To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album Up All Night, The Waifs are hitting the road in 2023.
The proud independent act, along with special guest Josh Pike, will perform at Civic Theatre Newcastle on Friday 14 July.
General tickets for the special gig go on sale on Friday 21 April.
Each show will see the band play the album in full and a sprinkling of fan favourites.
And, to mark the occasion, they’ll release Up All Night on vinyl for the first time with a limited signed edition available as part of a VIP ticket package.
From their inception in 1992 to 2002, The Waifs traversed Australia playing every small town with a local paper or radio station, a pub or hall that would host live music, and someone willing to listen, of which there were many.
Constant touring laid a broad foundation, musical chemistry and an approachable relatability through their lyrics solidified a lifelong, dedicated fan base.
The original avant-garde folk heroes, they released three LPs, self-titled The Waifs (1996), Shelter Me (1998) and Sink or Swim (2000) during that time with the unwavering support of community and ABC radio, street press and local papers.
In July 2002, everything changed thanks to their hit single London Still.
“The Waifs’ heartfelt, plucked ode to missing home resonated with every Australian that has ever found themselves in a far-flung, cold place somewhere across the globe,” said Junkee in its Greatest Australian Songs Of All Time list.
London Still caught the ears of the mainstream and youth radio station triple j, who threw it onto high rotation and paved the way for the following singles Fisherman’s Daughter, Lighthouse, Highway One and ultimately their 2003 LP Up All Night.
Recorded between LA and Melbourne, with Canadian producer Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, U2, Willie Nelson, Neil Yong, REM) and beloved ARIA Award-winning Australian producer Chris Thompson, it debuted at three on the ARIA charts and won four ARIA Awards for Best Blues and Roots Album, Best Independent Album, Engineer of The Year and Producer of The Year for Thompson.
London Still was voted in at #3 on the triple J Hottest 100, and Up All Night reached double platinum certification.
Then 2003 was an unforgettable year for the band comprising of sold-out international headline tours, being the first Australian band to play New Orleans Jazz Festival, touring with Bob Dylan in Australia and the USA and being named in Rolling Stone’s Moments that Changed the History of Rock and Roll story, that citied their independence and mainstream success as a game changer for musicians in the future.
The rest, as they say, is history to be read and to be written.
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