The Lemonheads have announced their return to Australia after over five years, with a headlining tour of the country booked for May 2025. The It’s A Shame About Come On Feel tour will see the American indie-rock veterans perform their two classic albums in their respective entireties: 1992’s It’s A Shame About Ray and 1993’s Come On Feel The Lemonheads. The full list of tour dates, as well as pre-sale and ticketing information, can be found below.
“I’m beyond stoked to be heading back to Australia,” said the band’s founder and sole constant member, Evan Dando, in a press statement announcing the tour. “”It’s a special moment for me, as we wrap up celebrating the 30th anniversary of It’s A Shame About Ray and Come On Feel The Lemonheads. To be able to mark the end of that era in Australia, a place that’s always felt like a second home, is almost like being blessed to move on to a new moment.”
The Lemonheads – ‘Into Your Arms’
Dando and co. last toured Australia in late 2019, which included a performance at what ended up being the final Fairgrounds Festival in Berry. Although the band hasn’t put out any new music since then, Dando has confirmed that their first original music in nearly 20 years is due later this year – as is his long-awaited memoir, Rumours Of My Demise. The 11th studio album from The Lemonheads is reportedly titled Love Chant, per an interview Dando gave with The Independent last month.
It’s A Shame About Ray was released in June of 1992, with Come On Feel The Lemonheads following in October of 1993. The albums charted at number 23 and number 19 on the ARIA Albums Chart respectively, with It’s A Shame… later being certified Gold locally. Two singles apiece also charted in Australia: The title track and a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs. Robinson’ from It’s A Shame About Ray, and ‘Into My Arms’ and ‘It’s About Time’ from Come On Feel The Lemonheads.
The Lemonheads first toured Australia in 1991 and have performed dozens of shows in the country since – it being their fourth most-played country per Setlist.FM statistics. As Dando mentioned, his musical ties to the country are strong: Not only was the band in high rotation on triple j throughout the 90s, the aforementioned ‘Into Your Arms’ and their 1997 single ‘The Outdoor Type’ were originally recorded and performed by Australian bands Various Posittions and Smudge, respectively. Furthermore, Ben Lee – who wrote the tribute song ‘I Wish I Was Him’ about Dando as a teenager – wrote Dando’s solo hit ‘Hard Drive’, released on his only solo album Baby I’m Bored circa 2003.
The Lemonheads It’s A Shame About Come On Feel 2025 Tour
- Friday, May 16th – Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne VIC
- Sunday, May 18th – Princess Theatre, Brisbane QLD
- Tuesday, May 20th – Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
- Thursday, May 22nd – The Gov, Adelaide SA
- Friday, May 23rd – Freo Social, Fremantle WA
A pre-sale for the tour commences from 10am local time on Thursday, February 27th. General sale then follows on Friday, February 28th – also at 10am local time. Both can be accessed via the tour’s official promoter, Handsome Tours.
Further Reading
The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando On ’90s Nostalgia & His “Obscure” New Covers Album
Watch Courtney Barnett’s Gorgeous Acoustic Cover Of The Lemonheads’ ‘Paid To Smile’
Love Letter To A Record: Paradise Club On The Lemonheads’ ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’
