The Whitlams Black Stump Announce Massive ‘Kookaburra’ Launch Tour

The Whitlams Black Stump have announced a mighty 25-date national tour to support their forthcoming Kookaburra album, kicking off a day before the release itself on Thursday March 7.

READ MORE: ‘I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes’ – Tim Freedman Talks The Whitlams Black Stump

Following that show – set to go down at Lizotte’s in Newcastle – the band will play a second gig at the same venue the night after (March 8). They’ll round the weekend out with shows in Tamworth (Saturday March 9 at the West Tamworth Leagues Club) and Avoca Beach (Saturday March 10 at the Avoca Beach Theatre) before hitting the Byron Bay Bluesfest stage on Sunday March 31.

After a short break, The Whitlams Black Stump will head to SA for shows in Noarlunga (Friday April 26 at the Hopgood Theatre) and Adelaide (Saturday April 27 at The Gov), then back up north for two shows in Brisbane (first at the Springlake Hotel on Thursday May 2, then the Princess Theatre on Saturday May 4) and one in Eumundi (Friday May 3 at the Imperial Hotel).

Just a few days later, they’ll play three back-to-back shows at Piano Room venues – respectively scheduled for Tuesday May 7 at Bendigo’s, Wednesday 8 at Ballarat’s and Thursday 9 at Geelong’s – followed by one at Footscray’s Kindred Bandroom on the Friday (May 10) and one at St Kilda’s Memo Music Hall on the Saturday (May 11).

Next up will be a quartet of Tasmanian dates, starting with a show at the Wilder venue in Gowrie Park on Thursday May 16, then the Royal Oak in Launceston on Friday May 17, then the Forth Pub on Saturday May 18, and lastly the Longley Intl Hotel on Sunday May 19.

To wrap things up, The Whitlams Black Stump will deliver another six shows across NSW, kicking off at the Resin Brewing HQ in Bulli on Thursday May 23. Another boozy gig will follow on Sunday May 26 when the band play the Tallagandra Hill Winery in Gundaroo, followed by a show at the Dangar Island Bowlo the next day (May 27). Then they’ll play another show at the Avoca Beach Theatre on Thursday May 30, head to Sydney for a show at the Factory Theatre on Friday May 31, and wrap the whole tour up at the Avalon Beach RSL on Saturday June 1.

Tickets for all of the headline shows go on sale tomorrow (February 8), with presales open now for those on the band’s mailing list. Head here to get amongst the general sale.

Kookaburra will arrive on March 8 as The Whitlams’ eighth studio album, and the first to be released under the banner of The Whitlams Black Stump. It follows 2022’s Sancho album, which itself came as their first full-length effort in 16 years (following 2006’s Little Cloud).

In a four-star review for TheMusic.com.au, Liz Giuffre called that last release “a mixed bag rather than a themed album”, and noted that “while there are flashes of the different ‘types’ of Whitlams of the past, Sancho carves its own path”.

Reviewing one of The Whitlams’ live shows in 2022, David James Young wrote: “A perfect balance is struck across the play-through – each song remains as emotive and vital as the first time you heard it, but the tweaks and twists along the way allow for the album as a whole to be appreciated in a new light.”

Meanwhile, last year saw The Whitlams’ first album, 1993’s Introducing The Whitlams, “fixed” with a comprehensive remaster. Under the Black Stump moniker, frontman Tim Freedman also released a country-folk reimagining of the band’s classic single No Aphrodisiac.

THE WHITLAMS BLACK STUMP

‘KOOKABURRA’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Thursday March 7 – Newcastle, Lizotte’s
Friday March 8 – Newcastle, Lizotte’s
Saturday March 9 – Tamworth, West Tamworth Leagues Club
Sunday March 10 – Avoca Beach, Avoca Beach Theatre
Sunday March 31 – Byron Bay, Bluesfest
Friday April 26 – Noarlunga, Hopgood Theatre
Saturday April 27 – Adelaide, The Gov
Thursday May 2 – Brisbane, Springlake Hotel*
Friday May 3 – Eumundi, Imperial Hotel
Saturday May 4 – Brisbane, Princess Theatre
Tuesday May 7 – Bendigo, Piano Room*
Wednesday May 8 – Ballarat, Piano Room*
Thursday May 9 – Geelong, Piano Room*
Friday May 10 – Footscray, Kindred Bandroom
Saturday May 11 – St Kilda, Memo Music Hall
Thursday May 16 – Gowrie Park, Wilder*
Friday May 17 – Launceston, Royal Oak*
Saturday May 18 – Forth, Forth Pub
Sunday May 19 – Longley, Longley Intl Hotel
Thursday May 23 – Bulli, Resin Brewing*
Friday May 24 – Gundaroo, Tallagandra Hill Winery*
Sunday May 26 – Dangar Island, Dangar Island Bowlo*
Thursday May 30 – Avoca Beach, Avoca Beach Theatre
Friday May 31 – Sydney, Factory Theatre
Saturday June 1 – Avalon, Avalon Beach RSL

* Black Stump Duo (Tim Freedman and Ollie Thorpe)

Tickets: thewhitlams.com