Sophistication isn’t difficult to absorb when it arrives at the very un–rock and roll hour of 2pm on a Saturday. Suited up for the occasion, Tim Freedman, Jack Housden, Terepai Richmond and Matt Fell, collectively The Whitlams, joined conductor Nicholas Buc and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for a rare afternoon of class and drama.
The setting was Melbourne’s iconic Hamer Hall, the MSO’s home turf with its stage buried six floors beneath St Kilda Road. For The Whitlams, Hamer Hall has been a semi-regular stop across the years, their first documented show there dating back to 2008. This latest performance marked their first seated Melbourne concert since 2017. In recent years the band has leaned more towards traditional rock venues, Memo Music Hall, The Corner Hotel, The Forum, and the Northcote Social Club, making this orchestral collaboration all the more special.
Performing with the MSO is a privilege not lost on Freedman, who acknowledged the occasion from the stage. He also tipped his hat to Benjamin Northey, the orchestra’s chief conductor, while savouring the moment under Buc’s baton.
Tim Freedman’s lyrics have always cut with precision. He writes in sharp snapshots of everyday Australians navigating imperfect lives. His “romantic highs” often crash into unromantic reality, and his balance of tenderness and scorn captures the true rhythm of human relationships.
A highlight of this performance was the placement of the “Charlie” songs from Eternal Nightcap (1997) across the first set of the performance. The album, released independently on Freedman’s own Black Yak label, was a slow burn but eventually defied the odds, reaching double platinum. More than half of Eternal Nightcap made it into this setlist, a third of the show, even 28 years on. Its enduring success lies in its honesty, as encapsulated in the raw declaration from “You Sound Like Louis Burdett”: “All my friends are fuck-ups but they’re fun to have around.”
“Fuck-ups” are a recurring theme in Freedman’s work. During the show he revealed that Thank You (For Loving Me At My Worst) has unexpectedly become a funeral favourite for those self-proclaimed misfits. As he joked, it’s a niche market, but one he seems to have cornered with commercial precision.
Freedman’s dry humour also surfaced when introducing the finale, Band On Every Corner. He recalled leaving a Melbourne gig a few years ago, walking through the city streets and hearing jazz, blues and rock spilling from venues around him. “This is a song about this beautiful city,” he said, pausing before the punchline, “even though it’s actually about Sydney.”
With the MSO amplifying the songs, familiar Whitlams tracks felt newly cinematic. Freedman’s words are already mini-movies, but the symphonic backing magnified every twist of drama, swapping rock swagger for orchestral grandeur.
And for fans worried they missed it, good news: this isn’t a one-off. The Whitlams have more orchestral collaborations locked in for 2026.
The Whitlams Orchestral ’26 Tour Dates
Fri 30 & Sat 31 Jan – State Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Fri 27 Feb – Wrest Point, Hobart, TAS
Fri 6 & Sat 7 Mar – QPAC, Brisbane, QLD
Sat 14 Mar – Civic Theatre, Newcastle, NSW
Sat 11 Apr – Festival Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Sat 6 Jun – Empire Theatre, Toowoomba, QLD
Sat 13 Jun – Riverside Theatre, Perth, WA
Pre-sale begins Tuesday 9 September 2025 at 10.00am AEST, with general tickets available from Thursday 11 September 2025 at 10.00am via linktr.ee/WhitlamsOrchestral_2026.
The Whitlams with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra setlist, Hamer Hall Melbourne, September 5 and 6 2025
Set 1
1. Beauty in Me – Little Cloud (2006)
2. Ease of the Midnight Visit – Torch The Moon (2002)
3. Charlie No. 1 – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
4. Buy Now Pay Later (Charlie No. 2) – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
5. Keep the Light On – Little Cloud (2006)
6. Charlie No. 3 – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
7. Nobody Knows I Love You – Sancho (2022)
8. Fallen Leaves – Kookaburra (2024)
9. Cries Too Hard – Torch The Moon (2002)
10. Two Little Boys (Theodore F. Morse cover)
11. The Curse Stops Here – Little Cloud (2006)
Set 2
12. Blow Up the Pokies – Love This City (1999)
13. Melbourne – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
14. Up Against the Wall – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
15. Out the Back – Torch the Moon (2002)
16. Fondness Makes the Heart Grow Absent – Little Cloud (2006)
17. Year of the Rat – Little Cloud (2006)
18. No Aphrodisiac – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
19. Thank You (For Loving Me at My Worst) – Love This City (1999)
20. Gough – Introducing The Whitlams (1993)
21. You Sound Like Louis Burdett – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
Encore
22. Band on Every Corner – Eternal Nightcap (1997)
