1 January 2012  It's a new year, it's a new day, it's a new life...and I'm feeling good! 2012 is here. Who knows what adventures it will bring? But I'm ready for you, buddy. Let's tear this up!!! 

2 January 2012  What??! A beautiful day in London!! Sun??!! It's going to be a great year...I can smell it!!

4 January 2012  Spent the last few days in Wales with my friends the Stuarts in their amazingly beautifully idyllic Welsh manor home, complete with bubbling brook and waterfall right at their doorstep. Breathtaking countryside, the friendliest people on earth, and beautiful friends...Priceless.

5 January 2012  Me and my mate Wally. Had a great catch up today... and a cider. A brutha from anutha mutha!!

6 January 2012  The Boris Bikes, cycle hire in London. Bloody brilliant!

9 January 2012  First day of THRILLER rehearsals in London. Haven't sung this high since 2007!! 

10 January 2012  2nd Day of THRILLER rehearsals. Got to meet the new dancers and my fellow cast mates, as well as the director, choreographers and spent the day working on songs with the awesome John Maher. Then went to see JERSEY BOYS on the West End. AMAZING show! Saw it on Broadway years ago, and loved it as much here. Great cast. Inspirational.

12 January 2012  To all of you who sent me messages, cards, called me, visited me, sang for me for my birthday, THANK YOU!!!!

21 January 2012  Am at the second week of rehearsals for THRILLER. Things starting to click and make sense. Still looking for my inner MJ. Have become more of a fan of his than ever before...

24 January 2012  One week until opening night of THRILLER. We are all feeling the pressure. I am feeling a cough...DAMN YOUR DAMPNESS, LONDON!

25 January 2012  Rehearsed all day at the Lyric Theatre. Gave me a taste of life in the West End. Very cool indeed. But this cold has GOT to go. Am hitting the sack earliest since I was 5 years old!

26 January 2012  HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYBODY!!! Oi! Oi! Oi!

27 January 2012  HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! Here I am backstage with the PRISCILLA Divas (Portia, Charlotte & Amelia) at the AUSTRALIA UNLIMITED Launch Party last night at the Grange Hotel. These ladies can SING! Download the free AUSTRALIA UNLIMITED App for your iPad. While you're there download the MiG App too!!

29 January 2012  The majestic dome of St. Paul's cathedral. Spectacular any time of the day.

29 January 2012  Had an awesome day in the village of Stoke Newington, then saw the final show of the previous cast of THRILLER, now watching UNDERBELLY Season 1 on TV. Priceless!!

31 January 2012  THRILLER opening night tonight. Am still not 100% with my voice but the show must go on. Yikes!!



Click here for the latest journal (mini-diary) entries while MiG is in London... 

 

21 December 2011  Andrew Brown hair salon. Bermondsey Road, SE1. Their haircuts are good too...

 

22 December 2011  Good morning Prime Minister! Jogged by the Thames on a magnificent London morning...bloody brilliant!

 

23 December 2011  Tower Bridge is always showing off.

  

28 December 2011  Had a great night watching THRILLER LIVE with my great mate, Chris Dodson.

  

29 December 2011  Just saw LA SOIREE at the ROUNDHOUSE in Camden, London. Loved it! A great night out!!

 

29 December 2011  Random meetings with old friends in a London underground train! Love it!!

 

30 December 2011  So much older than the NY subway and still a billion times better in design and function.

 

31 December 2011  Goodbye 2011. I hope 2012 brings all of us great fortune, laughs, and above all, immeasurable love. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all! May this coming year be the best year EVER!!! 

 

 

Click here for the latest journal (mini-diary) entries while MiG is in London... 

