REDD KROSS’ STEVE McDONALD REFLECTS ON TOURING, GUITARS & THE AUSTRALIAN CONNECTION
Two titans of power-pop and punk rock reunite this March. LA cult legends REDD KROSS, celebrating 45 years of dayglo hooks, sly wit and sky-high choruses, join forces once again with Aussie icons THE HARD-ONS, fronted by the incomparable Tim Rogers, for a long-awaited tour across Australia. With new music in tow and a shared history of high-volume brilliance, the two pioneer bands are set to light up stages from Queensland to Victoria. Expect high-voltage singalongs, fuzz-drenched anthems, and a masterclass in melodic brilliance from two of rock’s most enduring and prolific forces.
Steve McDonald, co-founder and driving force behind iconic punk band Redd Kross, spoke with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips ahead of the band’s upcoming Australian tour with the Hard-Ons. Reflecting on decades of music and touring, McDonald shared vivid memories of first meeting the Hard-Ons in the late 1980s in Beverly Hills, long before social media connected bands internationally. Back then, discovering overseas music relied on magazines, record shops, and, occasionally, gift CDs from local fans.
Australia has long held a special place for McDonald. He recalled wild tour stories, including a kangaroo encounter that left a bandmate briefly winded and highlighted memorable collaborations with Tim Rogers and other local acts. Though Redd Kross missed the Big Day Out, they have played Golden Plains and Meredith Festivals, relishing the energy of Australian crowds.
Discussing setlist preparation, McDonald noted the challenge of balancing fan favourites with new material from their recent ‘Red’ Album, especially with unique tour stops like a festival cruise requiring multiple, distinct sets. Backstage routines are simple, eat well and strum nervously on a travel guitar but the thrill of performing remains constant.
McDonald also reflected on the band’s and Hard-Ons’ documentaries, praising directors’ dedication and the enduring appeal of music history. He recounted the surreal experience of working with 1970s icon David Cassidy on Spirit of ’76, describing it as simultaneously fanboy-ish and professionally formative.
A self-professed guitar nerd, McDonald shared stories of his prized instruments, including a stolen Thunderbird recovered years later, and spoke candidly about the perils of touring with valuable gear, offering advice for traveling musicians…non-stop flights whenever possible.
Looking ahead, McDonald is excited to reconnect with old friends, explore new Australian venues, and embrace the challenges and thrills of touring.
Two days after the tour was announced and tickets went on sale, the Melbourne show at the Tote has already sold out, so a second show, a matinee show on Sunday March 15, has been added and is on sale now.
REDD KROSS & THE HARD-ONS (with Tim Rogers) AUSTRALIAN TOUR – MARCH 2026
Wed March 4 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
https://tickets.solbar.com.au/outlet/event/8dbc25eb-22a2-40fc-857c-0291221621cc
Thur March 5 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast
https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/8ea40a33-a1ec-4940-9435-4df17aebf4da
Fri March 6 – Crowbar, Brisbane
https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/af28b3e1-7ffe-4057-8c63-e8f307efef86
Sat March 7 – Paddo RSL, Sydney
https://paddorsl.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/55898177-7481-4c88-8ac7-90aaeb33251a
Sun March 8 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle
https://thehamiltonstationhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/372950a5-c769-4bb4-b472-0faa13773e1d
Tues March 10 – The Baso, Canberra
https://thebaso.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/c52a7ba3-a8f0-4de5-9fec-80352cafe35f
Thur March 12 – Barwon Club, Geelong
https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/23f5c425-50ea-4be8-8822-1d9cd1c16866
Fri March 13 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
https://theatreroyalcastlemaine.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d31c05dd-5d42-4127-96c4-fb840fc125af
Sat March 14 – The Tote, Melbourne
SOLD OUT!
Sun March 15 (matinee) – The Tote, Melbourne
https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/b5cb8374-eb4b-43b8-9c87-e9b000f8c62f
REDD KROSS & THE HARD-ONS.
From LA and Sydney respectively. Separated by an ocean, but with ties that go back to when they were label mates on the US Big Time label in 1987 and maybe even further. Beyond that the connections are plentiful; both started playing out on their respective punk scenes when they were very young – Redd Kross as pre-teens and mid-teens in ’79-80, The Hard-Ons as mid-to-late teenagers in ’82-83 – and both ruffled plenty of feathers when they did. Both bands transgressed the accepted boundaries of punk, and both pushed audience excitement buttons with high energy, great tunes, an outrageous visual element and a willingness to not only include ’60s pop influences into their punk sounds, but also flashy and trashy ’70s hard rock.
Indeed, two bands were arguably the first two to understand the musical thread that joined Kiss and the Ramones, and in doing so they together helped make the world a brighter place.
Current Hard-Ons singer Tim Rogers goes back decades with Redd Kross too – a young You Am I were on the bill when Redd Kross toured Australia with the Hoodoo Gurus back in 1994.
REDD KROSS & THE HARD-ONS have also recently both celebrated anniversaries and received the kind of kudos that only occasionally comes with their levels of dedication and perseverance. Redd Kross last year marked their 45th anniversary with their most acclaimed album to date (a self-titled double LP on In The Red Records), as well as a revelatory movie documentary and book. The Hard-Ons celebrated their 40 years with a film of their own – a sequel to that is doing the rounds now – and continued their run of Top 40 records (which began in 2021 with their first album with Tim Rogers and their first for Cheersquad Records & Tapes, the #4 album I’m Sorry Sir, That Riff’s Been Taken) with last year’s I Like You a Lot Getting Older.
With a shared love of high-energy, catchy and FUN punky rock’n’roll, Redd Kross and The Hard-Ons have always been a match made in heaven, and that match will set East Coast Australian stages alight in 2026.
REDD KROSS ONLINE: Website | Instagram | Twitter/x | Facebook
THE HARD-ONS ONLINE: Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Linktree
