Pictures: Phillip Castleton
After shooting to stardom on Australian Idol in 2003, there was a time in like for Shannon Noll when jumping on the tour bus meant long, wild nights out and sore heads the next morning.
But these days, the 49-year-old father-of-four is only too happy to leave the partying up to his son Blake, 21, who’s the opening act for his old man as they bring their brand of country music to towns and cities across regional Australia.
“Not any more, mate. I’m too old for that!” Shannon laughs when Woman’s Day asks him to spill the beans on any post-show partying with his son.
“Blake sometimes goes out after the shows and I go to bed, so it’s quite a good medium. But the dynamic of being on the road has really changed for me, which is great. With Blake travelling with me, it’s also good to see him growing and gaining all that experience. He’s getting better and better.”
When we chat to the Nolls at their home in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, they’ve already performed 20 or so shows in cities around Oz and are bound for Far North Queensland.
Shannon says he’s “been everywhere” during his two decades in the music industry. But for Blake, the thrill of travelling around and living the rock-star life is a new – and welcome – experience.
“Being on the road is so fun,” the youngster says. “I love staying in hotels and being away from home.”
Shannon quips, “I’m on the other end – I love being home at the moment! Twenty years will do that to you.”
Being part of Shannon’s That’s What I’m Talking About 20th Anniversary Tour is giving Blake the chance to shadow his dad and get some pointers on carving out his own career in the music business.
But as Shannon explains, “It’s an experience you’ve got to learn for yourself. All the boys in the band are great with Blake. They’re so supportive and he’s been doing a bit of writing with my bass player. They’ve got a bit of a song going.”
Shannon’s eldest son Cody, 23, also has his own band. So, it’s clear the musical gene runs strong in this family. But Blake insists his dad never pushed them into following in his footsteps. He explains that his love of music has only grown in recent years.
“We got to go to a heap of gigs as kids. I always remember just getting pulled up during What About Me [Shannon’s debut 2004 hit] to have a little sing,” he recalls.
“We were always hanging out backstage and it was fairly surreal that it was Dad up there on stage. But it was never something I dreamed of doing – it was always Dad’s thing. It’s come later.”
While Blake is now keen to make music a full-time gig if he can, he’s grateful to have father Shannon as a sounding board for forging a career in the spotlight.
“I always talk to Dad about everything – he’s got all the experience,” Blake says. “And I’ve learned so much from the band over the past six months too. I’d love to be playing music for a living.”
So is there any chance that the rest of Shannon’s family – his longtime wife Rochelle, daughter Sienna, 18, and youngest son Colton, five – may be joining them at some stage during the tour?
“One of my hopes is that the next time we get a Darwin show, we can take the little bloke up there as a whole family,” Shannon says. “He’d just love it up there with all the crocodile parks!”
Reunited with Guy
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than two decades since Shannon belted out that iconic anthem What About Me on Australian Idol. He admits his reality-show days feel like “a lifetime ago now”. Of coming second to winner Guy Sebastian, he says, “The feeling is so close to the surface, but time’s slipped away.”
The pair recently reunited for Shannon’s podcast Idol Talking With Nollsie. On it, Shannon revealed, “Guy and I are in touch regularly. I also catch up with Millsy [fellow finalist Rob Mills] a bit too. Going back to the Idol finale last year was a thrill – I got butterflies again!”
Having achieved so much in the music world, is Shannon open to a gig in TV? “Definitely!” he enthuses. “I did a stint with hosting a car show, which was fun. That’s the best thing about this industry anything could pop up at any time.”
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