Powderfinger guitarists rock the rails in exclusive underground gig
Powderfinger guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug played a one-off gig for a small group of workers more than 30 meters below Brisbane’s CBD.
Graeme Newton, CEO of Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, said workers at the Albert Street cave regularly talked about the acoustics and how good a performance would sound.
“With construction progressing well, Albert Street is the last of our open underground caverns, so this really was the last chance to try it out,” he said.
“We wanted to do something that was quintessentially Brisbane, and it doesn’t get much more Brisbane than having two-fifths of Powderfinger shredded hard underground, almost directly below where Festival Hall once stood.
“Powderfinger last played at Festival Hall in 2001, so being able to host Darren and Ian in such a unique way so close to the site of the iconic venue more than 20 years later was a very special moment.
“Gigs like this are just one of many ways we raise project awareness and keep the community informed about work in progress.”
Powderfinger guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug check out Cross River Rail acoustics before it’s too late.
The Mayne Yard – just north of Central Station – which will house additional trains, is the first of 15 Cross River Rail workshops to be completed as part of the rail project, originally budgeted at $5.4 billion and in would be completed by 2025.
A second rail stabling yard is being revamped on the south side of town at Clapham Yard, near Yeerongpilly Station on the Beenleigh line.