 

22 September 2011  HERE I GO AGAIN ON MY OWN...  It is with a heavy heart that I say I am hanging up my 'Stacee' boots for good this Sunday, 25th September. This Thursday, 22nd September marks the 1 year anniversary of our opening night in Chicago. The past year has been an amazing time of my life and I have loved every bit of it. From the touring to the Broadway show, it has been a job with many blessings and I am so grateful for all the incredible experiences that have come with it. I have made new life-long friends and re-connected with old ones as well as meeting the most extraordinary people. I will never forget my time as 'Stacee Jaxx' and I feel I will always be a part of this world-wide phenomenon. I will miss it dearly, but alas, I must move on. It is just time. I am looking forward to focusing more on my record release of MORE THAN EVER. I plan to have a record launch gig soon, so stay tuned to my site! I also plan to spend more time with my family, helping my wife with her incredible business. It is time to be creative and proactive. I am open to the world of opportunity and embrace what comes my way. Thank you to all those who have appreciated my work on the show, all over the country, and to those with whom I have worked, I will never forget you. We truly put the 'ROA' in BROADWAY!! Here I go again on my own...x

23 August 2011  MORE THAN EVER  So I write this overlooking the spectacular Hong Kong Harbour, full of excitement and fulfillment that today marks the release of my new album, 'MORE THAN EVER'. I have been working on this for many years, hoping to have had this as a follow up after my debut album with Decca, but now as an independent artist, the sense of achievement and satisfaction is overwhelming. I have been able to be involved in every part of the process and am exhausted, but am delighted. So many reasons why it has taken so long to produce, but they do not matter any more. They just make this day even more wonderful. I have so many people to thank who made this album possible, but I want to just say for now to all of you who never gave up on me, this is for you. I hope you get a chance to get it from mig-music.com. It will be available on iTunes and all download sites soon. I'll keep you posted about that. I just wanted to share with you how I am feeling right now...just on top of the world (and literally I am atop a very tall hotel!). New York had an earthquake today?! Crazy! Hope it didn't scare you too much. I feel the earth move under my feet all the time. I will be talking to about 150 primary school kids today at the Australian International School and have to prepare so I must go now. Thanks for dropping by and I hope you check out MORE THAN EVER. Many exciting things to come surrounding it, so stay tuned...

 

 

30 July 2011  NOH8  So on May 16, 2011 the cast of ROCK OF AGES are invited to participate in this amazing campaign called NOH8 (No Hate!), where we lend our faces and support to promote understanding, love and acceptance of sexual preference and the end of bullying that seems to have skyrocketed in recent times. The photography of the amazing Adam Bouska represents how many thousands of people from all walks of life, all over the world, in every field of endeaveour and existence stand beside each other to say, "No more hate. No more violence. No more bullying. No more discrimination...and YES to same sex marriage." On November 4, 2008 Proposition 8 passed in California, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The defeat provoked a groundswell of initiative within the GLBT community at a grassroots level, with many new political and protest organizations being formed in response. The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska (http://www.bouska.net) and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. It's a very strong and simple message of love and peace, and something I stand beside totally with all my heart. It was so great to be part of this amazing campaign with my amazing cast members. Check out how the day went with this video. Visit the NOH8 website at www.noh8campaign.com.

 

6 May 2011  HERE I GO AGAIN, AGAIN!  Wow. I can't believe it has taken me so long to write an entry. I have not done so since leaving the US Tour of ROCK OF AGES. So much has happened, but I now find myself in a rhythm where I can take a look at where I am and where I've been. Working on Broadway has always been a dream of mine, and it's still a trip every time I think I am performing in this kick-arse show in the most awesome city in the world. I am still loving doing the show and love playing Stacee. Tonight actually marks our 50th show at the Helen Hayes Theatre...how time flies when you're having fun. The cast are ridiculously talented and am so honoured to be counted amongst them. To be working beside some of the original cast is a blast and surreal as I remember being in the audience watching them with such wonder. Kinda like a giddy fan at first. We only had a few days rehearsal and 2 days technical rehearsal at the Helen Hayes Theatre before we opened. It was almost like we just had to open first and then refine later. Well we spent the last month fixing cues, changing lines, fixing the sound, lights and costumes, additions and subtractions. The show is on a constant state of change and is always moving forwards and onwards. I guarantee we are still yet to find our perfect show, but we are heading in the right direction, and we will get there! The Helen Hayes Theatre may be the smallest theatre on Broadway, but it's got a heart as big as Madison Square Garden. We have become a family there and it's like we are all on the same team, fighting against the odds and determined to win. It's been so cool to be back home with my wife and to have a life in New York City. It was a great honour to be asked to sing the National Anthems at the official Anzac Day ceremonies in New York at both the services at Rockefeller Center and the Dawn service at Battery Point. It's something that I had to miss out on last year because I was on tour with BURN THE FLOOR. It's nice to be home for so many reasons. Not to say I do not miss my touring family. I don't think I'll ever find a group as close or as special to each other, but coming to New York, being at home, being on Broadway has made the transition a whole lot easier. I'm happy to say I have finally received the final mixes of my new CD. It still has to be mastered and packaged, but I am so thrilled with the way it has come out. I cannot wait to let the world hear it! So it's business as usual at the Helen Hayes on 44th Street. We are rocking and rolling and having nothing but a good time and the best is yet to come!

