It’s footy finals season, baby! The good time of year. The big kahuna. The Granpappy of ’em all. And beyond just what happens on the field between the whistles, Australia’s big sporting administration bodies are hard at work trying to book the mini-festivals that accompany proceedings.
Today, the NRL has unveiled the headline act for its Grand Final pre-game entertainment, and the league body has scored itself something of a coup by luring out… Macklemore.
Ole’ thrift shop-singin’-ass Macklemore himself.
Though the AFL has reportedly all-but nabbed The Killers to play their iteration of the big game, the NRL will take a slightly different direction by flying out Macklemore to perform at ANZ Stadium in what will be the 34-year-old’s only appearance in the country on this trip.
Though NRL had previously been circling Pearl Jam to counter the AFL’s significant get, today’s announcement is a bit of an about-face for the league, with the move catching many fans off-guard.
Alan Jones, for one, is extremely miffed about the whole situation.
https://twitter.com/AlanJones/status/903373406740955137
Sorry, Alan. Maybe they’ll book Boz Scaggs for you next year.
Macklemore’s appearance at the GF will come mere days after the release of his new album ‘Gemini,’ which hits stores on September 22.
The league has heralded the get as a “real coup,” with the NRL’s chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo stating, “He is one of the world’s leading artists at the moment and popular with Australians and most importantly our fans.”
Meanwhile, fan reaction is ah… mixed.
Nrl announcing Macklemore after chasing Foo Fighters is the equivalent of when Penrith were chasing thurston and ended up signing Soward
— Ryan Heighway (@Heighway_) August 31, 2017
The AFL is yet to officially confirm their lineup for Grand Final day, but are expected to announce it in the coming days.
The Killers. Midnight Oil. The Smith Street Band. Book it, Gillon.
The 2017 NRL Grand Final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 1st.
