Luke Steele On Nick Littlemore’s Empire Of The Sun Tour Absence – “$1 Million For 5 Shows Wasn’t Enough”

It’s no $40 billion lawsuit but Nick Littlemore, one half of Empire Of The Sun, initially wouldn’t tour behind the band’s last album, Walking On A Dream, due to money issues. At least, that’s the word from bandmate Luke Steele.

During a recent interview, Steele told Pedestrian that he was flabbergasted when Littlemore said he wasn’t going to consider touring after being offered what equated to $200,000 for five shows for the band’s appearances at Parklife 2009.

Steele admitted he was heartbroken when Littlemore told him, “When there’s real money on the table, give me a call.” Despondent and at a loss Steele conceded, “If a million dollars for five shows isn’t real money. I don’t know what is.” $5 million for 5 gigs seems more like it.

It’s difficult to tell if Steele’s taking the piss here, what with his naturally shifty eyes and constant deadpan demeanour, and it does seem unlikely that he would come out so openly about private and sensitive business dealings right before an album launch, so the truth of the matter is somewhat obscured. Nevertheless, the man said what he said.

In the same interview Steele also revealed, in earnest, that he and Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns have been working together. On the collaboration Steele said the music is a mesh of The Clash, Talking Heads and African music.

Ice On The Dune, the latest album from Empire Of The Sun, comes out Friday, 14th June. You can check out the clip for the lead single Alive below the interview.

Watch: Luke Steele on Nick Littlemore’s tour absence

Watch: Empire Of The Sun – Alive

(via Pedestrian TV)

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