The last time Tone Deaf caught up with You Am I, they were on tour in Australia – but not as you think.
Accompanied by two formidable female rock voices in Hayley Mary and Sarah McLeod, they travelled across the country playing tribute to The Who and their classic album Tommy. No You Am I songs, as drummer Rusty Hopkinson told us, were allowed.
“According to the tea leaves in my cup, we’ll be back out playing our own stuff sometime later in the year,” he added at the time.
And those tea leaves were correct. You Am I have spent the past few weeks performing around Australia on the wonderfully named ‘You’s Pull Up Their Troos’ tour, and there are definitely no songs by The Who on the setlist, only You AM I hits from throughout their catalogue.
Tone Deaf asked Tim Rogers from the band some questions about the tour, and you can also check out the remaining days below.
You Am I Remaining 2023 Tour Dates
Ticket information here
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Thursday, December 7th
The Basement, Canberra, ACT
Friday, December 8th
SS&A Club, Albury, NSW
Saturday, December 9th
Unibar, Wollongong, NSW
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Tone Deaf: Firstly, how did The Who Tommy tour go? Any particular highlights?
Tim Rogers: Getting the mix of scholastics and elastics together was the biggest challenge: do you go with “the spirit” or “the chart”? By the fourth show we got it right, I think. The biggest highlight was nightly playing with Sarah and Hayley. They are exceptional humans and performers.
You must be looking forward to getting back to playing your own music live though?
Yes. We are quite great at times.
Who came up with that tour name?
Our mentor Dr. Flann O’Briony. Any time we have an aesthetic dilemma, we sit at his feet, wash his toes, and wait for enlightenment.
What does the setlist look like for this one? How did you all decide which songs from your catalogue to include?
One of us (meaning Dr Flann) proposes a set and we all churlishly agree, with meagre resentment. There’s a lotta songs, and no real “hits”, so it’s a mess. No method.
Are there any towns/cities you’re especially keen to play?
Newcastle. There’s a great violin shop nearby. And records. And bookstores. Which is also why we wanna get to Freo. Oh, and Brissie. Anywhere there’s records and violins and bookstores and cricket nets and opium.
How have the first few shows gone?
First one traditionally a lil’ rough, but now we’re on cinders. Fire is to come.
And the touring doesn’t end in 2024! Are you looking forward to supporting The Darkness in January? Have you always been a fan of the glam rockers?
Davey [Lane] and I are very big fans. Not sure about AK [Andy Kent] and Russ [Rusty Hopkinson]? But we all said YA immediately. I enjoy them immensely.
I’ve got to ask – are you working on new music, a follow-up to The Lives of Others? Or has touring just been the focus?
New songs always. Different writing methods this time around. We haven’t got dates but I would think we will start around the Darkness tour. It seems like a preposterous enough idea.