 
 

19 March 2011  SO NOW WE'VE COME TO THE END OF THE ROAD  Well, for some of us anyway. Costa Mesa was the last stop of the journey for Rebecca Faulkenberry and myself. It has been such an incredible adventure full of joy, laughter, where life-long friendships were bonded and a time I will never forget. This has to be the greatest group of people I have ever had the honour to work with, definitely tour with. It made the pain from being away from home so much more bearable. They were my brothers and sisters in arms and they will always live in my heart and fond memories. It was a very emotional goodbye. I am so glad we had our last day in Costa Mesa. It's such a beautiful place with such a perfect lifestyle. A short drive to Laguna Beach was all it took to escape from any troubles in the world. What a beautiful part of the world. As I find myself deep into rehearsals for the Broadway show, I relinquish this on the road blog to Patrick Lewallen, who I'm sure will entertain and inform you of all the goings on for the rest of the tour. I have so many pictures that I would like to share with you, and will present them in the very near future. As well as present a new, with even more exclusive content and features ROA page, that will be available on my site soon. Stay tuned to my site mig-music.com for all those details coming soon. For now, I bid you all a farewell, thanks for tuning in, thanks for rocking out and making this one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. Sending you all groovy vibes from New York City, this is MiG, signing off... Xxx

 

27 February 2011  CITY OF ANGELS (ROCK OF PantAGES!)  Where do I begin about our time here in Los Angeles?! It has been an amazing trip from the word go. Every night has been filled with celebrities, stars, actors, rockstars...it's all about HOLLYWOOD! We took ROCK OF AGES home and the homecoming party has been out of this world. Opening night was awesome. We were so buzzed, we probably were a little too enthusiastic in our delivery, I think we literally busted our guts delivering this baby. We had so many guests every night, but I just have to mention what an amazing thing to meet the new Stacee Jaxx in the upcoming ROCK OF AGES feature film, Tom Cruise. He and his beautiful wife Katie Holmes could not have been nicer or more gracious, taking photos with all of us on stage, and being such a great sport as I sprawled over the seats in front of him. I know he will be an amazing Stacee Jaxx. It's like looking in a mirror... in my MIND! The next day, we were all blown away by the graciousness of Matt Damon, his wife Lucy, Emily Blunt and her husband John Krasinski, who could not have been cooler, meeting us all backstage and allowing us to take photos with them. I apologize if we were all clambering for a photo, but we were all peaking that these people came to see our little show. Don't even let me start about Steven Tyler...Wow. I'm sounding like a crazed fan but I have to admit, I was starstruck by all these amazing talents coming to see us. I'll post some of those pics on my 'MiG & Friends' Gallery, so check them out on my site. Don't mean to name drop but... Hey! I hope you can excuse me for being like this. This is Hollywood after all. On a personal level, it was such an overwhelming return to a city that was my home for two years. It brought back so many memories of ROCKSTAR:INXS, and the excitement of arriving in a new city, a new country and a new life here in the USA. Although New York is my home now, LA will always hold a place in my heart. I am actually exhausted catching up with friends, and I don't think I've even covered a quarter of the people I wanted to see. So many friends, so much traffic, so little time... I am sorry to those I missed out on this time. The good news is that we are in Costa Mesa next week. It's just a short drive from LA. In other news, we lost a dear member of the company in Joey Calveri who is joining the Broadway cast of WONDERLAND. He is missed much, but I will see him in New York when I join the ROA Broadway company (!!). The good news is we welcomed an awesome member of the old Broadway ROA company, Justin Sargent. Can't believe that we'll be performing tomorrow on the same street, and just a stone throw away from the Oscars tomorrow. It's going to be chaos, but the excitement will be amped to 11! Thank you LA LA Land. It's been nothing but a good time, and it don't get better than this!

