WA Alt-rock Vets The Stems Celebrate 30 Years Since Debut With National Tour

Veteran West Australian alt-rockers The Stems released their seminal debut full-length, At First Sight, Violets Are Blue, 30 years ago this August, and to mark the occasion the band are heading out for a five-date tour around the country this November.

Curiously, The Stems haven't scheduled in a date in their home town of Perth, but instead will start off at Hobart's Brisbane Hotel before heading up to venues in Melbourne, then to Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane.

No support has been announced for the Tassie date yet, though Rocket Science will join them for all other shows except Adelaide, where The Garden Path step in for opening duties.

Three of the band's founding members — Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews and Dave Shaw — will be a part of the sojourn, joined by Even/RocKwiz OrKestra player Ashley Naylor and You Am I's Davey Lane to complete the line-up.

Contemporaries of The Triffids and The Saints, The Stems released a batch of independent singles and an EP (1985's Love Will Grow — Rosebud Volume 1) before putting out At First Sight, Violets Are Blue via Mushroom Records in 1987.

The album — the band's sole studio full-length until 2007's sophomore effort, Heads Up — went on to achieve Gold status and consequent recognition from Rolling Stone as being one of the best 100 Australian releases of all time.

Tickets for The Stems' At First Sight, Violets Are Blue 30th-anniversary tour are on sale now.

See theGuide for a full list of dates, venues and other booking details.