Are The Strokes Planning An Australian Tour?
An Aussie festival just dropped a major hint about The Strokes potentially headlining its event this year.
The Strokes (Source: Supplied)
It’s been three years since The Strokes last played in Australia, but according to a recent post from one of the country’s most anticipated festivals, they’ll be heading back soon.
Adelaide’s Harvest Rock Festival was set to announce this year’s line-up yesterday (12 August). The details have since been delayed, but they will be revealed soon. However, Harvest Rock didn’t leave punters without any news, dropping a teaser about The Strokes headlining and advising fans to hold on for more information.
In an image posted on Instagram on Tuesday, text over a crowd at the festival reads: IS THIS IT? Harvest Rock captioned the post, “We know you were expecting the Harvest Rock lineup today so, is this it? Not quite yet ⏱️ It’s hard to explain, but the lineup is still coming 👀 more soon.”
The Strokes’ seminal debut album, Is This It, was released in July 2001. Now a garage rock revival classic, the album spawned the hit singles Last Nite, Someday, and Hard To Explain.
Previous Harvest Rock headliners, including Jack White, Beck and Jamiroquai, have performed exclusively at the festival. However, 2022 headliners Crowded House were not festival exclusive, while big names such as Sam Fender, Sparks, The Black Crowes, and more played shows outside of Harvest Rock.
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So, it’s entirely possible that The Strokes are exclusive to Harvest Rock this year and return to Australia in 2026, following in Jack White’s footsteps, or they might play at the festival and tour across the country this year.
The Strokes last visited Australia for Splendour In The Grass – along with sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney – in 2022. Before then, they performed at the festival in 2016 and 2010, and embarked on headline dates in 2010.
Reviewing the band’s set at the 2022 edition of Splendour In The Grass, The Music’s Mick Radojkovic and Jess Martyn wrote, “Despite rumours swelling around frontman Julian Casablancas’ state and a potential for a late cancellation, they turned up and then turned up, no doubt earning a sigh of relief from organisers.
“The set included a healthy chunk of their seminal 2001 album, Is This It, which this week will celebrate its 21st birthday. Albert Hammond Jr.’s impressive guitar work made a set highlight out of Heart In A Cage, the iconic tone reverberating through the crowd.
“Casablancas himself was not one to say much, nor acknowledge the crowd greatly and there was a feeling that he was either pretty tired or not quite up for it, but to his and the band’s credit, they sounded great as a collective and gave us pretty much what we all expected, having played the same stage before.”
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