"Blow Up the Pokies" | ||||
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Single by The Whitlams | ||||
from the album Love This City | ||||
Released | 29 May 2000 | |||
Genre | Piano rock | |||
Length | 3:27 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tim Freedman, Greta Gertler | |||
The Whitlams singles chronology | ||||
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"Blow Up the Pokies" is a song by the Australian band The Whitlams, released in May 2000 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Love This City , it peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Blow Up the Pokies" was ranked number 84. [1]
The lyrics written by lead singer Tim Freedman were a statement on the destruction he saw in original Whitlams bassist Andy Lewis's life due to his gambling. The original music and some lyrics were written by Greta Gertler. The song was originally called "Dwell" before being later adapted by Freedman. During the band's Canadian tour in April 2000 supporting Blue Rodeo, the band received word Lewis had committed suicide back in Australia. [2] Tim soon after wrote "The Curse Stops Here", a piece describing being the "last one" from the original line-up of the band, and voicing his determination to survive. "The Curse Stops Here" was included as a B-side track on the "Blow Up the Pokies" single and also appeared on the album Little Cloud . The song was re-recorded for its single release, with new vocals and different instrumentation. This version appeared on their best-of compilation in 2008.
A music video was made for the song and features all four members playing in an abandoned theatre. The theatre depicted in the music video is the Princess Theatre in the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba and as of 2023, the theatre is still standing.
The Guardian said, "this protest anthem about the poison of gambling in Australia is the Whitlams’ biggest radio hit. Knowing that Lewis killed himself just three months after this album was released, having just lost a week’s wages to the pokies, makes it even more impactful." [3]
Chart (2000) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [4] | 21 |
Christopher Thornton Taylor is an Australian comedy writer, performer and broadcaster from Sydney. As a member of The Chaser, he is best known for co-writing and appearing on satirical ABC Television shows CNNNN (2002–2003) and The Chaser's War on Everything. He formerly co-hosted the drive radio show Today Today (2004–05) on Triple J with fellow Chaser member Craig Reucassel, and in 2007, he wrote the musical comedy Dead Caesar. Taylor also hosted the mini documentary series 'Australia's Heritage: National Treasures'. In 2010, with his Chaser colleague Andrew Hansen, Taylor made a musical comedy series for Triple J titled The Blow Parade, which became the number one podcast in the country, and won the 2010 ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release. In 2019, Taylor was the creator and co-writer of the drama Upright starring Tim Minchin. The series screened to critical acclaim in both Australia and the UK.
The Whitlams are an Australian indie garage band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar and lead vocals. Other than mainstay Freedman, the line-up has changed numerous times. From 2001 to 2022, he was joined by Warwick Hornby on bass guitar, Jak Housden on guitar and Terepai Richmond on drums – forming the band's longest-lasting and best-known line-up. Four of their studio albums have reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 20: Eternal Nightcap, Love This City, Torch the Moon and Little Cloud. Their highest charting singles are "Blow Up the Pokies" and "Fall for You" – both reached number 21. The group's single, "No Aphrodisiac" was listed at number one on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 by listeners of national radio station, Triple J. In January 1996 Stevie Plunder was found dead at the base of Wentworth Falls. Andy Lewis died in February 2000.
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