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The Whitlams are an Australian
Indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was
Tim Freedman Timothy James Freedman (25 November 1964) is an Australian musician, best known as the mainstay lead singer and keyboardist of the Australian band The Whitlams formed in 1993. Note: n-lineversion was expanded from the 2002 edition. The song ...
on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and
Stevie Plunder Stevie Plunder, born as Anthony Hayes (15 August 196325 January 1996), was an Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of the groups, The Plunderers (1984–1995) and The Whitlams (1992–1996). Biography Early year ...
on guitar and lead vocals. Other than mainstay Freedman, the line-up has changed numerous times. From 2001 to 2022, he was joined by
Warwick Hornby Warwick Hornby is an Australian musician, best known for his time as bassist for The Whitlams. Note: n-lineversion was expanded from the 2002 edition. He joined the band together with drummer Terepai Richmond in 1998, and remained with them until ...
on bass guitar,
Jak Housden Jak Housden (born John Paul Housden 12 June 1969) is an Australian guitarist, singer, and composer. Best known as a long-standing member of or The Whitlams, he is also a founding member of The Badloves, appearing on all their classic 1990s relea ...
on guitar and
Terepai Richmond Terepai Chalmers Richmond (born 21 February 1971) is an Australian drummer. He joined the Sydney-based rock band The Whitlams in September 1999 and formerly played in acid jazz group Directions in Groove (d.i.g.) (1991–1998, 2008). Biograp ...
on drums – forming the band's longest-lasting and best-known line-up. Four of their studio albums have reached the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
top 20: ''
Eternal Nightcap ''Eternal Nightcap'' is the third studio album by Australian rock band The Whitlams, first released by Black Yak Phantom in September 1997. The album peaked at number 14 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold, and then triple platinum. Singl ...
'' (September 1997, No. 14), ''
Love This City ''Love This City'' is the fourth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 1999. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Track listing #"Make the World Safe" – 3:43 #" Thank You (for ...
'' (November 1999, No. 3), ''
Torch the Moon ''Torch the Moon'' is the fifth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 2002. It peaked at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. It received platinum album certification from ARIA. Track listin ...
'' (July 2002, No. 1) and ''
Little Cloud ''Little Cloud'' is the sixth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner on 20 March 2006. It debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart. Album information The first disc, entitled ''Little Cloud'', i ...
'' (March 2006, No. 4). Their highest charting singles are "
Blow Up the Pokies "Blow Up the Pokies" is a song by Australian band, The Whitlams, released in May 2000 as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Love This City'', it peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In January 2018, as part of Triple M' ...
" (May 2000) and " Fall for You" (June 2002) – both reached number 21. The group's single, "
No Aphrodisiac "No Aphrodisiac" is a song by Australian band the Whitlams, released in December 1997 as the second single from their third album, ''Eternal Nightcap''. The song peaked at 59 on the Australian Singles Chart. The lead track was written by the b ...
" was listed at number one on the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 The 1997 Triple J Hottest 100, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J, and was broadcast on Australia Day 1998. A CD featuring 31 of the songs was released. A countd ...
by listeners of national radio station,
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
. In January 1996 Stevie Plunder was found dead at the base of
Wentworth Falls Wentworth Falls (Postcodes in Australia, postcode: 2782) is a town in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, situated approximately west of the Sydney central business district, and about east of Katoo ...
. Andy Lewis died in February 2000.


