Wu-Tang Clan Set To Tour Australia One Final Time

The Wu-Tang Clan are preparing to return to Australia for the final time. This March, the legendary collective will bring Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, marking the final Australian chapter of a global farewell tour that reunites all living members of the Clan on stage. For RZA, the group’s founder and creative architect, the tour isn’t framed as a nostalgic send-off, but as a deliberate, high-level production built with intention. “The good part about it is going back out, touching the fans, performing in front of them, and at the highest level too,” he says. “The show is not a white t-shirt show”, he laughs. “There’s nothing wrong with those types of shows, water bottles and t-shirts, but we put together and designed a show that's really entertaining, and really compliments the music. The scale of The Final Chamber has already been tested on the road. “I think we did about 27 stops with every member,” RZA says. “I think one person missed one show, Ghostface had a medical thing but other than that, every night, every member.” For RZA, the consistency of that run set the tone. “Good times, bro, and the people and the fans were having a great time with us, it’s been a joy.”What keeps the show sharp, RZA says, is what happens once everyone settles into the rhythm of the road together. “The funny thing about it is that by the time we get to the 10th show and everybody gets loose, it’s almost like we start getting younger,” he says. “I’m serious, it’s like everybody looked in better shape after the 10th show. Somebody lost five pounds, somebody’s voice got better, because in the beginning, maybe your voice got a little raw. All the muscles come back. So yeah, tour is healthy for us. Wu-Tang approach the final stretch of touring together, the weight of the group’s legacy becomes unavoidable. Asked whether the experience feels bittersweet, RZA doesn’t shy away from it. “I mean, the weight is good. The weight is healthy,” he says. “The bitter part of it is, look, bro, everybody wants to be in their vibrant years forever. The ball player, if he could play in his 60s, he would, but his body's not going to allow that, right?” For RZA, the meaning of The Final Chamber sits in what the group is still able to do together now. “For us, for me, the joy of it, though, is, you know, without, of course, ODB, but having the Young Dirty Bastard in his place, we're here with a chance to go back and say thank you to all those fans out there who have been supporting us through our music, through our fashion, and so many other trinkets that we put that W on.”Australia plays a meaningful role in the farewell, Wu-Tang Clan have toured the country multiple times over the past two decades, building a deep connection with local audiences along the way. With Sydney set to host the final Australian show of the tour, RZA reflects on what continues to draw him back “Sydney is a special city. I love the city, bro. When I stayed in Sydney, I went down to visit my boy Russell Crowe, y'all got the Rabbitohs and all the rugby, I love it. Me and my wife and my son, we stayed out there for about two weeks. I like it because it's also a city you can walk in at night. You can find a good bar, you can find a good restaurant. It's not a violent city.” he says. Behind the scenes, touring with Wu-Tang remains as unpredictable and alive as ever. “Oh man, it’s like a moving clubhouse,” RZA says. “Backstage, you don't know which room is going to have the party, the conversation, and even the conflict.” On stage, that shared history translates into something instinctive. “There's a muscle memory that kicks in.” As he puts it, “It's almost like we was never apart. While The Final Chamber marks the end of Wu-Tang touring in this format, RZA is careful not to define what comes next for the group. “Outside of performing, you know, that's all another calculation,” he says. “I don't have the answer to that yet.” What is clear is the intent behind this final run. “We want to travel around the globe one more time together,” RZA explains. “But at the highest level, to where it's all of us.” For him, it’s about giving fans something definitive. “Let's give our fans that sonic visual experience.

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