Country Legend Kinky Friedman Announces Australian Tour Dates

Veteran Texan country troubadour Kinky Friedman has announced that he will return to Australian shores this October in support of his first solo studio album in more than 30 years, last year's The Loneliest Man I Ever Met.

The celebrated singer-songwriter, whose career has spanned nearly five decades and entailed multiple previous visits to our country, where he has proven an always-welcome presence, will play 10 shows along the east coast in just a few months, starting at Canberra's Harmonie-German Club on Thursday 6 October and heading to Bellarine, St Kilda, Cronulla, Newcastle, Bulli, Brisbane, Katoomba and Sydney, the final stop on the tour, where he plays The Basement on Thursday 20 October.

Though Friedman has remained a vital presence on the international country-music scene by way of compilations, live albums and the like, The Loneliest Man I Ever Met marks the venerated storyteller's first solo studio outing since 1983's Under The Double Ego, making it probably one of the most eagerly awaited follow-up albums in living memory when it finally did drop. The album boasts a healthy mix of Friedman originals and covers of fellow icons including Tom Waits, Warren Zevon and Willie Nelson — who even provides a guest performance on the record (although we wouldn't hold your breath for him to make a surprise appearance on the upcoming tour — sorry).

Tickets for all shows are available from this Friday, 29 July, through a variety of outlets; see theGuide for the full rundown of date, venue and booking details.

The Loneliest Man I Ever Met is available now via Thirty Tigers/Cooking Vinyl Australia.