Legendary hard rock band WINGER is set to electrify Australia for the final time, bringing their farewell tour to rock fans across the country.
For one unmissable tour, all of the original members— Kip Winger (vocals, bass), Reb Beach (guitar), Rod Morgenstein (drums), Paul Taylor (guitar, keyboards) and John Roth (guitar) —will travel to Australia to deliver the ultimate send-off, celebrating decades of iconic music in a career-spanning spectacle.
Formed in 1987, Winger quickly rose to fame with their triple-platinum, self-titled debut album, which spawned hits like “Seventeen,” “Headed for a Heartbreak,” and “Madalaine.” Their sophomore album, In the Heart of the Young, solidified their place in rock history, delivering anthems such as “Miles Away” and “Can’t Get Enuff.” The band most recently released their Seventh album, Seven in 2023.
Known for their virtuosic musicianship, tight harmonies, and high-energy performances, Winger has remained a force in the rock world for nearly four decades. Over the years, the band has gained critical acclaim, with Grammy nominations and widespread recognition for their intricate compositions and electrifying stage presence. Each member of the band has built an impressive resume beyond Winger— Reb Beach has been a longtime guitarist for Whitesnake, Rod Morgenstein has played with the Dixie Dregs, Paul Taylor has collaborated with Alice Cooper, John Roth has played with Giant and Starship whilst Kip Winger has enjoyed a successful solo career and a critically acclaimed career as an orchestral composer which has earned him a Grammy nomination.
Now, Australian fans will finally get the chance to witness Winger in their full glory, as they bid farewell with an explosive, career-defining setlist that promises all the classics and deep cuts that fans have cherished for years. This historic tour marks a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Winger’s original lineup on Australian soil for the first and final time before they take their final bow.
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Rod Morgenstein to talk about the tour and he said that the band couldn’t be more excited about the tour.
“We are so pumped,” he says laughing. “We did a couple of shows in the early 2000s in Sydney and Melbourne with Ratt and they were amazing. The only other time I’ve been to Australia was in 1994 and I came over to do some drum clinics. I only have fond memories of Australia and the thing I remember most is that the people are so friendly. When you travel around the world you see that that isn’t always the case.”
The fact that this will be final tour though does change things a little bit for Rod.
“I guess melancholy is probably the best way to put it,” he explains. “We are all great friends – in fact Kip and I are best friends. We have a lot of fun hanging out with each other and there are a lot of stories out there about bands who can’t stand each other and they only see each other on stage – we aren’t like that. We love doing things like having meals together and travelling together so the playing part is still incredibly joyful. But there is a little tinge of sadness around the fact that we are finally winding things down after 37 years.”
“I think with a lot of musicians they have essentially just played with one band,” says Rod when I ask how he is preparing for himself for Winger no longer being part of his life. “They have never really branched out and experienced the other potential possibilities that are out there but for me I come from an eduction family. Both my parents were professors and I have been a Professor at Berkley School of Music for 20 years. I studied at Miami University and got my Bachelors and I have written drum books, I have done instructional videos and created a college course for Berkley’s online division called Rock Drums and just recently I started a drum tool business so my point is that yes there is that sad feeling that the band will be coming to an end but most of us over the years have delved into other opportunities that allow us to stay a musician and make a living from it.”
“I find that is what gets most musicians into trouble,” he continues. “They are creative but they are not business orientated and they don’t really plan for a rainy day or they don’t really plan for the day that is going to come when it is not so easy to travel and perform.”
As we talk more about the fact that this is Winger’s final time in Australia we begin to discuss what kind of impact that will have on the set list.
“If you have hit songs then you just have to play them,” he says. “There will always be a significant part of the audience that have come to a show to hear those songs. I have heard of some artists over the years that have gone through a phase where they have refused to play the songs that have made them famous and I’ve heard them say ‘well I have played it a thousand or two thousand times and I am just tired of it’ well most of the people that are coming to the show are paying their hard earned money to hear those songs so in the case of Winger we had 8 charting songs and videos when MTV was running the music business so we feel that it is only fair to play all of those songs”
“So the set list for Australia I would say will have 7 or 8 of those songs,” he continues. “Then the other half of that show includes a splattering of songs from all 7 albums plus a couple of songs that are band favourites – and then probably every night we will have something a little different… just for those that might have been there the night before.”
Winger’s tour of Australia kicks off this week.
