The powerful new Australian concert drama Rolling Thunder Vietnam premiered for the first time in 2014 , followed by an incredibly successful national Australian tour. Set in the Vietnam War era, the evocative and stirring production showcases some of the greatest rock songs ever produced performed by Australia’s greatest singer-actors and musicians.
The show features the music of Steppenwolf, Joe Cocker, Buffalo Springfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Gladys Knight, Billy Thorpe, The Rolling Stones and Curtis Mayfield just to name a few.
Rolling Thunder Vietnam brings to the stage a generation of young musical talent under the esteemed music direction of Chong Lim (Dancing With The Stars, John Farnham Band)
Conscription, combat, protest and homecoming, Rolling Thunder Vietnam – Songs That Defined A Generation unites personal stories of young Vietnam War soldiers with classic songs of the era. This dynamic theatrical concert draws audiences inside the lives of men on the battlefront and their family and loved ones at home.
The Vietnam War was the world’s most televised war. More than any other conflict it produced some of the most enduring songs of the 20th century. Music in the 60s meant liberation, not only for battle-weary young soldiers, but for a generation of artists whose timely yet enduring songs held up a mirror to the chaos, and expressed themes of love, betrayal and loss.
Chong Lim, Musical Director said “The Vietnam War gave rise to gutsy rock rhythms and emotion-charged guitar riffs that evoked something of the wild energy of the conflict itself. The era of Woodstock, of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, also produced many sensitive and poignant songs which have become classics because they remain relevant.”
