Young says he’s had plenty of fun times in the Illawarra during his career and plenty of times before he ditched his apprenticeship in sheet metalwork to sing in a band.

“I was a kid living in Liverpool and [Wollongong] was one of our favourite weekend jaunts when we got a licence, just for the hell of it,” he said.

“So we’d tear off down the highway and down Appin Road … in a Morris 850 panel van.”

Young recounts squashing his mates in the back, five or six of them, though “there were only two seats”.

Apparently not a lot of mischief was had, just a few blokes exploring fire trails or hanging at the milk bar.

Like many times before Young will be addressing a crowd of thousands with hits of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s but something will be different this time round.

He’ll talk to the crowd.

“I was never really one for talking on stage because I think it was a bit futile back in the early days, because there were girls screaming and it was just like ‘they’re not listening’,” he laughed.

This tour he’ll be taking his time and tell the story of his famed song-writers George Young and Harry Vanda – the men behind “Love is in the Air” and “I Hate the Music” – as well as tidbits of musical history from his career.

“There’s a little slideshow that goes on in between songs, so I’ve got all these slides and are like a modern day weather girl with my little clicker,” he said.

Luckily for Young his fans are a lot calmer these days and have stopped launching their underwear at him, though he does expect screaming.

He recently finished a 17 date tour with Daryl Braithwaite, John Stevens and Kate Ceberano and said some women were still “quite out of control”.

“It’s wonderful because there’s blokes coming along too now,” he said. 

“I really call them my baby boomer teenagers because they’re still carrying on like idiots, I love it!”

He first teamed up with The All Star Band in the mid-70’s, taking over from it’s original singer Stevie Wright, who “fell on hard times”.

“He couldn’t cope with it anymore,” he said.

It’s now been a wonderful 40-year jaunt together, with two original members – Warren “The Pig” Morgan and Ronnie “Rockwell T James” Peel – still rocking on.

John Paul Young and The Allstar Band bring The Vanda & Young Songbook to the WIN Entertainment Centre November 19. 

For more information visit www.ticketmaster.com.au 

John Paul Young has sold 4 million albums world wide and won numerous awards which garnered him an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2009.

In 2012 he received an Order of Australia for his services to charity and the music industry.

From Young’s first release with Pasadena in 1972, he went on to become the un-official copresenter alongside Molly Meldrum on ABC TV's Countdown.

He’s been a constant presence on the live music scene, in theatre with roles in the original Jesus Christ Superstar, Shout - The Johnny O'Keefe Story, Leader of the Pack - The Ellie Greenwich Story and most recently, Grease, The Musical.

A stint in radio at NEWFM Newcastle, saw him top the rating in Breakfast, Mornings and Afternoon timeslots.