Augie March will honour the twentieth anniversary of Moo, You Bloody Choir in April 2026 with a national tour that will feature the full album performed live for the first time. The band will also add a selection of long-loved favourites. The album, released in 2006, became an instant Australian classic and elevated the Shepparton-born group from cult acclaim to major national recognition.
Augie March note the passing years with modest humour. The group say they feel stronger and more capable as musicians today than they were during the original sessions. They describe the shows as gatherings of shared affection between the band and the audience. The group expect the rooms to be full of connection and goodwill.
Moo, You Bloody Choir opened with One Crowded Hour, which set the tone for the emotional weight and poetic detail of the album. The song reached number 29 on the ARIA Singles Chart and took the number one position on the triple j Hottest 100. Yet the album was far more than a single moment. Fourteen tracks created a sequence that balanced restraint with ambition. Tracks such as Victoria’s Secret, The Cold Acre, Mother Greer, Just Passing Through, Bottle Baby and Clockwork formed a set that moved through folk, pop and indie rock with subtle and deliberate craft.
The album’s depth was built on detailed writing and inventive production. The band say the recording process was shaped by challenges, including a period of work in Chicago where three fatalities were encountered in the surrounding neighbourhood. The band recall the experience with dry understatement, saying the sense of relief at being the unharmed survivors created an odd momentum. They see themselves as understated, overwrought and unique within the Australian landscape.
Augie March formed in Shepparton in 1996. The original lineup included Glenn Richards, Adam Donovan, Edmondo Ammendola and David Williams. The name referenced Saul Bellow’s novel The Adventures Of Augie March. Early EPs established the band as a literate and distinctive presence during the late-90s Melbourne scene. The debut album Sunset Studies arrived in 2000 and earned four ARIA Award nominations. The follow-up, Strange Bird, released in 2002, expanded the group’s profile and deepened their reputation for ambitious writing.
Work on the album took place in Melbourne, San Francisco and regional Victoria. The sessions followed a demanding North American tour and were shaped by upheavals in the band’s professional and personal worlds. Keyboardist Kiernan Box says the group believed the album may never be completed. The surprise success of One Crowded Hour changed the arc of their career. The album went Platinum, won the Australian Music Prize and kept the band on the road for three years.
The band released Watch Me Disappear in 2008. They closed the decade with major touring before a break in 2009. The group re-formed in 2014 and have since released multiple albums, including Havens Dumb, Bootikins, Bloodsport & Porn and Malagrotta. Each release showed continued exploration, guided by Richards’ intricate writing. The group suggest the anniversary tour acts as a point between past work and forthcoming projects. New material is underway, and Glenn Richards is preparing his next release, due in the UK and Europe in 2026.
The band will approach the album with respect and a sense of renewed examination. They expect the performances to blend intensity with intimacy. The group plan to maintain conversation with the audience throughout the shows.
National Tour Dates
Fri 3 Apr | Freo.Social, Perth WA
Sat 4 Apr | The Gov, Adelaide SA
Fri 10 Apr | The Croxton, Melbourne Vic
Fri 17 Apr | The Triffid, Brisbane Qld
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