Two decades after the release of one of Australia’s most defining rock records, Eskimo Joe are hitting the road once again to celebrate ‘Black Fingernails Red Wine’, the album that shaped a generation, topped charts, and became a cornerstone of Australian music history with its themes of identity, politics, and human connection that still feel as powerful and relevant as ever. Eskimo Joe’ s Stu Macleod took the time to chat with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips about the making of the album and the 2026 celebratory tour.
MORE ABOUT THE ‘BLACK FINGERNAILS RED WINE’ TOUR CHAT
Eskimo Joe’s Stu MacLeod reflects warmly on the band’s journey as they prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Black Fingernails Red Wine with a tour in May 2026 in which they’ll play the album in full. He recalls how far they’d come by the time they made their third record, evolving from a slapstick, punk-leaning uni band into confident songwriters shaped by early producers and a growing interest in dynamics, structure, and broader sonic ambition. By A Song Is a City, keyboards and textures were creeping in, and by Black Fingernails, the band embraced a widescreen approach designed for big festival stages, with roles shifting fluidly as the three core members experimented across instruments.
They self-produced the album largely because the demos already felt fully realised, all they needed was a top engineer to scale them up. Studio experimentation, gear nerdiness, and deep attention to sonic detail have always been a joy for the band, though Stu notes that Black Fingernails remains one of their simplest and most natural albums to perform live, with only a couple of tracks never making it into the live set.
He talks about the evolution of their live lineup, inevitably expanding to a five-piece to reproduce the layers of the albums and notes that their core pedal and guitar setups, including his beloved Rosewood Telecaster, have barely changed since that era. The success of Black Fingernails brought a noticeable jump to theatre venues and later international touring, but he remembers those early overseas shows as energising rather than humbling, driven by a mission to win over every room, no matter the size.
For the anniversary tour, the band will add a unique merch item, a commemorative Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from a WA winemaker, a fun addition to a history of quirky but beloved merchandise moments.
Outside Eskimo Joe, Stu is deeply involved in his work with the Fremantle Foundation, supporting community engagement and philanthropy. Musically, the band continues to release about one song a year, a sustainable rhythm given their split across WA and Melbourne, though a full album isn’t on the horizon. What he’s most excited about in 2026 is letting audiences experience the intentional narrative arc of Black Fingernails Red Wine exactly as crafted, an album designed from the songwriting stage to take listeners on a deliberate journey.
BLACK FINGERNAILS RED WINE
20th Anniversary Tour | May & June 2026
Iconic album to be performed live in full, plus a set of classic Eskimo Joe hits
Tickets on sale from www.eskimojoe.net/tours
Supported by Alex Lloyd
FREO SOCIAL, FREMANTLE, WA
FRIDAY 1 MAY
SATURDAY 2 MAY
TRIFFID, BRISBANE, QLD
SATURDAY 9 MAY
CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND, VIC
FRIDAY 15 MAY
SATURDAY 16 MAY
THE FACTORY THEATRE, SYDNEY, NSW
SATURDAY 23 MAY
THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA
FRIDAY 5 JUNE
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