Final splits family

AUSSIE COUNTRY MUSIC STAR RISKS DRINKING FROM A POISED CHALICE AT THE NRL GRAND FINAL

PERFORMING at a grand final game is like being handed a poisoned chalice, which Keith Urban seems to be aware of as he prepares to play at this Sunday’s NRL Grand Final.

Meat Loaf famously sang out of tune during the AFL Grand Final in 2011 and, in 2014, Slash’s performance at the NRL Grand Final was deemed disappointing by critics as he played to a backing track.

Urban, reminded at a press conference in Sydney yesterday that some of the performances over the years have been a bit “dodgy”, seemed aware of them and replied: “Yes, I’ve heard”.

He joked that he was “really nervous” in the lead-up to the big game but actually seemed pretty confident when describing his preparations. “I feel good,” Urban said. “We’re going to get out there on Saturday and have a good run through of everything. I mean I’m looking forward to it. I’m also looking forward to the game too. The game’s going to be really good.

“I’m glad we got to do it and I know Richie Sambora and Orianthi are in the show as well and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said.

The country star was in Sydney to launch Virgin’s new Velocity Live program and has had a particularly big week. His new release Blue Ain’t Your Color became his 37th consecutive number one in the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

He’s back in Australia for a national tour of his latest album Ripcord. The tour includes a performance at the Deni Ute Muster and the Grand Final slot. And Urban was happy to reveal that he won’t be sitting on the fence when it comes to the game itself. He’s already picked his side. “I’d like to see the Sharks Benedict Cumberbatch talks about using fame to shine a light on people like aid workers in Interview Magazine win. It would be a good sort of underdog story. I think that would be kind of good,” he said.

But there may be fisticuffs at home as his Mum, he said, is backing the Storm because of all the Queenslanders in the team.

That though.

“Given that our home is in Sydney, I would have to be going for Cronulla I think,” he said. won’t sway Urban,

Picture: AAP IMAGE/MICK TSIKAS GOOD SPIRITS: Country music artist Keith Urban spoke to the media at an event in Sydney yesterday ahead of Sunday’s big rugby league final.

I’d much rather be criticised for that than be silent in the face of such extraordinary suffering, which is painfully obvious to all. Whether it be in Syria or in Sudan