Are you totally over deleting, or pushing back, eagerly anticipated events in your calendars? Well, just imagine how much the artists who have spent a lifetime perfecting their craft are champing at the bit to get back out on stage and entertain us? 

Dunno about you, but we feel like shadows of our former selves without regular doses of soul-elevating live entertainment. It’s been so long we’re even starting to miss the annoying things about mingling with randos at gigs: please spill copious bevos on us, seat us next to the stinkiest of soap-dodgers, hold your smartphone right in front of our face to film the entire gig – we don’t even care (actually, maybe don’t do the latter). Hell, we’d even cop an elbow to the face from a passing crowd-surfer if it meant we could get back in the mosh and in front of a band, IRL!

It’s why more than 400 of Australia’s biggest artists and performers have teamed up with the wider music industry to launch the #VAXTHENATION campaign aimed to help ‘stop the interruptions’ and get live music back on track. Because there really is no alternative. And, what’s more, your favourite artists will be forced to ‘pivot’ and become real estate agents if we don’t all take action. Pronto. 

Here are 34 heartfelt pleas from those talented enough to grace our stages on the regular #vaxthenation

I really miss performing live and doing what I love. If you miss live music like I do and want to see a return of gigs again then please get the jab. #vaxthenation and let’s get back to doing all the great things we love to do. – Adam Harvey

Getting vaccinated is a way to protect those most vulnerable in our society. It’s not about you, or me. It is about us. – Amity Affliction

If you can get vaccinated you should, unless you can figure out another way out of this mundane lukewarm bath filled with piss of an era. The risks of side effects are low, it’s going to be ok! Honestly, I’m fully vaxxed with no side effects! It’s for the community as a whole, so take one for the team. – Amy Taylor (Amyl and The Sniffers)

If we can use science to fight cancer and disease and fly to the moon and grow food and battle climate change and eradicate other deadly diseases and on and on, then we can use it to fight this war. We want to get back on stage. Back to work, back on the road, back on the bus. I want to feel the sticky pub carpet under my feet again and see a room full of smiling happy faces. Also, if Dolly Parton can donate millions of her own money to help develop a vaccine, then I will do whatever she says! – Suze DeMarchi (Baby Animals)

There aren’t many things we can control in the world at the moment. It’s pretty hectic out there with loads of competing information. For us it is pretty straightforward. Vaccination is the only way out of this for not just the live entertainment industry, but everyone. Back the science, back your community and especially its vulnerable members. Take control and get vaccinated. – Bernard Fanning

We can’t go back to being one country until everyone’s had a chance to get vaccinated. If you want to see your friends and family around Australia, please make your booking today. – Birds Of Tokyo (Ian Kenny)

I am double vaccinated because I want my family and friends to be safe and happy and my phone reception is now 50% better. – Bodyjar

Artists aim to share and celebrate our common humanity. We miss sharing with our audiences. And we trust that audiences miss this connection too. Sadly, there’s more than music, high spirits and good vibes that we risk sharing if we get together in gig spaces. Let’s celebrate and share what is good and heart-warming in our common humanity. Let’s not share a virus. Please get vaccinated. – Boom Crash Opera

Proud to say that I’ve had the double jab and it’s clear that getting the vaccine is going to be the fastest way out of this. The Aussie music industry has been absolutely decimated over the last 18 months and there’s no doubt that we’re all desperately missing live music. Let’s get the jab, get the country to 80% and get this industry back out on the road. – Casey Barnes

Wake up with a headache – take a paracetamol. Wake up in a pandemic – get vaccinated. – Custard 

Thanks to the work of great scientists and an unprecedented sharing of information, we arrived at having a vaccine for this global pandemic sooner than expected. In that time, the music industry has been amongst the hardest hit industries. You can change that by getting the jab and allowing us to be together again because I’m sure you’d agree, nothing compares to the shared experiences of live music. – Diesel 

Hey guys, we at E.J. are more than happy to get behind #vaxthenation. If you’re eligible and able, please get the jab. It’s not just for your own safety, it’s also a generous act in terms of the people you love and the wider community as a whole. The benefits are too numerous to list. One would be speeding up the return of live music in a meaningful sense which is something that so many of us have missed for so long now. – Eskimo Joe

Having little faith in cops or the government is nothing new but come on, you’ve gotta trust scientists. They invented drugs! And Jay’s Dad is a molecular biologist, so I guess we’ve been in the pocket of big pharma since Dr Millar Whalley bought Jay that Simple Minds ticket back in 1989. We love playing gigs, and we know that our sweaty drunk crowd isn’t always the most hygienic situation, so surely any weapon against lasting infection makes sense. And we can’t wait to play our pro-science anthems to our sweaty, drunk and unhygienic crowd as soon as we can. – Frenzal Rhomb

