Photo Gallery: The Waifs + Mama Kin Spender – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne (08.06.23)

The Waifs graced Northcote Theatre for their Up All Nights 20th Anniversary Tour, and absolutely brought the house down with nostalgic tunes and reflective stories to match. Eloise was there to capture the joy of the night.

Mama Kin Spender opened the night, a playful joint venture between Mama Kin and Dingo Spender. The two artists complimented each other well, with the simple set-up of drum and guitar being all that was needed for their bold and brash country and blues tunes. They debuted some forthcoming tracks explaining that “they’re almost cooked, perhaps with some cake batter still on the knife”. Mama Kin echoed the excitement of the crowd, saying “when I grow up I want to be The Waifs” to the audience’s roar of agreement.

The Waifs graced the stage with the quiet confidence expected from such an iconic Australian band. The gig is a celebration of their 30-year career and a record that changed their lives back in 2003. Up All Night “knocked Eminen off the charts” Donna Simpson mused, explaining how that doesn’t really get her much credit with the younger generation today. In spite of that, the crowd was filled with a good spread of ages, all joined together by a love of classic Australian folk sentiment.

As expected “London Still” and “Lighthouse” rocked the Northcote Theatre, with Vikki Thorn and Josh Cunningham playing to the crowd with ease. The Waifs’ stories often circle back to the idea of homecoming, and the Melbourne stop of the celebratory tour definitely felt like one.