Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk Gets Roasted By Tim Freedman Attending Whitlams Show

17 October 2023 | 9:32 am | Mary Varvaris

"Welcome to the show, Madam Premier..."

Tim Freedman on stage and Annastacia Palaszczuk hosting a press conference

Tim Freedman on stage and Annastacia Palaszczuk hosting a press conference (Credit: Linda Dunjey, Supplied)

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The Whitlams performed at The Tivoli in Brisbane on Friday night (13 October) as they head towards the end of their Early Years (1993-1997) tour celebrating the Double Bass Classics. You can find the remaining tour dates below and purchase tickets here.

Longtime fans weren’t the only ones in the crowd – The Whitlams found out that the state Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, was in attendance and proceeded to roast her live on stage.

“So, Brisbane, the Olympic city,” frontman Tim Freedman began in an Instagram reel posted yesterday (16 October). “It’s funny, you know, when we heard about that in the southern states, a lot of people said, ‘Where’s next? Dubbo?’” He joked. “Oh, the Premier’s here, sorry.”

Freedman continued, “I’ve gotta lose the next five minutes of comedy gold out of respect to Madam Premier. Welcome to the show, Madam Premier.

“I’ve gotta lose that bit about how before Expo ’88, there was only two restaurants here,” Freedman said, met with laughs from the audience. “And you could only buy one type of drug, and that was speed. I’m gonna get rid of that bit.

“But I do wanna warn you, we had the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, and oh gee, we got a taste of bureaucracy and rules.”

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You can watch the reel below.

The Whitlams are currently touring with The Living End’s Scott Owen on double bass on their Early Years run across the country.

“Scott and I have been talking about this idea for five years, and at last, our schedules have clicked,” Freedman said in a statement. “Terepai [Richmond, drums] and Scott will absolutely explode in these early songs, and it will be thrilling to hear the energy that Andy Lewis brought to the first line-up so long ago on stage once again.”

Earlier this year, Freedman proved that he was serious about blowing up the pokies.

THE WHITLAMS

WITH SCOTT OWEN

THE EARLY YEARS 93-97 TOUR

Fri 20 Oct - The Gov – Adelaide, SA
 Fri 27 Oct - Astor Theatre – Perth, WA
 Sat 28 Oct – Freo Social – Fremantle, WA