Two decades after defining Australian rock for a generation, Eskimo Joe will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Black Fingernails Red Wine with a national tour in May and June 2026.
The Fremantle trio will perform the album in its entirety, followed by a second set of career-spanning hits including From The Sea, Love Is A Drug, Foreign Land and Miracle Cure. Joining them on all shows will be ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter Alex Lloyd.
Released in June 2006, Black Fingernails Red Wine marked a creative and commercial high point for Eskimo Joe. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, achieved 4. Platinum sales, and earned four ARIA Awards including “Single of the Year.”
With its moody production, introspective lyrics and arena-ready sound, Black Fingernails Red Wine transformed the Fremantle trio from indie favourites into one of Australia’s most successful rock acts of the 2000s. Songs like Sarah, New York and Comfort You became instant classics, while the haunting title track remains a defining moment in Australian rock radio history.
Frontman Kav Temperley recalls, “We’d been working really hard leading up to that record, honing our songwriting and performance. I don’t think any of us realised at the time what a huge impact that album would have, or how much it would change our trajectory. To still be able to play these songs and have them mean so much to people really blows my mind.”
Guitarist Stu MacLeod adds, “Playing the album from start to finish is such a special experience for us. Some of my favourite Eskimo Joe songs are those hidden album tracks that never made it to the stage. This tour gives us a chance to bring them to life.”
Drummer Joel Quartermain reflects, “With this album, we hit a creative sweet spot – a mix of youth, experience and confidence. It feels right to perform it as one complete piece, just as it was conceived.”
Black Fingernails Red Wine was recorded at The Grove Studios on the NSW Central Coast, once owned by INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers. The band, producing themselves for the first time alongside engineer Matt Lovell, drew influence from the big, cinematic rock of the early 1980s – echoing the sound of INXS and Icehouse.
Kav Temperley once said, “I always think of things in a concept-record kind of way. I wanted to make a record as if we were a stadium rock band – if we were like INXS, what kind of record would I want to write?”
The album’s visual identity was equally memorable. Artist Dane Lovett created three portraits of the band members that appeared across the single covers for New York, Black Fingernails, Red Wine and Sarah, forming a complete triptych when viewed together.
Following the album’s success, Eskimo Joe continued to evolve with Inshalla (2009), Ghosts Of The Past (2011), and Wastelands (2013). Their most recent national run, in 2018, was a collaboration with orchestras across Australia, reimagining their catalogue with full symphonic arrangements.
To coincide with the anniversary tour, the band will release a Black Fingernails Red Wine 20th Anniversary Edition Cabernet Sauvignon in partnership with Howard Park Winery, available throughout the tour alongside exclusive merchandise.
Temperley says, “We’re so grateful to still be playing these songs after 20 years. This album changed our lives, and it’s a privilege to celebrate it with the people who made that possible.”
Tracklisting – Black Fingernails Red Wine
All songs written by Eskimo Joe:
Comfort You
New York
Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Breaking Up
Setting Sun
London Bombs
Sarah
This Is Pressure
Beating Like A Drum
Reprise
Suicide Girl
How Does It Feel
Eskimo Joe Black Fingernails Red Wine 20th Anniversary Tour 2026
1 May – Fremantle, WA – Freo Social
2 May – Fremantle, WA – Freo Social
9 May – Brisbane, QLD – Triffid
15 May – Melbourne, VIC – Corner Hotel, Richmond
16 May – Melbourne, VIC – Corner Hotel, Richmond
23 May – Sydney, NSW – The Factory Theatre
5 June – Adelaide, SA – The Gov
Tickets are on sale now from eskimojoe.net/tours.
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