Fresh off their orchestral tour, The Whitlams kicked off a national pared-back rock tour at the Corner Hotel, continuing the venue’s 30th birthday celebrations with a run of three sold-out shows.
Tim Freedman and co opened with Royal in the Afternoon, immediately setting the tone as the capacity crowd sang along to every word. Having cut their teeth playing pubs around Newtown and Sydney’s inner city, The Whitlams eventually found commercial success with songs such as No Aphrodisiac. They also reached a career milestone in 1998 when they won the ARIA Award for Best Group, presented by their namesake, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, who proudly declared “My family!” as he handed over the award. The upbeat Thank You (For Loving Me at My Worst) soon sparked another mass singalong, the crowd filling every corner of the packed venue.
Freedman was stationed behind his upright piano, while the smoke machine added a distinctly old-school atmosphere to the stage. “Welcome to Red Island. We’re gonna play a few songs we would’ve played to a few lights and a dodgy P.A.,” he announced, setting the scene for a trip back to the band’s early days. The tongue-in-cheek classic I Make Hamburgers prompted the obligatory audience response of “More sauce!”, while accomplished guitarist Jak Housden delivered the distinctive bends and unmistakable tone for which he is renowned. Ian Peres deftly juggled bass and keyboards, while Terepai Richmond attacked the drums with abandon.
Drawing from their rich back catalogue, The Whitlams delivered a steady stream of fan favourites throughout the night. Introducing Melbourne, written about his long-distance relationship with Martine Murray, Freedman revealed that Murray’s 21-year-old daughter was in the audience. The band then moved through a particularly affecting run of songs, including Blow Up the Pokies, a reflection on the struggles of original bassist Andy Lewis, who died by suicide in 2000; the poignant No Aphrodisiac, inspired by Murray; and You Sound Like Louis Burdett. The crowd responded with affection, embracing each song like an old friend.
The encore opened with Buy Now Pay Later (Charlie No. 2), perhaps the band’s most heartbreaking song, written about founding member Stevie Plunder, who died by suicide in 1996. An audience request for Made Me Hard brought the evening to a close.
Fora band whose history has been marked by profound tragedy and loss, The Whitlams have emerged with their spirit intact and their songs enduring. Tonight they demonstrated that their catalogue remains as resonant as ever, with a devoted audience still ready to sing along to every word. Decades after their commercial heyday, The Whitlams are clearly still holding their own.
Setlist
1.Royal in the Afternoon
2. Thank You (For Loving Me at My Worst)
3.Following My Own Tracks
4. I Make Hamburgers
5. Happy Days
6. Sancho in Love
7. (You’re Making Me Feel Like I’m) 50 again
8. Nobody Knows I Love You
9. Beautiful as You (demo version)
10. Fall For You
11. Melbourne
12. Where’s the Enemy (Jak on vocals)
13. Blow Up the Pokies
14. No Aphrodisiac
15. You Sound Like Louis Burdett
16. Gough
17. Charlie No 3
18. Band on Every Corner
Encore
19. Buy Now Pay Later (Charlie No. 2)
21. Make the World Safe
22.I will Not Go Quietly (Duffy’s Song)
23. Made Me Hard (Audience Request)