History


1992–1995: Formation and early years

Tim Freedman Timothy James Freedman (25 November 1964) is an Australian musician, best known as the mainstay lead singer and keyboardist of the Australian band The Whitlams formed in 1993. Note: n-lineversion was expanded from the 2002 edition. The song ...
(ex-Penguin on Safari, Olive Branch) and Anthony Hayes a.k.a.
Stevie Plunder Stevie Plunder, born as Anthony Hayes (15 August 196325 January 1996), was an Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of the groups, The Plunderers (1984–1995) and The Whitlams (1992–1996). Biography Early year ...
(ex- the Plunderers,
New Christs The New Christs are an Australian garage rock band formed in 1980 by founding mainstay, Rob Younger, on lead vocals. Younger was the lead singer for punk rockers, Radio Birdman, and in other hard rock groups, New Race, Bad Music, the Other Side, ...
) met at the
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
Sydney concert in January 1992. While missing
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
performing inside the arena, the two planned to form a group. The Whitlams were formed as a pop band by September that year, with Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass (also ex-The Plunderers, The Gadflys, Olive Branch) and Plunder on guitar. Freedman named the band after the former
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
,
Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the he ...
, although Plunder had sought to call themselves, 'The Three Nice Boys'. According to Freedman "I loved the family names—the Smiths, the Reivers. I thought, the Whitlams, no-one's done that. I'll be able to steal all the goodwill that Australia holds in reserve for Gough Whitlam." Initially, without a drummer, the band developed their material acoustically at the
Sandringham Hotel, Newtown The Sandringham Hotel, 387-391 King Street, locally known as The Sando, was a pub in the Inner West suburb of Newtown in Sydney, Australia. The pub first opened in 1870 and has had a long history and is the spiritual homeland to several of Sy ...
. Australian music critic,
Ed Nimmervoll Edward Charles Nimmervoll (21 September 1947 – 10 October 2014) was an Australian music journalist, author and historian. He worked on rock and pop magazines ''Go-Set'' (1966–1974) and ''Juke Magazine'' (1975–92) both as a journalist a ...
, felt that they were "a sideline band formed by two Sydney songwriters in search of a bit of extra action." In December 1992 they played a gig in Canberra supporting the Gadflys. This line-up released their debut album, '' Introducing the Whitlams'', in August 1993 on Black Yak/
Phantom Records Phantom Records was an Australian record store and independent record label established in 1978 by Dare Jennings and Jules R.B. Normington. Phantom Records was one of Australia's first indie labels, and the store was known for its guerilla m ...
. The album was recorded in January and March 1993 at the Skyhigh Studios in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
; for the recording sessions they used Louis Burdett and Nick Cecire on drums, with Rob Taylor producing. The album features a mix of original and cover songs, including tracks written by Justin Hayes a.k.a. Stanley Claret (Plunder's brother). The album comprises three studio tracks, five live takes and two songs from their first demo, including a tribute song to the band's namesake, "Gough", which was written by Freedman. The lead single, "Woody", detailed
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's break up with
Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...
and was followed by their second single, "Gough". Plunder described their sound to Naomi Mapstone of ''
The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...
'', "There'd been lots of rap and lots of thrash and that's all very good, but we just have a different style of music and I think people appreciated hearing something a bit different .. it'ssort of happy, sensitive, not that loud... much more acoustic." ''The Canberra Times'' reporter, Nicole Leedham felt it was "sublime and ridiculous, the band's bluesy, country, jazzy, punky, folky pop swings from bleeding sensitivity to drunken hilarity." Oz Music Project described the album as being "very different to later recordings, with the band sounding a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. A far cry from the lush orchestration of recent recordings." Stuart Eadie (
The Clouds ''The Clouds'' ( grc, Νεφέλαι ''Nephelai'') is a Greek comedy play written by the playwright Aristophanes. A lampooning of intellectual fashions in classical Athens, it was originally produced at the City Dionysia in 423BC and was not as ...
, Olive Branch) became the band's first permanent drummer. During 1993 to 1994 they performed over 300 shows along the Australian east coast. At first they travelled in Freedman's
Holden Kingswood The Holden Kingswood is a full-size car that was manufactured in Australia by GM Holden, from the beginning of the HK series in 1968 through to the conclusion of the WB series in 1984. Prior to 1968, the full-size Holden range of family cars ...
station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
before using a tour bus, which was used for the 1994 feature film, ''
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
''. The group recorded their second album, '' Undeniably the Whitlams'', from April to May 1994 at the 48V Studio in Sydney, with Taylor and Freedman co-producing. The songwriting for the album was shared between Freedman and Plunder, with significant contributions by Lewis. It was released by Black Yak/Phantom in February 1995 and sold approximately 8,000 copies. Ahead of the album, in October 1994, they issued a single, "
Met My Match Met My Match is a song by The Whitlams The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar and lead vo ...
". Late that year Lewis had left to return to the Gadflys, with Mike Vidale brought in as his replacement. Their next single, "
I Make Hamburgers "I Make Hamburgers" is a song by The Whitlams. It was first released to radio in February 1995 as the band's debut single. It was released on CD single in November 1995 as the first single from their second album, '' Undeniably''. The song was n ...
", was released in October 1995 and received airplay on national radio stations, including
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
.


