't want people to know. It's just I'm not interested in the publicity of it. I just really just want to have a nice time.
We didn't know either, and I remember going and then when I got up Matt Corby.
When I got up with Matt Corby, like about I don't know three no more, maybe four years ago, such a long time ago. I said the same thing. I said, no, don't tell anyone. So he starts singing chains, because I think his rendition of chains is probably one of the most extraordinary renditions. I reve my song. Yeah, he took it somewhere else. He took it to Mattville, and that's where it's supposed to go, you know. And when I heard it the first time, I just went holy shit.
I think that when you have it, write a song, and release a song, that you then give it to us like the world, to then do what we want with it. Or do you feel very protective over that as.
Like a child.
I think maybe I felt protective years ago, but I'm a little bit like, yeah, whatever, If you guys want to have a great time doing it, it makes me really happy. I love seeing other artists hamy good time. I don't get shitty about it. I welcome it.
Well, that's because no one can sing it like you, No, But it's.
That it's not even that. I'm at a place in my life where I feel it's such an extraordinary honor to have somebody love your work and that somebody wants to give it their own sort of rendition. I think that is the highest compliment you can be paid.
Did Kelly Clarkson did a copy a rendition of Chains?
What did she do? Was it change?
Yes?
I think it was.
Before my time? Believable, stunning.
I mean, she's incredible, incredible, incredible, Joe Cracy, what do you want to ask Tina.
Well, I want to ask scene about a lot of people making love to your music because I have I have passed on a dance floor. I think at three am at the Mardi Gras after nineteen, it's not remotely shocked. At three am at the Mardi Gras after party. I remember you doing that, and it was was it three or was at five am you were on?
No, it was two. I always did the two am slot because after two I'm asleep. I said, I said, they're like five am. I said, not five am, Madam snore. There's just no way to keep me awake before a performance, like for a performance at two.
Am, thousand espressos.
A thousand espressos because I'm drug free and I just can't do it.
So what about it? What's going to keep you awake for Sunday night? At seven because I'm looking PM seven pm, Channel seven Australian on a Grand Final, Part one of the Grand Final. Some would say they're milking it or the IFL Ran Roinals only on in one afternoon, but Idle will stretch it.
But what can you reveal?
Because I've heard what you're doing, But don't tell.
Everyone what you have no revelations.
But what do you think about when you see young asser because we met some of the momsy Ricky says them every day. Yeah, there's sixteen years old and they look like that the career of a thirty year old?
Yeah, what do you say to them? It's hard to tell them. I can't tell them what to do. It's not my job to tell them what to do. All I want to show them.
I just yeah, this is how it's done kids, to show them, do.
You know what I've always been like, just don't be seduced by the fantasy because the reality is so different. I just want them to be doing those things for the right reasons and not.
Yeah, but I will say, I've known you for a very long for a long time, and you have always been I always want to know, like what is the most important thing? Like all I'm a sponge for finding out anything I possibly can. And you've always been so honest and exactly what you just said is something you would have said to me a million years ago about the world, the industry, life, the career, all of it.
It is.
It is, don't chase that thing.
Don't chase the fantasy because it is fantastic, fantasmic. Of course, it's a craft. It takes a long time to get it right. You've got to make a lot of mistakes. You're going to piss a lot of people off, and you're gonna you're gonna You're going to also do a lot of things that you don't want to necessarily do and that you ultimately shouldn't do. So this is where I believe that we're in a real change now and God willing. The only thing that I can impart when I tell artis and it doesn't matter whether they're beginning or whether they've been around for a long time. Mate, if you don't do this for the right reason, get out.
And on that.
Don't ask again the tour APNA dot com. What are you bringing to the stage? What are you going to do on stage that we like?
What am I going to do on stage. I'm going to strip Timmy and Pump. Do you want to see your fifty seven year old woman take a year? Yeah? I bet you do.
Are you doing my favorite song? Standing up on this?
Very great?
And just casually? How was Andrea Bacelli last night?
Great? Doesn't seem much, but it's.
Good as Tina Arena, don't ask again to a playing whole heads across the country, April and Matina Arena dot com so lovely to.
See you are fit? Are you throwing me out?
We can talk as long as you want, Tina.
Don't tell me your kids are knocking off now?
How boring?
Oh Jesus, believe me.
I'm going for a drink.
I'm going to want to be able drink tonight. I'm going to a really interesting place tonight.
Mushrooms, mushrooms.
I haven't done mushrooms, but when I do, a lechen or, I'll give you. I'll give it. What Why don't I call in after some mushrooms?
I want to.
I want to try heroin when it's I reckon. We need to go