# Hoodoo Gurus unleash Death Ship for Halloween, tease December Silk Purse album **New Music** — On Your Markus **Published:** 30 October 2026 **Author:** Markus Hamence **Source:** https://onyourmarkus.au/new-music-releases/hoodoo-gurus-death-ship/ Hoodoo Gurus have released Death Ship, a Halloween single from their upcoming double album Silk Purse: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The album, recorded with the MSO at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in January 2026, arrives 4 December 2026 on CD, vinyl and streaming services. --- ***TRICK OR TREAT?!*** **HOODOO GURUS RELEASE ANOTHER TEASER TRACK FROM ** **THEIR UPCOMING ‘SILK PURSE’ ALBUM FOR HALLOWEEN!** ![Black box featuring gold foil artwork titled "Silk Purse" by Hoodoo Gurus, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra collaboration.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/10/52075a1c-fdce-4084-840a-91edd06ce862.jpg) This is no trick and we're sure you'll find it a treat! The Gurus have been known to occasionally delve into the spookier side of life - and death - in their song lyrics so for Halloween we want to share a new recording of 'Death Ship'. It's another sneak preview of 'Silk Purse', the double-album the Gurus recorded live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in January this year. 'Silk Purse' is due to be released on Fri 4 December. > “Leave it to Hoodoo Gurus and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to turn a doomed voyage into such a good time. ‘Death Ship’ has darkness in its bones and mischief in its soul, with a wonderfully macabre story that makes you want to climb aboard despite every warning. I’m packing my bags ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” - Markus Hamence, On Your Markus 'Death Ship' recounts the tale of an accursed ship manned by a pitiful crew of undead sailors who, in their wretchedness, try to lure other unsuspecting seafarers to their doom. The song is a retelling of the Flying Dutchman myth and this new rendition by the Gurus with the MSO includes a brief musical quote from the storm scene in Richard Wagner's Flying Dutchman opera. This gives the MSO a chance to demonstrate the immense power of a symphony orchestra at full throttle, something The Gurus are well known for themselves. After that blast of classical bombast the two forces reunite and 'Death Ship' hurtles to its emotional climax; "Who will love me? Who?" asks the song's protagonist, the cursed captain of this ghostly crew. Redemption is only possible for these sailors via chaste love, freely given, a prospect that seems far beyond the reach of these poor condemned souls. Happy Halloween, everybody! [Watch on YouTube](https://youtu.be/n0bEAWvwuWk) **HOODOO GURUS ANNOUNCE “SILK PURSE - LIVE WITH THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA”** **Album Released: Friday, 4 December 2026** Welcome to another death-defying chapter in the long and intrepid history of the **Hoodoo Gurus**. The band have announced their new album, ***Silk Purse – Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra***, recorded at the band's historic debut with the MSO at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Thursday, 29 January and released on Friday, 4 December 2026, conducted by [Nicholas Buc](https://us.list-manage.com/MJ8Pzm4lDbs?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) and featuring arrangements by [Alex Turley](https://us.list-manage.com/7EuxhP_Twlc?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f). The album will be available on CD, Vinyl and streaming services and can be pre-ordered now from [here](https://us.list-manage.com/YVwoOi6uorK?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f). ***Silk Purse*** is prime Gurus, capturing every beat of that perfect summer night in January. The double album contains all the generation-defining radio classics (*Bittersweet*, *1000 Miles Away*, *Miss Freelove ’69*, *What’s My Scene?*, *Come Anytime*, *Death Defying*, *My Girl*and more) that fans know and love as well as some deep cuts that the band haven’t played live in many years, or at all (*The Wedding Song*, *The Stars Look Down*, *My Caravan* and *Spaghetti Western*, among others).  For the Hoodoo Gurus, the triumph of ***Silk Purse*** as an album is especially sweet: a victory plucked from the jaws of multiple disasters with the aid of Sydney studio legend **Wayne Connolly**, mixer **Bob Scott** and some bloke named** Peter Jackson**. ![Four musicians in dark suits stand against a neutral grey background in a professional band portrait.