In May, former Laughing Clowns members Ed Kuepper and Jeffrey Wegener performed a fabulously well-received residency at Brisbane’s Troubadour. So well received was their round of gigs – Kuepper on guitars, Wegner on drums – that the twosome have announced that they’ll play every Tuesday in July in Sydney, and every Wednesday in July in Melbourne, as well as shoehorning in trips to Geelong, Adelaide, Perth, Fremantle and Margaret River.

The tour will also serve to whet punters’ appetites and kick-start the memories of the days of the Laughing Clowns, because it comes just before the release of a new boxset. Entitled Cruel But Fair: The Complete Clowns Recordings 1979-1984, the 3CD set will cast a net over the output of the band that Kuepper assembled following The Saints’ demise. Whether you call ‘em jazz noir or post-punk – or just solid songwriting-  the band’s legacy, like Kuepper’s own solo back-catalogue, can’t be denied.

Ed Kuepper and Jeffrey Wegener will perform songs from all aspects of Ed’s career – from The Saints to the solo years, including a number of Laughing Clowns tunes. There’ll also be the requisite number of cover tunes. Additionally, the duo will play two lengthy sets per evening, negating the need for a support band and giving the audience a chance to get a full dose of their talents. It’s rumoured, of course, that friends and past bandmates may drop in to take part in the proceedings. Spontaneity is promised.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

Dates are as follows:

July 5: The Vanguard, Sydney
July 6: Northcote SC, Melbourne
July 7: The Gov, Adelaide
July 12: The Vanguard, Sydney
July 13: Northcote SC, Melbourne
July 14: The Nash, Geelong
July 19: The Vanguard, Sydney
July 20: Northcote SC, Melbourne
July 26: The Vanguard, Sydney
July 27: Northcote SC, Melbourne

Cruel But Fair is released in August on Hot/Didgeridoo.