The Huxton Creepers will mark the 40th anniversary of their debut album 12 Days To Paris with a vinyl reissue and their first national tour in 15 years, performing the record in full for the first time in the band’s history.
by Paul Cashmere
The Huxton Creepers are returning to the road to celebrate four decades of their debut album 12 Days To Paris, announcing a national run of dates that will also mark the album’s first ever complete live performance. The Melbourne band’s August 2026 shows arrive alongside a 40th anniversary reissue of the record and the first digital release of an album that has spent decades in legal and catalogue limbo.
The announcement reconnects one of Australia’s defining guitar bands of the mid-1980s with a catalogue that has maintained a strong reputation long after the group’s original run ended. While major acts from the era including Sunnyboys, Hoodoo Gurus and The Saints have continued to occupy a visible place in Australian music culture, The Huxton Creepers have largely existed through reunion appearances and word-of-mouth reverence from musicians and fans.
If you discovered Australian guitar music through later bands such as Powderfinger and You Am I, the reappearance of 12 Days To Paris fills a gap in the lineage of Australian power pop and rock music. The album’s return to circulation also reflects a broader trend of Australian independent labels restoring significant domestic releases that had disappeared from physical and digital availability.
The centrepiece of the anniversary campaign is the reissue of 12 Days To Paris, originally released in June 1986. The album featured tracks including “My Cherie Amour”, “I Will Persuade You”, “Autumn Leaves”, “King Of The Road” and “Don’t Even Think About It”. Cheersquad Records & Tapes will release the anniversary edition on June 5 as both standard black vinyl and a limited gold vinyl pressing restricted to 100 copies.
Arch Law said revisiting the record has brought the band back to a formative period in its career.
“We went into Melbourne’s Platinum Studios at the band’s peak to record our debut album,” Law said. “Steve Berlin from Los Lobos and Chris Copping from Procol Harum were with us. We knew we had the songs and the band was firing on all cylinders. We were creating something special. Forty years on we are really proud of 12 Days and excited to be bringing it back to life.”
The release also resolves a long-running issue around access to the album. With the band’s original label no longer operating and ownership tied up for years, the album had remained unavailable across digital services. The reissue marks its first official streaming availability.
The Huxton Creepers emerged from Melbourne in 1984 after members Rob Craw, Paul Thomas, Matthew Eddy and Archie Law left school and began developing a sound informed by local and international influences. Early recordings such as “King Of The Road” on the Asleep At The Wheel compilation and appearances on Triple J projects led to a deal with Big Time Records.
The band’s rise came quickly. Law recalled moving from audience members to support act status in a short period.
“We went from seeing bands like The Gurus, The Saints and Sunnyboys whenever they toured Melbourne to opening for them all in a blink of an eye,” he said. “We were having so much fun and it seemed we got better with every gig as the crowds grew with every gig.”
Their debut reached No. 63 on the Australian album chart, followed by So This Is Paris in 1988, which reached No. 74. The band eventually split after years of constant touring and released the Small Mercies mini album in 1990.
There is also a broader industry perspective around legacy acts and archival releases.
Australian labels have increasingly turned towards restoring significant local catalogues, recognising audiences that extend beyond nostalgia buyers. Younger listeners often discover bands through streaming platforms or through musicians citing earlier influences. In the case of The Huxton Creepers, endorsements from later artists have helped sustain interest. Powderfinger’s John Collins described hearing the group as a formative experience, recalling songs including “King Of The Road”, “I Will Persuade You” and “Ramble Tamble” as an introduction to a band he felt he had been waiting to hear.
For the current lineup, the anniversary also brings a slight shift. Original members Rob Craw, Matthew Eddy and Arch Law will perform with guitarist Julian Matthews of The Stems.
After intermittent reunions over the past two decades, including performances with Sunnyboys, The Stems and Ups And Downs, the upcoming run represents the band’s most extensive return since 2011. Forty years after 12 Days To Paris first arrived, the songs are returning with a different context and a broader audience than perhaps existed when they first appeared.
The Huxton Creepers Celebrating 40 Years Of 12 Days To Paris Tour, August 2026
Fri Aug 7, Belgrave, Sooki Lounge
Sat Aug 8, Thornbury, Croxton Bandroom
Fri Aug 14, Marrickville, Marrickville Bowling Club
Sat Aug 15, Marrickville, Marrickville Bowling Club
Sun Aug 16, Newcastle, Hamilton Station Hotel
Fri Aug 21, Caloundra, Norton Music Factory
Sat Aug 22, Fortitude Valley, Crowbar Brisbane
Sun Aug 23, Mudgeeraba, Wallaby Hotel
Ticketing details: Tickets are on sale now. Melbourne shows feature Icecream Hands.
NSW and Queensland dates include The Johnnys, with Mick Medew and Ursula joining the Brisbane event.
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