Tim Freedman resets at Broken Head

THE Whitlams’ frontman, Tim Freedman, returns to the Northern Rivers with his intimate cabaret show Moonlit Deck on July 5.

Cabaret suits the performer, who relishes its immediacy and close connection with the audience.

As with his sell-out shows in the region in 2023, he is returning with acclaimed pedal steel guitarist Ollie Thorpe.

“Ollie is bringing the ‘crying machine’ and adding the orchestral flourishes,” Freedman said.

“The show has extra songs, and we’re focusing on my most recent albums: Kookaburra, the Americana album, and a solo album I did in 2011 called Australian Idle.

“Luckily, he was available because he brings a special magic to it all.”

Before hitting the road again, Freedman is bunkering down at Broken Head on a mini winter break to regroup, wind down, practise and write.

“I can’t just turn up and sing well for the evening show unless I do a lot of work over winter,” he said.

“I’m enjoying doing my scales, and I’ve started doing stuff I should have done post-20, strengthening my voice.

 

“You’re a bit more resilient at 20 and 30. I enjoy the physical demands because it compels me to be disciplined and to have a bit of pride in my craft.

“I appreciate the downtime to retune, heal, relax, and work out. You can’t be good unless you rest.

“And I just turned 60, so I’m trying to be sensible about it all.”

Freedman has nine studio albums, and The Whitlams’ hits, such as Blow Up The Pokies and No Aphrodisiac, are integrally woven into the Australian music canon.

With the band, Freedman has worked with every state symphony orchestra in the country and is soon returning to Melbourne’s Hamer Hall with the MSO for a one-off reprise of their renowned 2004 symphonic collaboration.

“I pride myself on being just as enthused and interested in doing small theatres as concert halls,” Freedman said.

“But to be honest, cabaret is more challenging than getting up in the middle of an orchestra.

“There’s nowhere to hide, and there’s nothing more satisfying than 150 people leaving the theatre having laughed as much as if they’d been watching television.

“We must get people out of their lounge rooms, and I need to travel the country and do that.

 

“It doesn’t matter whether I play to 100 people next weekend or 2000; I’m still gonna be sitting at the piano practising for it.”

Freedman is constantly on the road and sees many venue operators whose will and skill are often worn down by the battles, including insurance and what he describes as the social movement of “people being comfortable in their castles.”

“I love doing good business for the little halls and venues around the country because it’s hard being them,” he said.

“There’s a visible social benefit to creating events on weekends around the country, and pulling it off is very satisfying.”

The evocatively titled Moonlit Deck is based on a phrase from a Hollywood film.

“The moonlight deck is where ‘a woman does her best work’,” Freedman said.

“It’s a line from a great 1950s black-and-white movie on a luxury cruise, and it has a lovely sense of intimacy and romanticism.

“In my case, it’s about that intimacy with my audience and doing my best work.”

For tickets, head to brunswickpicturehouse.com/tim-freedmans-moonlit-deck-5-jul