Phil Burton last graced our screens, busting out some slick moves on Dancing With The Stars and taking home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy. And now he’s back. But this time, he’s coming to a stage near you to belt out some tunes in BURN THE FLOOR, an ultimate high-voltage theatrical dance experience exploding with jaw-dropping choreography.
The legendary production, which is set to feature iconic Aussie rock classics, including John Farnham and Cold Chisel as well as Human Nature, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The Dare to Dream tour kicks off on 14 August in Western Australia then heads to Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia before its big finish at Sydney Opera House on 21 September 2024.
Ahead of its kick-off, Woman’s Day sat down with the legend himself, Phil Burton, to give us the inside scoop. From getting up close to all the action to how DWTS helped him get the gig and what surprise the audience can look forward to, the hands-on dad of two reveals all.
Phil Burton, how did you manage to get this gig on BURN THE FLOOR?
It actually came about through my involvement with DWTS. Funnily enough, I won DWTS last year. And I was lucky enough to have an amazing partner Ashleigh. Ashleigh, of course, has been in the business since she was a kid.
She had toured with BURN THE FLOOR back when they started. So the people that are involved in it know her really well. They got in touch with Ashleigh and said, ‘Hey, do you think Phil would be interested in coming on board for the tour and to sing?’
And yeah, she just called me and said, ‘Hey, listen, do you want to return their call? That was it.
Did you and Ashley ever talk about BURN THE FLOOR while you were prepping together on DWTS?
It did actually come up a lot. It’s an interesting thing, I lived in Vegas for just over 11 years. And she lived in Vegas for six months with BURN THE FLOOR back in the early 2000s. So we shared a lot of stories about that.
It was really great. And funnily, a little bit of a fate moment as well.
You talked about the intense preparation you had to do for DWTS, what, if any, prep are you doing now to get ready for BURN THE FLOOR?
Well, this time around, it’s actually a lot easier for me than DWTS because I am not one of the dancers in BURN THE FLOOR. I actually get to do what I do best, which is sing.
I’ll be singing the songs and watch the professionals dance right in front of me. My experience on DWTS showed me these dancers are elite athletes.
So to watch them up close and do what they do so well, it’s just awesome. I’ll be feeling their energy and they’ll be feeding off my energy and my singing. The crowd will get involved. It’s just going to be a love fest all around.
What is your favourite music genre to perform?
I really love soul, Motown, all of that. All of those classic soul songs where you can really let loose and belt it out.
Soul music as this amazing thing about it where it’s like the feeling involved in it is interesting. For want of a better word, it’s the most soulful music on the planet.
It’s really kind of a cathartic feeling to sing those songs on stage.
Has your career been what you thought it would be? Did you always see yourself as the star Phil Burton has become?
Getting opportunities like DWTS, my own solo tours and hosting on TV and now this BURN THE FLOOR, is something I’m relishing. There’s a lot of variety in what I’m doing, so it keeps things really really interesting rather than just doing the same show five nights a week like I did in Vegas. Vegas was fun, but sometimes it did feel a bit repetitive.
You continually push yourself out of your comfort zone and say “Yes” to life. Do you find it makes an impact on your children?
Yeah, I would hope that that’s something my kids can take away from all of my experiences. When an opportunity comes up, sometimes you have to say yes. Don’t think too hard about it, just say yes, even if it scares you. Basically, say yes and figure the rest out later!
Do you think your kids will follow in your entertainment footsteps?
They do have the music bug. My daughter might not necessarily perform, but she is obsessed with music. She quite literally never goes a moment in her day without something playing. That could be from the speakers in her bedroom or in her AirPods. It’s constant with her.
It’s really amazing too because she knows a lot about the songs. Performing wise, she can sing but doesn’t enjoy singing in public. She does love acting though.
And my son, he’s a drummer. He loves playing the drums. He plays in the school concert band. And he’s ready to get out there and start his own garage band with his mates.
Do you think you and your son will perform together some day?
Maybe one day.
I know Jimmy Barnes uses his son Jackie as his drummer. So maybe one day, my son can play for me.
Do your kids ever listen to your music? If so, what are their favourites?
My daughter actually does. She has a couple of Human Nature songs in her playlist. She started getting into He Don’t Love You, the boy band one. We used to perform it in Vegas, so she knows that song from when she was little.
Funny though, she didn’t know it was actually a Human Nature song. We also did a lot of covers of like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, so she just assumed He Don’t Love You was a cover. It was until recently she realised, ‘Oh my God, that was actually a song of my dad’s’.
How do you balance work and family life, seemingly so effortlessly?
You just have to. And that’s not out of obligation. It’s because I love doing it. One of the great joys for me is taking my kids to drumming lessons, drama class, nippers and even a football game. It’s a joy to do.
They are way more rewarding moments. I mean, I love singing in front of people. But for me, it’s more rewarding to go and watch my kids have fun.
That means, I always prioritise it. Music, performing and touring sometimes takes me away from it. And that’s OK at times. You just have to make sure it’s not all the time.
The last thing you want to do is turn around say, ‘Ohh, I missed everything when you were growing up because I was so busy.’
So yeah, you just have to find that balance and say no to the things if they get in the way of your joy.
Will your family attend any of your BURN THE FLOOR shows?
Yes, they plan too. I mean, it is a tour around the country, so they won’t make all of them. But my wife and two children will definitely come to a few of them for sure.
Can you spill any secrets about BURN THE FLOOR?
They keep telling me that I’m going to dance! And I’m like, I don’t know about that. But look, at some point, they’ll probably convince me to get up and do one dance. After that, I’m happy to leave it to the professionals!
To get tickets to this electrifying performance headlined by Phil Burton, head to TICKETEK.
