No More Limits, Time to Take It Easy
Author: Nui Te Koha
Publication: Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia)
Date: July 27, 2005
Abstract: Glenn talks about their success in Australia but also seems OK with the Eagles ending for good after the California tour.
SUPERGROUP the Eagles have broken another world record -- thanks to Melbourne.
And yesterday, while hinting the Eagles will permanently split, singer Glenn Frey acknowledged our city as a true rock capital.
The Eagles' shows at Rod Laver Arena last November took the world's highest grossing box office for 2004-05, according to US music industry bible Billboard.
Over five nights at Laver, the Eagles earned $13.5 million, performing to 60,379 fans.
Those numbers beat comparative world box office figures for U2, Kylie Minogue and Neil Diamond.
"We knew Melbourne would show up, but how?" Frey said yesterday. "We would look out from the stage and you could see everybody, from 7 to 70."
Guitarist Joe Walsh laughed: "Gosh, in Melbourne, we played to one of everything."
Three Laver shows were filmed for Farewell 1; Live From Melbourne, which topped music DVD charts globally.
"There was no other place to shoot these shows. We knew Melbourne rocked," Frey said. "And we knew we wanted to film our shows there. It's nice to give an international flair and flavour to our performance."
The Eagles' feats include the biggest selling album of last century and concert attendance records worldwide.
But Frey holds Melbourne stats on a similar pedestal.
"Those numbers mean more because we are further down the line," he said. "It continues to speak for our longevity and the fact we are getting new fans.
"If it was only 40 or 50-somethings following us, we couldn't do those staggering numbers. We are still here and it's a good feeling."
But it could implode soon.
In November, the Eagles will tour California, symbolically closing their career where it began.
"If it had to end in California, where we started, it certainly wouldn't be an unhappy ending," Frey said.