We are all double dosed with AstroZoolander and Kung Pfooey Pfizers. Feels good, we thought we were getting lollipops though. Now can you please get yours too so we can all play some shows? #VAXTHENATION – Front End Loader

At a time when so many people’s lives and livelihoods have been negatively affected, I’ve joined with many of my colleagues in music to ask everyone to get vaccinated. The State and Federal government target of 80% vaccination rate has been set as the point at which live music, theatre, dance and other events will be allowed to recommence. This is vital to the artists, technical crews, venues and all those who support the performing arts. It’s the way to start to join together again to celebrate Australian music, culture and one another’s company. Please, get vaccinated. – Iva Davies (ICEHOUSE)

It’s time to pull together

Time for the real thing

We’ve braved the stormy weather

And now it’s time to SING!

So let’s forgive the feckless

Those who procrastinated

Don’t be so f**king reckless

Go get vaccinated.

– James Reyne

Vaccinations are a gateway drug to live concerts. – Jen Cloher

Vaccines save lives and they’re incredibly safe. That’s why my family and I chose to get vaccinated as soon possible. – Jimmy Barnes 

As a touring musician, a person with heart disease, and a strong advocate for mental health I believe that vaccination is the way forward for our country to live in freedom again. Be part of the solution. #VAXTHENATION – Jon Stevens

The only way we are going to be able to reliably tour and put on shows again depends on as many people getting vaccinated as possible. – Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah + Bob Evans) 

The music business has been smashed by COVID. Thousands of workers are unemployed. I’m appealing to you to get vaccinated not only for your own health, but for the future of Australian music. The more vaccinated we are, the bigger the crowds can be, and the sooner live music can get back on its feet. Please consider the artists you love and the thousands of workers who make the gigs happen. Show your support and get it done. – Mark Seymour 

We’re all afraid about what’s going to happen next, that’s a given. But seriously guys, science is hot. I got jabbed and I really enjoyed the experience. The nurses gave me a bottle of water and a snack which was okay, and one of the doctors was super cute. I got vaccinated because I 

We believe in listening to great scientists and we believe in listening to great live music. If you believe in both those things too then go and get the jab! – Midnight Oil (Peter Garrett) 

Getting vaccinated is the only way we’re all going to get back to doing what we love. We can’t wait to get out and start playing again but we can only do it if everyone pulls together. – Pierce Brothers

Locked down, locked up, locked out… once we vaccinate this virus to the dustbin of history, we can maybe feel each other on a stage sometime soon. Ditch the hyperindividualism and get with collective responsibility. Let’s get vaxxed and stop the interruptions! We miss you! – Regurgitator

There is a big sign on the side of the Tower Records building in Tokyo: ‘No music – no life’. I think that says it all. Fully vaxxed and masked up is the only way out of this COVID shitstorm, so please ignore the naysayers and get the jab! – Richard Clapton

I’ve got my double jab certificate and I’m looking forward to performing again in front of fully vaxxed audiences. Let’s Jab then Let’s Rock! – Ross Wilson

We’re fortunate to be living in an age where effective vaccines are available to us. Getting vaxxed is our collective way forward, to return to the freedoms and lives we all once enjoyed. – Shane Nicholson

Save live music. Do it! – Shihad 

We all want to get back to seeing gigs and playing gigs as soon as possible and the fastest and most effective way back to life as we knew it is by getting vaccinated. – Something For Kate

Science is f**king awesome. Getting the jab means we can all get back to making beautiful noise, dancing with friends and living a full rock and roll life. Let’s do this! – Spiderbait 

We’re all starved for live entertainment. All in the same boat with our hands tied and going nowhere, unable to do what we’ve always taken for granted. And the solution is simple! Every jab brings us one step closer to the return of unrestricted live shows. Get yours today if you want to see your favourite band any time soon. – The Angels 

The live music industry is crippled… but it’s not just about our industry, it’s about the entire economy. If you miss going out, seeing gigs, seeing friends, travelling, then get the jab. It’s that simple. It’s time to end lockdowns and get back to life and there’s only one way to do that: get vaccinated today. – The Living End 

It does not look likely live music will go back to how it was before COVID-19 without high vaccination rates and vaccination passports. Let’s all protect each other from the potentially serious outcomes of this virus, let’s work together and let’s aim to all be at a gig together in the future by getting vaccinated. – You Am I