The Waifs to Tour Regional WA

Iconic WA band The Waifs will tour regional towns across May and June, with shows in Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Port Hedland, Exmouth, Geraldton and Broome.

The band, which hails from Albany, celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2017.

“We’re still tipping our hat to the 25^th anniversary that is now our 27-year-history, but that time around we weren’t able to get everywhere,” says band member Josh Cunningham.

“It’s just nice to get back to some of those places that we haven’t been able to go to. There’s lots of history, lots of stories and lots of connections to these places. It feels like the right thing to honour that by getting back there.

“And it’s really enjoyable, too. You go to places where they don’t get a lot coming through in the way of bands, so they tend to really appreciate it.”

Albany audience members will be treated to an extra-special show, with band members Donna Simpson, Vikki Thorn and Josh performing in original, acoustic trio mode.

“It’s gonna be a trip down memory lane,” says Donna Simpson. “We’ve been rehearsing a lot as a three-piece and it’s bringing up all kinds of memories and old songs. It’s like a step back in time; these are the people who saw it and have seen it grow and will know and recognise this three-piece. I’m sure it’s gonna be beautiful. Our roots are dug so deep in that little town and all through Western Australia.”

“From stripping away all the instrumentation,” adds Vikki, “we’re finding that playing as an acoustic trio and just listening to our voices really closely that we’re connecting with the heart of the songs again.”

The Waifs' latest album "Ironbark" topped the Australian charts, which was the first of their albums to to reach #1.

Vikki has also returned home after several years living in the US, which has allowed the band to tour more often. 

“There’s a personal aspect entwined in it for me,” says Vikki. “I became a sort of fly-in/fly-out tourer, so the importance of regional touring and driving out to these paces, particularly on the West Coast, is a part of me reconnecting with my country and its people.”

“To be able to drive up the coast and be able to share that with our families, with our kids… to be able to take them to these places that we knew and brought us so much joy is everything,” Donna says.

“And it’s always the people that make the places.” 

Tickets for the Waifs WA regional tour go on sale Tuesday April 9 from www.thewaifs.com.

Tour dates:

Wed 29 May Princess Royal Theatre Albany (acoustic trio mode)

Sat 1 June Esperance Civic Centre, Esperance

Sun 2 June Goldfields Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie

Thurs 6 June Queens Park Theatre, Geraldton

Sat 8 June Federation Park, Exmouth

Wed 12 June Red Earth Arts Precinct, Karratha

Thurs 13 June Matt Dann Theatre & Cinema, Port Hedland

Sat 15 June Roebuck Bay Hotel, Broome