1996–2000: ''Eternal Nightcap'' and ''Love This City''

The Whitlams' "I Make Hamburgers" was listed on the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1996 The 1996 Triple J Hottest 100, counted down in January 1997, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. A CD featuring 31 of the songs was released. A countdown of the ...
on
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...
(26 January). That same day, Stevie Plunder was found dead at the base of
Wentworth Falls Wentworth Falls (Postcodes in Australia, postcode: 2782) is a town in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, situated approximately west of the Sydney central business district, and about east of Katoo ...
; according to Nimmervoll, he was "either the victim of suicide, or of an accidental fall after a night out." The death of Plunder was the make it or break it moment for the band. After several months Freedman reformed the Whitlams with new members; another round of line-up changes occurred later in that year. In August 1996 they issued a nine-track live EP, ''
Stupor Ego Stupor Ego, released in 1996, is the first live album to be released by The Whitlams. The album contains live recordings from performances at the Harbourside Brasserie in mid-1994, and at Goosens Hall on July 30, 1995, as part of national radio ...
'', with material recorded from performances at the Harbourside Brasserie in mid-1994 and at Goosens Hall on 30 July 1995 (part of national radio station
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
's 'Real Appeal' broadcast), with the earlier three-piece line-up of Freedman, Lewis and Plunder. The Whitlams recorded their third album, ''
Eternal Nightcap ''Eternal Nightcap'' is the third studio album by Australian rock band The Whitlams, first released by Black Yak Phantom in September 1997. The album peaked at number 14 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold, and then triple platinum. Singl ...
'', with Freedman and Taylor co-producing. Freedman "chose musicians to fit each song, rather than have the same band through the whole album." The album was recorded on an extremely limited budget of $18,000. In a later interview Freedman reflects "The band became a revolving door because I had no money to pay anyone. I actually made the album, ''Eternal Nightcap'', during that most difficult period, that was a really tough year in which to keep my focus and keep my head up, but it ended in September 1997 when I put the record out and it just started selling itself." Jonathan Lewis of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described it as being " full of gentle, well-crafted, piano-driven pop songs." Singles from the album include "
You Sound Like Louis Burdett "You Sound Like Louis Burdett" is a song by Australian band The Whitlams. It was released in January 1997 as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Eternal Nightcap''. The single was placed at number 53 of Triple J's Hottest 100 of that ...
" (May 1997), "
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
" (January 1998) and "
No Aphrodisiac "No Aphrodisiac" is a song by Australian band the Whitlams, released in December 1997 as the second single from their third album, ''Eternal Nightcap''. The song peaked at 59 on the Australian Singles Chart. The lead track was written by the b ...
" (February). "No Aphrodisiac" was released independently by Freedman's own label, had no film clip, no commercial radio airplay and no marketing budget however it reached the top 60 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and top 50 in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. "No Aphrodisiac" sold more than 80,000 copies and was listed at number one in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 The 1997 Triple J Hottest 100, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J, and was broadcast on Australia Day 1998. A CD featuring 31 of the songs was released. A countd ...
. The success of the single translated into sales of over 200,000 copies of the album, with it peaking at No. 14 on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
in February 1998. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1998 The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Presenters, including Democrats deputy l ...
The Whitlams won Best Independent Release (for ''Eternal Nightcap''), Song of the Year (for "No Aphrodisiac") and Best Group. The 'Best Group' award was presented by Gough Whitlam, who announced the winners as "It's my family". At the conclusion of the ARIA Awards ceremony the Whitlams performed a cover of the
Skyhooks Skyhook, sky hook or skyhooks may refer to: Fiction * 'Skyhooks' or 'Skyhooks II', parts 1 and 8 respectively of the Adventure Time Elements (miniseries), Elements miniseries. * ''Sky Hook'', a Hugo-award nominated science fiction fanzine * Sk ...
' "
Women in Uniform "Women in Uniform" is a 1978 song by the Australian band Skyhooks; it was written by the band's bass guitar player, Greg Macainsh. It was released in February 1978 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Guilty Until Proven Insane' ...
", this was subsequently released in March 1999 as a limited edition single. In mid-1999 the group signed a distribution deal with
Warner Music Australasia Warner Music Group's labels include the following. Flagship labels *Atlantic Records * Elektra Records *Parlophone Records *Warner Records Atlantic Records Group * 1st & 15th Entertainment * All Money In * Artist Partners Group * Asylum Rec ...
, and toured Canada. The group's fourth studio album, ''
Love This City ''Love This City'' is the fourth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 1999. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Track listing #"Make the World Safe" – 3:43 #" Thank You (for ...
'', was released in November 1999, which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It was recorded with the line-up of Freedman with Ben Fink on guitar, Bill Heckenberg on drums and Cottco Lovett on bass guitar, together with a large cast of guest musicians including
Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines, AM (born July 20, 1953), is an American-Australian vocalist and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical ''Hair'' and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene ...
,
Jackie Orszaczky Miklós József "Jackie" Orszáczky (8 May 1948, Budapest, Hungary 3 February 2008, Sydney, Australia) was a Hungary, Hungarian-Australian musician, arranger, vocalist and record producer. His musical styles included jazz, blues, R&B, funk and p ...
,
Chris Abrahams Christopher Robert Lionel Abrahams (born 1961, Oamaru, New Zealand) is a New Zealand-born, Australian-based musician. He is a founding mainstay member of experimental, jazz trio the Necks (1987–present), he collaborated with Melanie Oxley as ...
,
Garry Gary Beers Garry William Beers (born 22 June 1957), known as Garry Gary Beers, is an Australian musician and was the bass guitarist for the new wave rock group INXS. Career Garry William Beers was born to Lola (died 2011) and William Beers. William Bee ...
and members of
Machine Gun Fellatio Machine Gun Fellatio were an Australian alternative rock band, formed in 1997. They were well known for their provocative on-stage antics and humorous lyrics, as well as the musical merit of their songs. Their outrage-provoking name (coined by a ...
. The album had four producers: Freedman, Taylor, Daniel Denholm and Joe Hardy and was recorded in Sydney and
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
(a reflection of the considerably larger budget that Freedman had to work with). The three singles from the album " Thank You (For Loving Me at My Worst)" (January 2000), "
Blow Up the Pokies "Blow Up the Pokies" is a song by Australian band, The Whitlams, released in May 2000 as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Love This City'', it peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In January 2018, as part of Triple M' ...
" (May) and "
Made Me Hard "Made Me Hard" a song by Australian band, The Whitlams. Released in May 2001 as the third and final single from their fourth album, ''Love This City ''Love This City'' is the fourth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Bl ...
" (September 2001) all charted in the top 100 singles charts in Australia. "Blow Up the Pokies" was their highest charting single – it peaked at No. 21. AllMusic's Jonathan Lewis compared ''Love This City'' to their previous album, "this disc is less cohesive, covering a wide range of subject matter. The song style is different here, too, as Freedman allows his piano to take a back seat to guitars or brass on a number of tracks. The city of the title is Sydney, and many of these songs relate to its changing face." He described "You Gotta Love This City" as "less-than-complimentary reaction to the commercialism of the Olympic Games" and "Blow Up the Pokies" as detailing the "infiltration of gambling machines into suburban bars and clubs." Nimmervoll described how the album "was again recorded in a number of studios, with a changed line-up, leaning on the same and new songwriting collaborations. It couldn't match the emotional charge that came with ''Eternal Nightcap'' but did enough to ensure The Whitlams' survival." Former founding member, Andy Lewis committed suicide in Sydney in February 2000. A month after Lewis' death a benefit concert was held at the Metro club in Sydney to raise money for his wife and child. The event was hosted by
Paul McDermott Paul Anthony Michael McDermott (born 13 May 1962) is an Australian entertainer, best known both for ''Good News Week'' and for his role as a member of the musical comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars. He has frequently appeared at the Melb ...
,
Mikey Robins Mikel Mason "Mikey" Robins (born 8 December 1961) is an Australian media personality, comedian and writer. He is best known for the satirical game show ''Good News Week'', which ran on the ABC and Network Ten between 1996 and 2000, and returned ...
and Steve Abbott (The Sandman), and performers included
Max Sharam Leanna Maree "Max" Sharam (born 1969) is an Australian interdisciplinary musician and singer-songwriter. In the mid-1990s, Sharam had three top 40 hit singles in Australia, "Coma", "Be Firm" and "Lay Down", from her top 10 album ''A ...
, and The Gadflys. During the Whitlam's Canadian tour in April, supporting
Blue Rodeo Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, a ...
, they received word that Lewis was dead. "Blow Up the Pokies" had been co-written by Freedman and
Greta Gertler Greta Gertler is a pianist, singer, and songwriter. She is originally from Sydney, Australia, and got her start there as a songwriter, penning hits for other artists. She is co-leader of orchestral pop collective, The Universal Thump, with Ad ...
before Lewis' death – as a statement about the destruction in Lewis' life due to gambling. Freedman wrote "The Curse Stops Here" to describe being the 'last one' of the original line-up and voicing his determination to survive. "The Curse Stops Here" was included as a B-side track on the single version of "Blow Up the Pokies". During the broadcast of the
2000 Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
in September, the Whitlams' track, "Sydney 2000 Olympic Theme", was played – it is a B-side from their 1995 single, "I Make Hamburgers". The track was reworked as "You Gotta Love This City" on ''Love This City''. Its choice for the Sydney Olympics is an
irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...
, as the song's
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
commits suicide by jumping in the
Harbour A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
at the end of the song, disgusted at the city's crass pursuit of money: ''It dawns on him / The horror / We got the Olympic Games''.


