Eskimo Joe Announce 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine' 20th Anniversary Tour

Eskimo Joe’s beloved third album, Black Fingernails, Red Wine, turns 20 next June. Can you believe it? And next year, the Freo rockers will celebrate the milestone anniversary with a massive national tour.

Released on 10 June 2006, the album became Eskimo Joe’s first #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and has since been certified four times Platinum in Australia. Featuring successful singles including the title track, Sarah, New York, Breaking Up, and London Bombs, Black Fingernails, Red Wine marked a new era for the Australian band: one where you’d never forget their songs.

In May and June 2006, Eskimo Joe will perform the album in its entirety, as well as a set of fan favourites including From the Sea, Love is a Drug, Foreign Land, and their latest single, Miracle Cure.

And this tour won’t take place in arenas or other larger venues; instead, the band is keeping things intimate and revisiting the venues that shaped their early years. Joining Eskimo Joe on this tour is Amazing special guest Alex Lloyd.

The tour begins with a two-night special at the band’s home venue, Freo.Social, on Friday, 1 May, and Saturday, 2 May. The tour continues at Brisbane’s The Triffid on Saturday, 9 May, Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on Friday, 15 May, and Saturday, 16 May, Sydney’s Factory Theatre on Saturday, 23 May, and concludes at Adelaide’s The Gov on Friday, 5 June.

Tickets will be available from 9 am AEDT today via Eskimo Joe’s website.

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“Looking back, we’d been working really hard leading up to that record, honing our songwriting and performance,” reflects frontman Kav Temperley. “By the time we got into the studio, we were feeling pretty match fit. But I don’t think any of us realised at the time what a huge impact that album would have on us, or how much it would change our trajectory.

“I have nothing but gratitude for the fact that we can still go out and play Black Fingernails Red Wine and that it still means so much to so many people, it absolutely blows my mind and warms my heart.”

Guitarist Stu MacLeod added, “Playing the album from start to finish is such a special experience for us. It’s a chance for us to relive a pretty special moment in time for us, and to revisit those songs that never made it to the stage. Some of my favourite Eskimo Joe songs are incidental album tracks that we just never performed live.”

Guitarist and drummer Joel Quartermain concluded, “With this album, the band really arrived at a point of creative cohesion. We seemed to have that elusive balance of experience, youth and (blind) confidence to go after a pretty ambitious vision.

“It was a sweet spot, and when we play these songs live, it’s fun to return to that place. The record works as a whole piece, so to perform it in its entirety only makes sense and feels great!”