You Am I will revisit their landmark album Hourly Daily with a new string-enhanced concert series across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, marking three decades since the album first topped the ARIA chart.
by Paul Cashmere
You Am I have announced a special east coast Australian tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal album Hourly Daily, with the band set to perform reimagined versions of songs from the record alongside material from across their catalogue backed by a string quartet. The Strung Up tour will take place across October and November, opening with the band’s first-ever performance at Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall before heading to Brisbane and Melbourne for a series of seated theatre shows.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for one of Australia’s most influential rock acts. Released in 1996, Hourly Daily became the first Australian album by an Australian rock band in more than a decade to debut at No.1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, cementing You Am I’s place among the country’s most important contemporary acts.
Three decades later, the album continues to hold a prominent position in Australian music history. Its blend of sharp songwriting, melodic sophistication and distinctly local storytelling helped define an era of Australian rock that resonated well beyond its initial release. The decision to revisit the material in an orchestral setting reflects a broader trend among established artists seeking fresh interpretations of career-defining works while introducing them to new audiences.
For the Strung Up performances, You Am I will present specially selected arrangements from Hourly Daily alongside songs spanning their entire career. The addition of a string quartet represents a departure from the band’s traditional guitar-driven live format, creating an opportunity to highlight elements of the music that may have been less prominent in their standard concert presentations.
Frontman Tim Rogers said the group welcomed the opportunity to reinterpret the material through a different musical lens.
“Our peculiar brand of musical thuggery has oft been blessed by instrumental finery. Working with musicians of less traditional RnR stripe is thrilling and invigorating. Pomp and circumstance with our grubby thumping heart pushing the bunch of us forever onward.”
The tour will visit some of Australia’s most respected performance venues, including Sydney Opera House, Brisbane’s Tivoli and Melbourne Recital Centre. The venues reflect the more theatrical nature of the production and the ambition behind the arrangements being created for the performances.
The anniversary celebrations will extend beyond the stage. To coincide with the tour, You Am I will reissue Hourly Daily on vinyl on October 9. The band will also release Dailies, Seconds, a companion collection featuring 14 B-sides and demo recordings from the Hourly Daily era.
The release provides fans and collectors with an expanded look at one of the most creatively successful periods in the band’s history. Throughout the mid-1990s, You Am I emerged as one of Australia’s defining rock groups, building on the success of earlier records while establishing a reputation for compelling live performances and critically acclaimed songwriting.
Hourly Daily followed the band’s breakthrough years and arrived during a period when Australian alternative rock was enjoying strong commercial and cultural momentum. Songs from the album became staples of Australian radio and helped reinforce the band’s standing at home while also attracting international attention.
The decision to revisit the album now arrives amid a growing appetite for anniversary tours and catalogue celebrations. Across the industry, artists are increasingly presenting classic albums in full or developing unique concert concepts around landmark releases. For audiences, such performances offer an opportunity to reconnect with influential records in a live environment while experiencing them in a new context.
In You Am I’s case, the addition of orchestral arrangements may reveal different dimensions within songs that have been familiar to fans for decades. The project also highlights the versatility of a catalogue that has remained relevant long after its original release.
With the tour set to begin in October, the band will be balancing the preservation of a beloved Australian album with the challenge of presenting it in an entirely new way. For a record that helped define Australian rock in the 1990s, Strung Up offers a fresh chapter in the continuing story of Hourly Daily and its enduring influence.
Tour Dates
18 October 2026, Sydney, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
22 October 2026, Brisbane, The Tivoli
23 October 2026, Brisbane, The Tivoli
5 November 2026, Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre
6 November 2026, Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre
Ticketing Details
Tickets go on sale 30 June 2026 at 10.00am AEST.
Artist and partner presale begins 29 June 2026 at 10.00am AEST.
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