Waifs to revisit landmark record

ONE of Australia’s folk-rock icons are coming to Ballarat as part of a national tour celebrating the twentieth anniversary of one of their seminal albums.

Later this year, The Waifs will take to the stage at Civic Hall where they’ll play the entirety of their fourth album Up All Night, originally released in 2003.

Guitarist and vocalist Donna Simpson said it’s been nostalgic to revisit the songs.

“I didn’t realise how nostalgic I’d actually feel about this,” she said.

“There’s some songs off the album we play all the time like Lighthouse and London Still but when we came to the others we hadn’t played for years, there was this beautiful alchemy between us.

“We’ll be playing the album from start to finish, then there’ll be some favourites and a killer, nostalgic new song that brings us back to that time and place called Heart in the Game.”

The Ballarat gig will be one of 40 Australian dates for the anniversary tour, with singer-songwriter Jeff Lang performing as special guest.

At the time of its release, Up All Night won four ARIA Awards for Best Blues and Roots Album, Best Independent Album, Engineer of The Year and Producer of The Year.

Simpson said the album was the one that launched them into mainstream success after 13 years as a band.

“It vaulted us into the spotlight,” she said. “We’d never had any big-picture plans so it was a lovely moment in our lives.

“For me, I’m looking forward to the people coming to the show for the album itself and sharing their nostalgia of it with us. Those people that have followed our music have grown with us.”

The Waifs will perform at Civic Hall on Friday, 2 June. Tickets range from $79.75 to $164.75 and can be booked via bit.ly/418Y2A5.