Keli Holiday, backed by Baker Boy and Abbie Chatfield’s sister Jolie, has nailed his debut solo Like A Version on triple j, taking on Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 hit “I’m On Fire”.
“The Boss is The Boss for a reason and I was a late bloomer to this fact of life,” Holiday said of Springsteen.
“I think it was maybe only four years ago when I was on a plane and I heard this song and I had to run it back because it grabbed me right by the jewels and held me close,” he continued.
“It’s very powerful in its simplicity. It’s horny, it’s a really horny song but it’s also haunting.”
Holiday brought in Baker Boy on the yidaki, or didgeridoo, as well as a full band, string section, and backing vocals — including girlfriend Abbie Chatfield’s sister Jodie.
Watch his Like A Version below.
His timing couldn’t be more perfect. Australia could be witnessing a Bruce Springsteen tour very soon, with the legendary US rocker teasing a tour while celebrating his new biographical film at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles.
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Springsteen attended the screening of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere before taking the stage for an intimate acoustic performance. There, he expressed his commitment to visiting the region.
“I’m doing my best as we speak to get down there, hopefully next year sometime,” he revealed. “I feel bad. I apologise to my Australian fans for not getting down on this stretch, but I want them to know that we are planning to get down there as soon as feasible, probably in the next year sometime.”
Jeremy Allen White, who plays Springsteen in the biopic, has created renditions of nine Springsteen classics that will appear on the film’s official soundtrack, which will be released in full on December 5th via Columbia Records.
During his Like A Version Keli Holiday also sang his ARIA-nominated hit “Dancing2”. The solo project of Peking Duk’s Adam Hyde born during the creative standstill of the pandemic, Keli Holiday became his outlet for heartbreak, sonic experimentation, and self-reinvention. Now, with “Dancing2”, he’s channeling all of that into a slow-burning, string-laced modern love story.
“Dancing2” has been climbing the ARIA charts, peaking at No. 1 on the Top 20 Australian Singles list. It has also entered Spotify’s Daily Top Songs, broke into the Shazam Top 50, and reached No. 1 on TikTok’s Viral Chart.It marks a bold step toward the next chapter for the 2025 Rolling Stone Australia Readers’ Choice Award winner, following his 2022 debut album KELI and 2024’s JESTERMAN EP.
Fans will get to witness the song live next month, with intimate shows planned for Melbourne’s Howler on November 14th and Sydney’s Mary’s Underground on November 16th.
