Spiderbait expand their Ivy & The Big Apples 30th Anniversary Tour with a final Melbourne date after immediate demand exhausts the first show
by Paul Cashmere
Spiderbait have confirmed a second and final Melbourne performance for their Ivy & The Big Apples 30th Anniversary Tour, responding to strong demand after the first Forum Theatre show sold out. The newly added concert will take place on Thursday 23 July at Melbourne’s Forum, giving fans another opportunity to see the band perform their landmark 1996 album Ivy & The Big Apples in full, alongside material spanning their catalogue.
The additional date underscores the enduring relevance of Spiderbait’s third album, a record that marked a decisive commercial and creative breakthrough for the Finley trio. Three decades on, the album continues to resonate with audiences, reflecting both a defining moment in Australian alternative rock and a broader resurgence of anniversary touring across legacy acts.
Released in 1996, Ivy & The Big Apples arrived at a pivotal point in Spiderbait’s career. The band, formed by Kram, Janet English and Damian Whitty, had already established a following through earlier releases, but this third album delivered scale. It debuted inside the ARIA Top 3, achieved Double Platinum certification and remained in the Top 50 for close to a year. Its singles, including Calypso and Hot Water & Milk, expanded their reach, while Buy Me A Pony secured a historic milestone as the first Australian track to top the Triple J Hottest 100.
That achievement placed Spiderbait at the centre of a shifting Australian music landscape in the mid-1990s, when local alternative acts were beginning to compete more directly with international releases for mainstream attention. The album’s fusion of punk immediacy, pop structure and alternative textures reflected that transition, positioning Spiderbait alongside contemporaries pushing similar boundaries.
For the 30th anniversary tour, the band will revisit the album in full, a format that has gained traction across the live sector as audiences seek deeper engagement with canonical works. Special guests will rotate across the national run, with Magic Dirt joining both Melbourne shows, while Custard, The Meanies, Tumbleweed and The Gnomes appear across other dates.
The tour also coincides with the release of Ivy & The Big Apples 30th Anniversary Edition, due on 3 July, reinforcing the album’s continued commercial life in physical formats at a time when vinyl reissues are driving catalogue revenue across the industry.
From an industry perspective, Spiderbait’s ability to sell out a metropolitan theatre three decades after their breakthrough highlights the durability of Australian alternative rock from the 1990s. It also reflects a wider trend of heritage acts reconnecting with multi-generational audiences, where original fans are now joined by younger listeners discovering these records through streaming platforms and curated playlists.
While anniversary tours can sometimes lean heavily on nostalgia, Spiderbait’s catalogue provides broader context. Beyond Ivy & The Big Apples, the band maintained chart presence into the 2000s, including their high-profile cover of Black Betty, which introduced them to a new international audience. That continuity supports the current tour’s positioning as both retrospective and active celebration.
The addition of the second Melbourne show effectively closes out ticket availability for the city, with organisers confirming it as the final opportunity for local audiences to attend. Presale for the new date opens on Thursday 23 April, followed by general public sales on Friday 24 April. Remaining tickets for other cities are already on sale, with several markets showing strong early demand.
Looking ahead, the Ivy & The Big Apples anniversary cycle places Spiderbait back into a prominent touring and release window, reinforcing their status within Australia’s rock lineage. For audiences, the July run offers a rare chance to experience a formative album performed in sequence, contextualised by the band’s broader body of work.
Tour Dates And Ticketing
Saturday 4 July, Brisbane, The Tivoli
Saturday 11 July, Perth, The Ice Cream Factory
Thursday 23 July, Melbourne, Forum
Friday 24 July, Melbourne, Forum (Sold Out)
Saturday 25 July, Adelaide, Hindley Street Music Hall
Friday 31 July, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
Frontier Member Presale for new Melbourne show begins Thursday 23 April at 12pm local time for 24 hours or until allocation exhausted.
General public tickets for the new Melbourne show on sale Friday 24 April at 1pm local time.
Remaining tickets for all other shows are on sale now via Frontier Touring.
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