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/10/b297f365-9c61-49a9-bf98-013d0405af6d.jpg) *“We originally did this with a smaller ensemble, the Canberra Symphony in 2024," ***Dave Faulkner** explains. *"Unfortunately, there was a huge technical issue ... This noise destroyed the whole recording across all the channels so the tapes were unusable." * When they pulled the MSO tapes up at Hercules Studios, it seemed at first that cruel fate had repeated itself. Spill between 150 microphones and drums echoing off the high ceiling proved *"an incredible obstacle,"* Dave says. *"When we first had a listen, we almost thought it was going to be impossible to do this in post production."* The answer was found in the technology that **Peter Jackson**'s team developed to clean up audio for his Beatles’ film, ***Get Back***. *“It wasn’t an AI instrument, it’s just that AI cleaned it up,” *Dave explains of the painstaking process. *"In the end what you hear is what happened on the night." * In the final listening experience, that's the remarkable thing about ***Silk Purse***: a world class rock band in peak form in an act of astonishing synergy with 90 of the finest musicians on the planet, all tuned in to the magic of the same death-defying moment. *“We called it ****Silk Purse**** for a reason," *Dave says. *"We are the sow’s ear that’s been turned into a silk purse by this lovely orchestra. It’s not a rock record. It’s not a classical record. It’s just a record, and that’s kind of how I like it.”* **Hoodoo Gurus**’ ***Rewind Tour - All Killer No Filler*** tour kicks off on 27 November starting in Adelaide. Low tickets remain for **Hindley Street Music Hall** as well as Perth’s **Ice Cream Factory** (1 December), Sydney’s **Tumbalong Park** (5 December), the first Brisbane show at The **Fortitude Music Hall** (10 December) and the **Odeon Theatre **in Hobart (16 December). The second Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart dates, along with Melbourne’s **Royal Botanic Gardens **show, are sold out. Special guests on all shows are **Ratcat** and **The Stems**. Tickets are available from [frontiertouring.com/hoodoogurus](http://frontiertouring.com/hoodoogurus). The band recently returned from a sold-out European tour to rave reviews and included shows in Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Portugal. ***Silk Purse: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra*** is out on Big Time Records through Universal Music Australia on Friday, 4 December 2026. **Act One 1. The Overture 2. The Stars Look Down 3. Zanzibar 4. Chariot of the Gods 5. The Wedding Song 6. Death Defying 7. I Was the One 8. Come Anytime 9. Mind the Spider 10. Like Wow – Wipeout!** **Act Two 11. Spaghetti Western 12. My Girl 13. My Caravan 14. When You Get to California 15. Castles in the Air 16. Death Ship 17. Bittersweet 18. Miss Freelove ’69 19. 1000 Miles Away 20. What’s My Scene?** ![Band performing on stage under blue and amber stage lighting with full ensemble visible.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/10/b676462e-de7a-410d-b71b-909071687fc6.png) **Hoodoo Gurus**’ ***Rewind Tour - All Killer No Filler*** **Friday, 27 November** **Hindley Street Music Hall | Adelaide, SA LOW TIX** **Saturday, 28 November** **Hindley Street Music Hall | Adelaide, SA SOLD OUT** **Tuesday, 1 December** **Ice Cream Factory | Perth, WA LOW TIX** **Saturday, 5 December** **Tumbalong Park | Sydney, NSW LOW TIX** **Sunday, 6 December** **Live at the Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens | Melbourne, VIC SOLD OUT** **Thursday, 10 December** **The Fortitude Music Hall | Brisbane, QLD LOW TIX** **Friday, 11 December** **The Fortitude Music Hall | Brisbane, QLD SOLD OUT** **Tuesday, 15 December** **Odean Theatre | Hobart, TAS LOW TIX** **Wednesday, 16 December** **Odeon Theatre | Hobart, TAS SOLD OUT** **CONNECT WITH HOODOO GURUS** [Facebook](https://us.list-manage.com/KQa2R0MjBSd?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) | [Website](https://us.list-manage.com/ouXbb1Dj5Fc?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) | [Instagram](https://us.list-manage.com/m4My3xgIIrL?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) | [YouTube](https://us.list-manage.com/6hgb0Wgw556?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) | [Apple Music](https://us.list-manage.com/bP2iVmyH3IN?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) | [Spotify](https://us.list-manage.com/8bus1qs5stz?e=3758bcc5db&c2id=d8fc69bf59de4d11215c8d6988e0877f) ![Hoodoo Gurus Rewind tour poster featuring vintage reel-to-reel tape player and red "No Filler" badge on bright blue background.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/10/5d607cbd-0258-469b-b5e8-e276e0a4e7d1.jpg)