2001–2006: ''Torch the Moon'' and ''Little Cloud''

''
Torch the Moon ''Torch the Moon'' is the fifth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 2002. It peaked at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. It received platinum album certification from ARIA. Track listin ...
'', the Whitlams' fifth studio album, was released in July 2002, which debuted at No. 1. ARIA Reported that the group are "one of the great underdog success stories of recent Aussie rock history,
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
have immortalized themselves, by becoming the latest Australian act to debut at # 1." For the album the line-up were Freedman with
Warwick Hornby Warwick Hornby is an Australian musician, best known for his time as bassist for The Whitlams. Note: n-lineversion was expanded from the 2002 edition. He joined the band together with drummer Terepai Richmond in 1998, and remained with them until ...
on bass guitar (ex-Max Sharam,
Paul Mac Paul Francis McDermott (born 17 September 1965), who performs as Paul Mac, is an Australian electropop musician, singer-songwriter, producer and music re-mixer. He was classically trained at Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Mac has formed variou ...
),
Jak Housden Jak Housden (born John Paul Housden 12 June 1969) is an Australian guitarist, singer, and composer. Best known as a long-standing member of or The Whitlams, he is also a founding member of The Badloves, appearing on all their classic 1990s relea ...
(ex-
the Badloves The Badloves are an Australian R&B, soul band that formed as DC3 in 1990 by founding mainstay member Michael Spiby on guitar and lead vocals. They changed their name after a year. Their debut studio album, ''Get on Board'', was issued in July ...
) on guitar and
Terepai Richmond Terepai Chalmers Richmond (born 21 February 1971) is an Australian drummer. He joined the Sydney-based rock band The Whitlams in September 1999 and formerly played in acid jazz group Directions in Groove (d.i.g.) (1991–1998, 2008). Biograp ...
(
dig Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock (geology), rock on the surface of Earth. Di ...
,
Tina Arena Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...
) on drums. The producers were Denholm and Atomica. Clayton Bolger of AllMusic described the "strong album from a promising lineup" which "only falls when the band significantly stray from their classic rock/pop sound." It provided the singles " Fall for You" (June 2002, which became their equal highest single at No. 21), "
Best Work Best Work is a song by Australian band, The Whitlams. It was released in September 2002 as the second single from their fifth studio album, ''Torch the Moon''. It peaked at number 35 in Australia. Reception ''The Guardian ''The Guardian'' ...
" (September, No. 35), "
Royal in the Afternoon "Royal in the Afternoon" is a song by Australian band, The Whitlams. It was released in February 2003 as the third single from their fifth studio album, ''Torch the Moon''. It received moderate success, peaking at number 66 in Australia in Februa ...
" (July 2003, No. 66) and their cover version of
Icehouse Icehouse or ice house may refer to: * Ice house (building), a building where ice is stored * Ice shanty, a shelter for ice fishing also known as an ''Icehouse'' * Ice skating rink, a facility for ice skating. * Ice hockey arena, an area where ice ...
's "
Don't Believe Anymore "Don't Believe Anymore" is a single by Australian band Icehouse (band), Icehouse. It is the second single from their third album, ''Sidewalk (album), Sidewalk''. It was released on 15 June 1984 in the UK and on 2 July 1984 in Australia. It peaked ...
" (February, No. 47). Another track on the album, "I Will not Go Quietly (Duffy's Song)", had been written and performed by Freedman for the Australian TV series, '' Love Is a Four Letter Word'', "Episode 21: Oval" (June 2001). The band's sixth studio album, ''
Little Cloud ''Little Cloud'' is the sixth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner on 20 March 2006. It debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart. Album information The first disc, entitled ''Little Cloud'', i ...
'' (consisting of two CDs: ''Little Cloud'' and ''The Apple's Eye''), was released on 19 March 2006 in Australia, which peaked at No. 4. Ian Hockley of Beyond the Pale website described the "return to basics with few overdubs and often just a voice and piano base" where the first disc "deals with John Howard's re-election and the bleak feelings that event engendered" and the second one "is more hopeful and life-affirming with bigger, more elaborate productions." Several tracks received considerable airplay, including "I Was Alive". Three of the songs on the album have been released as radio-only singles, with a fourth, "
Beautiful as You "Beautiful as You" a song by Australian band, The Whitlams. It was released in February 2007 as the lead and sole single from the band's sixth studio album, ''Little Cloud ''Little Cloud'' is the sixth studio album by Australian band The Whitla ...
", released as a CD single. The album was followed up with almost non-stop touring around Australia, including performances at political and university events. Freedman released ''Little Cloud'' outside Australia under his own name. The band made the news in September 2006 when, for political reasons, Freedman refused to perform to troops in
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, he told Peter Holmes of ''
The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...
'', "I was asked, and decided not to go. ... I went to East Timor and enjoyed the experience. I understand how hard the soldiers do it. In this instance, I don't agree with the war."


