Human Nature: Viva Las Vegas

Q: What does the word Vegas mean to Human Nature?

Phil Burton: At the moment it means hot. Actually it’s anything you want it to be. It means entertainment but if you want a resort-style holiday where you hang out around the pool, you can find that.

Toby Allen: Initially it conjures up images of the Rat Pack. I live in the historic part of Vegas and it feels like “old school” Vegas. Perhaps that’s also reflected in the Motown stuff we do at the moment – that’s a bit old school.

Andrew Tierney: Home now. I never thought I would say that. I used to call it the entertainment capital of the world. The opportunities in Vegas are amazing. We perform here 35 weeks of the year.

Q: Do you consider yourself a local yet?

Phil Burton: Technically we are. The average stay in Vegas is four years. We have been here for five years now.

Michael Tierney: We know Vegas like locals. We know its secrets.

Human Nature performing in Las Vegas Nevada, USA.

Q: If friends come to visit where do you take them to show off Vegas?

Toby Allen: I always take friends and family to Hoover Dam. It’s about a 40-minute drive from the strip. It’s the Superman dam – it burst in the movie. You can do a tour inside the dam walls. It’s very deco. It is an amazing piece of engineering.

Michael Tierney: I always tell people that you need a car to get around. It is not easy to get around if you don’t have a car – especially in summer. You need to drive the strip to take it in. It can take you two hours to walk from one end to the other.

Phil Burton: I take them to the High Roller Observation Deck. It’s the world’s tallest ferris wheel and it has amazing views.

Andrew Tierney: After I show them our billboard at the airport (laughing), I drive them down the strip if they haven’t been here before. The strip is Vegas on steroids.

Do you prefer Vegas at night – or during the day?

Phil Burton: I prefer night. There’s something about it when Vegas comes alive. Everything stays open. You can see a show, have dinner and then go shopping.

Andrew Tierney: At night it comes alive like a Swarovski crystal. It takes your breath away. It’s amazing.

Michael Tierney: In summer it is brutal during the day. You don’t want to go walking around. I like going to the Encore Beach Club at Wynn at night. You can swim, have a drink, and listen to music under the night sky.

Toby Allen: Since the twins arrived I don’t go out much at night. After the show I head home and go straight to bed. With kids you never know how much sleep you are going to get. Vegas has some incredible antique stores. I like retro furniture and there’s plenty of offer here.

Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, USA.

Q: Where’s the best place to have breakfast?

Toby Allen: I’ve been going a lot lately for dim sum (yum cha) at a place just off the strip called Orchids Garden. It is open seven days a week from 10.30am. The wait staff know the kids now and come over to say hello. Sometimes you have to wait for a table, but only for 15 minutes at most.

Phil Burton: Honey Salt, about 15 minutes out of Vegas, does a really good Sunday brunch. It reminds me of a Sydney or Melbourne-style restaurant. The monkey bread is amazing. It’s baked citrus brioche with honey bourbon sauce. You can feel your arteries hardening with every mouthful. It is bread roll meets doughnut.

Andrew Tierney: I am a health nut so I like this place called Protein House which is near where I live. It is run by two competitive body builders. The food tastes really great and it is easy to get egg whites rather than full eggs.

Q: What about lunch?

Michael Tierney: I love Sushisamba at The Venetian. It has Brazilian influences and a great tapas menu. It’s really healthy.

It is easy to eat badly in Vegas when you can get a burger for $2. I buy a lot of stuff from Whole Foods Market – it is a healthy supermarket.

Andrew Tierney: The word buffet sums up Vegas and there are some fantastic ones. You can actually buy a four-day all-you-can-eat buffet pass here.

When Mum came over for Mother’s Day I took her to the Four Seasons buffet. They do a really special occasion Sunday brunch.

A gondola at Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

Q: Dinner?

Phil Burton: The Linq has great restaurants and bars.

Q: Where’s the best shopping?

Phil Burton: The Fashion Show Mall has everything. It is huge. It even has a space ship hovering over it. I don’t know why, but it is very Vegas.

Michael Tierney: Crystals, attached to Aria Resort & Casino, is fantastic for high-end shopping. Brands like Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana. It also has a great Paul Smith.

Toby Allen: I live near the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets. You will find incredible deals. The outlets are amazing.

Andrew Tierney: I’m a shopper but mainly buying presents for my wife and she has quite expensive taste. Caesar’s Forum has every designer label imaginable and it is open late. Sometimes I’ve finished a show and ducked off to do some last-minute gift shopping before heading home.

Q: The Human Nature Motown Show has been an amazing success at The Venetian Resort & Casino Las Vegas and you guys often take it on the road in the US. Is there a song you sing each night that you wish you’d written?

Andrew Tierney: My Girl. We play the first line … and people go nuts.

Toby Allen: We often close with Reach Out (I’ll be there). It always gets the audience dancing.

Michael Tierney: My Girl. That song still, after all these years, speaks to everyone. It is a simple lyric. Kids, for some reason, love that song. Everyone has a My Girl.

Phil Burton: All the songs are timeless classics for Human Nature. Every song is an amazing classic hit.

Q: If I gave you a million Qantas Frequent Flyer points where would you go?

Phil Burton: Ireland. I’ve been to Ireland but only for three days when we were supporting Michael Jackson. My mother was born in Belfast and I still have family in Northern Ireland.

Michael Tierney: Somewhere I really want to go to is Barcelona in Spain. It has always interested me. It looks like an amazing city with great food and culture.

Toby Allen: I want to go back to Vietnam. I went there seven years ago for two weeks and it was the best holiday of my life. The people are awesome and I loved the Mekong Delta.

Andrew Tierney: Rio. I’ve never been but I want to see that big statue of Jesus – the one that was hit by lightning. Every time I see that statue it makes me want to go more.

A grand view of the Las Vegas skyline at night.