The Whitlams will return to their favorite pubs this October to announce their Return to Rock Island Tour. The tour will feature nine dates on the East Coast, and frontman Tim Friedman describes it as “very different” from the band’s recently concluded Orchestral ’26 tour.
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The tour kicks off on October 2nd at the Hotel Brunswick in Brunswick Heads, before visiting Coffs Harbour, with two nights each at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel, Sydney’s Metro Theater and Brisbane’s The Triffid, before stopping at Wombarra Bowlo on October 18th. William Crichton and his band open all shows. Advance tickets will be released on Tuesday, June 23 at 10 a.m. local time via thewhitlams.com.
The announcement comes just days after the Orchestral 26 tour concluded on June 13, with the band playing sold-out shows at Sydney’s State Theatre, Brisbane’s QPAC, Newcastle’s Civic Theatre, Adelaide’s Festival Theater and Melbourne’s Hammer Hall. The execution of “Return to Rock Island” is a deliberate shift in a different direction. “In October, we’ll be heading to our favorite pubs for something very different from Orchestra ’26,” the band said. “Come enjoy our raucous side with William Crichton and his band opening all dates. Back to the Metro, Triffid, Corner… Wow.”
Formed by Freedman in late 1992 in Sydney’s Newtown with Stevie Plunder and Andy Lewis, The Whitlams built a reputation for inner-city piano rock and a passionate live audience, breaking nationally in 1997 with Eternal Nightcap. The album was certified triple platinum in Australia, peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Album Chart, and produced the song “No Aphrodisiac”, which won ARIA Song of the Year in 2019. In 1998, he topped the Triple J Hot Test 100 in 1997.
Its 1999 sequel, Love This City, reached No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and in 2002, Torch the Moon debuted at No. 1, its highest charting debut to date. The band also won the ARIA Award for Group of the Year and Best Independent Release for Eternal Nightcap at the same ceremony in 1998.
The Whitlams — Return to Rock Island 2026 Tour (with William Crichton)
October 2nd — Brunswick Heads — Hotel Brunswick
October 3rd — Coffs Harbor — Hoy Moy
October 9th — Melbourne — Corner Hotel
October 10th — Melbourne — Corner Hotel
October 16th — Sydney — Metro Theater
October 17 — Sydney — Metro Theater
October 18th — Wombala — Wombala Bowlo
October 23 — Brisbane — The Triffids
October 24th — Brisbane — Triffids
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