2007–2010: Sydney Symphony to ''Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You''

The Whitlams performed an orchestral tour from September to November 2007, performing shows with the
Sydney Symphony The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and fi ...
, the
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a South Australian performing arts organisation comprising 75 full-time musicians, established in 1936. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the orchestra's primary performance venue is the Adelaide Town Ha ...
, the
West Australian Symphony Orchestra The West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Perth, Western Australia. Its principal concert venue is the Perth Concert Hall. WASO also gives concerts at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. , WA ...
and
The Queensland Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra in the state of Queensland. The orchestra is based in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's building in South Bank. The Orchestra is funded by private corporations, t ...
. In mid-2008 they gave away 700,000 copies of ''
The Whitlams & The Sydney Symphony Live in Concert 'The Whitlams & the Sydney Symphony Live in Concert' is a 2008 release by The Whitlams The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on dou ...
'', as a free CD with various newspapers: ''The Sunday Telegraph'' (1 June), ''The Australian'' (26 July) and ''The Mercury''. It contains material from their four live performances with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House in the previous September. The Whitlams released a compilation album, ''
Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You ''Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You'' is the first greatest hits album by Australian rock band The Whitlams. It was released in August 2008 and peaked at number 3 on the ARIA charts. Upon release, Tim Freedman said, "I decided to leave a couple ...
'' in August 2008, which peaked at No. 3. As part of it promotion the group performed on TV programs including Nine's ''Footy Show'' (NRL), Seven's ''Sunrise'' and ''The Morning Show''. The Whitlams performed with the Sydney Symphony in 2009 to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the release of their breakthrough album, ''Eternal Nightcap''.


2011–2016: ''Australian Idle''

From 2011 to 2013 the Whitlams were on hiatus. On 11 November 2011 (the anniversary of Gough Whitlam's dismissal), Freedman released a solo album, ''Australian Idle'', which featured his new backing band The Idle. The line-up was Heath Cullen on guitar, Zoe Hauptmann on bass guitar, Dave Hibbard on drums and Amy Vee on guitar and keyboards. The Whitlams reunited in 2013, with a performance schedule reduced to around four weeks each year. They performed an outdoor concert with West Australian artist, Jason Ayres, in March 2015 at the Mundaring Weir Hotel


