Two of Australia’s most celebrated rock bands from the 1980s, Australian Crawl and Men at Work, are set to reunite later this year for the Red Hot Summer tour, marking Australian Crawl’s first performances in four decades and Men at Work’s first Australian shows in 25 years. The multi-city tour will take place throughout October and November, with stops planned at coastal venues including Manly, Coolangatta, and Mornington.

Australian Crawl’s frontman James Reyne has agreed to reunite the band, joined by his brother David Reyne, co-founder Simon Binks, and drummer John Watson, alongside Reyne’s current touring musicians. This will mark David Reyne’s return to Australian Crawl’s lineup on stage for the first time since 1979, when he left to pursue a career in television. However, the band was unable to reach original bass player Paul Williams, who is believed to be living off the grid in Queensland, and therefore will not be participating in the reunion.

Reyne, who has performed solo at the Red Hot Summer festival several times since its inception in 2011, described Australian Crawl as his musical apprenticeship before embarking on a solo career. He gave credit to festival promoter Duane McDonald for orchestrating the reunion, saying the idea came from McDonald rather than himself.

Since its launch in 2011, the Red Hot Summer tour has become a key event in Australia’s festival calendar, known for its lineups filled with local artists and a nostalgic focus on 1980s music acts. The tour appeals both to Generation X audiences who grew up with these bands and to younger fans familiar with the era’s music through family connections.

Alongside Australian Crawl and Men at Work, the 2024 Red Hot Summer lineup includes Birds of Tokyo, Vika and Linda, Eskimo Joe, Boom Crash Opera, and Ella Hooper, promising a diverse program that blends classic rock nostalgia with contemporary Australian talent.