14 February 2011  SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE  I am not sure if it's the change in time zones, jet lag, different magnetic pulls of the polar caps, the bed in my hotel or the excitement of being in this amazing city, but I just could not get my sleeping patterns right this week at all. I literally was 'sleepless in Seattle'. Damn you Tom and Meg! Having said that, can I say how beautiful Seattle is? I can say it is one of my favourite, if not THE favourite city of the tour thus far! I know it's a big call, but I have just fallen in love with it. Not sure what I expected, but this was a wonderful major surprise. Immaculate streets, funky neighborhoods, spectacular scenery, actually great coffee, beautiful architecture and such warm people...what's not to love? Even our Paramount Theater was gorgeous. This was also the epicenter of music through the 90's with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden as well as the city that gave us Jimi Hendrix. The locals say they try to keep it a secret, but truly, I'm definitely coming back. They tell us we are so lucky with the weather we've had, so maybe my vision is tinted, but I'm no stranger to rainy cities. We got to do a little sightseeing but not enough. One week is not enough for Seattle. But we find ourselves getting ready to board a plane for LA. This could be the climax of the whole tour. We are taking ROCK OF AGES back home, to where it is set, and to where it all began. The journey has come full circle...and timing could not be any better with the green light a few days ago for the film to go into production. Tom Cruise as 'Stacce Jaxx'! I can't wait to see him. I know he's going to make it amazing!! Think Lestat without the fangs, but we know he still bites. If he can kill it as Grossman in TROPIC THUNDER, he will hit 'Stacee' out of the park! Can't wait to see my friends in LA. My wife and dog are flying over to be with me there for the 2 weeks. Bliss!! Maybe that's why I can't sleep...

7 February 2011  KENTUCKY FRIED ROCK  Louisville Kentucky was an awesome unexpected surprise. The scene at the end of Main Street was very cool indeed. The chic pink penguined adorned 21C HOTEL with adjoining PROOF Bar/Restaurant could proudly stand amongst the coolest Manhattan has to offer, and its art gallery had me intrigued every time I visited. Growing up Australian, I never really knew too much about baseball, but I did know that the Louisville "Slugger" was the official bat. So no visit was complete without a tour of the factory. My nephews are going to love their mini personally engraved sluggers. I just hope they use them to hit balls, not each other! LYNN'S PARADISE CAFE was a kooky, crazy dining experience that was even quirkier because the outside wonderland was covered in fresh Kentucky snow. However, it was a pity that almost everything on the menu was a no-no for my Stacee diet. Speaking of which, I even had to resist eating KFC...but I did get a photo with the Colonel. Thank you to every one at the KENTUCKY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. You are all amazing and I miss you already! We had a very busy week, what with TV appearances, publicity calls and an acoustic gig at the HARD ROCK CAFE. We definitely welcomed the week off. I just had the BEST week in New York, spending quality time with my girls and catching up with friends, breathing in NY and loving being home like a normal person. One of the highlights was going to the JAZZ AT THE LINCOLN CENTER and experiencing the wonderful Anika Noni Rose perform songs from The American Songbook. She captivated her audience for the entire time she was on, singing 18 songs with perfection despite her admission that asthma was kicking her ass. Watching her sing with her amazing band with the backdrop of Columbus Circle and Manhattan behind the huge glass windows beyond her was an unforgettable and romantic experience. We had to pinch ourselves, how did we ever get so lucky to be here? But I am writing this as we are hurtling through the sky towards Seattle, Washington in an awesome JetBlue Airbus 320. This is my first visit to this city and we know it's going to rock...being the home of grunge, GREY'S ANATOMY and Starbucks, what's not to love? I can just tell it's going to be as finger lickin' good...