2017–present: Anniversary tours, ''Sancho'' and Hornby's departure

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band, the Whitlams performed six shows with the symphony orchestras of each capital city in Australia for an Anniversary tour. Taking place in April and May 2017, the tour visited Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide. In each city, they were backed by a 50-piece orchestra using performers from each city. Tim Freedman said that "It is an honour to play with these musicians who in some cases have been playing their instruments since they were in the womb." In 2020, the band released their first new song in almost 15 years, "Ballad of Bertie Kidd". The six-minute song was written from the perspective of a would-be criminal, enlisted by Kidd for an art gallery heist in Gosford. The single was later revealed to be the lead single from the band's seventh album, ''Sancho'', which was released on January 28, 2022. A further four singles were released from the album: "Man About a Dog", "(You're Making Me Feel Like I'm) 50 Again", "Cambridge Three" and "Nobody Knows I Love You". In April 2022, Freedman launched a
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
off-shoot of the band, billed as The Whitlams Black Stump Band. The band is composed of Whitlam, Richmond, banjo player Rod McCormack, pedal steel player Ollie Thorpe and bassist Matt Fell. Freedman began the project after discovering that "Man About a Dog" had been added to country radio. The Whitlams BlackStump Band and are scheduled to release their debut album in February 2024. In June 2022, the band announced a 25th anniversary tour for ''Eternal Nightcap''. With the announcement came the band's first line-up change since 2001: the departure of bassist Warwick Hornby, who was replaced by ''Sancho'' session bassist Ian Peres. In a statement shared to the band's social media, Freedman confirmed that Hornby had retired: In May 2023, the band announced a national tour for October 2023 that will see them focus on the early years of The Whitlams' material, between 1993 and 1997. To replicate the sound of these albums, the band will be joined by double bassist Scott Owen of
The Living End The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
.


Band members


Current members

*Tim Freedman – lead vocals, piano, keyboards (1991–2011, 2013–present) *Terepai Richmond – drums, backing vocals (1999–2011, 2013–present) *Jak Housden – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2011, 2013–present) *Ian Peres – bass, keyboards, backing vocals (2022–present) *
Scott Owen Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sask ...
– double bass, backing vocals (2023, touring)


Former members

*Stevie Plunder – guitar, lead and backing vocals (1991–1996; died 1996) *Andy Lewis – double bass, backing vocals (1991–1994, 1996; died 2000) *Stu Eadie – drums (1993–1994) *Michael Vidale – bass (1994–1996, 1996–1997) *Louis Burdett – drums (1994–1995) *Hanuman Daas – drums (1995) *Michael Richards – drums (1995–1996) *Oscar Briz – guitar (1996) *Tim Hall – guitar, backing and lead vocals (1996–1997) *Bill Heckenberg – drums (1996–1999) *Chris Abrahams – keyboards (1996–1998) *Ben Fink – guitar (1997–2001) *Cottco Lovett – bass (1997–1998) *Clayton Doley – keyboards (1998–1999) *Alex Hewitson – bass (1999) *Mike Gubb – keyboards (1999–2002) *Warwick Hornby – bass, backing vocals (1999–2011, 2013–2022)


Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:400 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:120 top:0 right:30 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1991 till:01/05/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:piano value:purple legend:Keyboards,_piano id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:lines value:black legend:Studio albums Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:2 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1991 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:2011 LineData = at:01/08/1993 color:black layer:back at:10/03/1994 color:black layer:back at:10/09/1997 color:black layer:back at:01/11/1999 color:black layer:back at:01/02/2002 color:black layer:back at:20/03/2006 color:black layer:back at:28/01/2022 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Freedman text:"Tim Freedman" bar:Abrahams text:"Chris Abrahams" bar:Doley text:"Clayton Doley" bar:Gubb text:"Mike Gubb" bar:Plunder text:"Stevie Plunder" bar:Briz text:"Oscar Briz" bar:Hall text:"Tim Hall" bar:Fink text:"Ben Fink" bar:Housden text:"Jak Housden" bar:Lewis text:"Andy Lewis" bar:Vidale text:"Michael Vidale" bar:Lovett text:"Cottco Lovett" bar:Hewitson text:"Alex Hewitson" bar:Hornby text:"Warwick Hornby" bar:Peres text:"Ian Peres" bar:Eadie text:"Stu Eadie" bar:Burdett text:"Louis Burdett" bar:Daas text:"Hanuman Daas" bar:Richards text:"Michael Richards" bar:Heckenberg text:"Bill Heckenberg" bar:Richmond text:"Terepai Richmond" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Freedman from:01/01/1991 till:26/01/1996 color:piano bar:Freedman from:01/01/1991 till:26/01/1996 color:vocals width:3 bar:Freedman from:26/01/1996 till:01/01/2011 color:vocals bar:Freedman from:26/01/1996 till:01/01/2011 color:piano width:3 bar:Freedman from:01/06/2013 till:end color:vocals bar:Freedman from:01/06/2013 till:end color:piano width:3 bar:Plunder from:01/01/1991 till:26/01/1996 color:guitar bar:Plunder from:01/01/1991 till:26/01/1996 color:vocals width:3 bar:Briz from:26/01/1996 till:30/06/1996 color:guitar bar:Hall from:01/07/1996 till:01/11/1997 color:guitar bar:Hall from:01/07/1996 till:01/08/1997 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Hall from:01/08/1997 till:01/11/1997 color:vocals width:3 bar:Fink from:01/11/1997 till:01/01/2001 color:guitar bar:Housden from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2011 color:guitar bar:Housden from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2011 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Housden from:01/06/2013 till:end color:guitar bar:Housden from:01/06/2013 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Hornby from:01/07/1999 till:01/01/2011 color:bass bar:Hornby from:01/07/1999 till:01/01/2011 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Hornby from:01/06/2013 till:16/06/2022 color:bass bar:Hornby from:01/06/2013 till:16/06/2022 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Peres from:16/06/2022 till:end color:bass bar:Peres from:16/06/2022 till:end color:piano width:7 bar:Peres from:16/06/2022 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Richmond from:01/07/1999 till:01/01/2011 color:drums bar:Richmond from:01/07/1999 till:01/01/2011 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Richmond from:01/06/2013 till:end color:drums bar:Richmond from:01/06/2013 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Lewis from:01/01/1991 till:12/01/1995 color:bass bar:Lewis from:01/01/1991 till:12/01/1995 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Lewis from:26/01/1996 till:30/06/1996 color:bass bar:Eadie from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1994 color:drums bar:Vidale from:12/01/1995 till:26/01/1996 color:bass bar:Vidale from:30/06/1996 till:01/06/1997 color:bass bar:Burdett from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1995 color:drums bar:Daas from:01/01/1995 till:30/06/1995 color:drums bar:Richards from:01/07/1995 till:01/01/1996 color:drums bar:Heckenberg from:01/01/1996 till:01/07/1999 color:drums bar:Abrahams from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1998 color:piano bar:Lovett from:01/06/1997 till:31/12/1998 color:bass bar:Doley from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/1999 color:piano bar:Hewitson from:01/01/1999 till:30/06/1999 color:bass bar:Gubb from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2002 color:piano


Discography

* '' Introducing The Whitlams'' (1993) * '' Undeniably The Whitlams'' (1995) * ''
Eternal Nightcap ''Eternal Nightcap'' is the third studio album by Australian rock band The Whitlams, first released by Black Yak Phantom in September 1997. The album peaked at number 14 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold, and then triple platinum. Singl ...
'' (1997) * ''
Love This City ''Love This City'' is the fourth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 1999. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Track listing #"Make the World Safe" – 3:43 #" Thank You (for ...
'' (1999) * ''
Torch the Moon ''Torch the Moon'' is the fifth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 2002. It peaked at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. It received platinum album certification from ARIA. Track listin ...
'' (2002) * ''
Little Cloud ''Little Cloud'' is the sixth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner on 20 March 2006. It debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart. Album information The first disc, entitled ''Little Cloud'', i ...
'' (2006) * ''Sancho'' (2022)


Awards and nominations


APRA Music Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the
Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...
to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.


ARIA Music Awards

The
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. The Whitlams have won three
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
from fourteen nominations.


Helpmann Awards

The
Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical t ...
is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group ''Live Performance Australia'' since 2001. Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. ! , - ,
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, , The Whitlams with the Sydney Symphony , , Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert , , , , , , -


Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the
Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...
), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. The Whitlams won one award in that time. (wins only) , - , 1997 , The Whitlams , Rock Performer of the Year , , -


Triple J

The
Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the ...
is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n youth radio station,
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
. Triple J Hottest 100 Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time


References

General * Note: Archived n-linecopy has limited functionality. Specific


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitlams, The Australian indie rock groups ARIA Award winners Musical groups from Sydney Musical groups established in 1992