Martyn Wyndham-Read and Warren Fahey, legendary performers of bush songs, recitations and yarns, will be touring rural NSW in March 2026. Both singers have been custodians of Australia’s folk song heritage for over sixty years. Their deep swags offer songs and stories that bring history to life from convict days to nowadays.
“There is something magical in the way these legendary singers unfold their stories, press nostalgia buttons and entertain.” (ABC Radio 2024)
They will be joined by Marcus Holden on fiddle, mandolin and banjo, and Australia’s accordion wizard, Garry Steel.
4pm Sunday 29th March CARCOAR SCHOOL OF ARTS.
7pm Monday 30th March De Salis Winery NASHDALE, ORANGE
7 pm Tuesday 31st March DALTON PUBLIC HALL
Martyn and Warren have previously collaborated on ‘Down The Lawson Track’ (2009), a musical on the songs and stories of Henry Lawson, and ‘I Don’t Go Shearing Now’ (2023), a musical celebration of the golden age of the bush, plus several festival performances. Their unique styles and extensive repertoires complement each other in bringing Australian history to life. Using the songs and stories as ‘signposts’, they successfully take audiences back to the convict era, the settler camps, goldfields, shearing sheds and droving camps where much of the Australian identity was forged.
The 2026 show ‘Bushwhacked, Bothered & Bewildered’ salutes Australia’s wild ride from convict settlement through to the early twentieth century, when we were looking back at our pioneering success and eyeballing the new Australia of city slickers. Favourite old songs merge with newer songs to tell Australian stories. There’s a lot of humour in the old stories, including some truth-stretching yarns and poems. Fahey comments, “Martyn and I have carried the old songs all our lives. I know we are fairly unique, but for us, sharing them is vital, and, above all, a real delight. We live in a crazy world, and, in some ways, the pioneering story songs are anchored to reality. They are the songs written, passed around and preserved by ordinary Australians over decades, sometimes centuries. They are special to our fragile culture. It doesn’t matter if your family came on the First Fleet, or a leaky boat last week, Australia’s national identity was born and bred in the bush; it’s a big part of who we are as a unique people.”
Martyn Wyndham-Read has released over 30 solo albums (and has appeared on 35 more) and is recognised for his polished, rounded singing style. He is equally at home singing sensitive age-old ballads and the often raucous songs of the shearers and drovers on the spree. Born in Sussex, England, in 1942, he lived and worked in Australia from 1958 to 1967. He became one of the early folk revival’s most popular performers and a feature at festivals, clubs and on the radio. He has returned to Australia regularly. This will be his final Australian tour. Martyn will be honoured with the National Folk Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyn_Wyndham-Read
Warren Fahey AM is acknowledged as one of Australia’s leading interpreters of the bush tradition of singing, reciting and yarn-spinning. He has had an illustrious career as a historian, prolific author, record producer, video creator and performer. He has been a ‘talking head’ on ABC Radio for over 55 years. As an actor, he performed (as Banjo Paterson) alongside Max Cullen’s ‘Henry Lawson’ in their hit two-man play ‘Dead Men Talking’ for over 250 performances. Born in Sydney in 1946, he has received many honours for his work in folklore and music, including the Order of Australia, Prime Minister’s Centennial Award, Judith Hosier Golden Gum-leaf (for services to the bush ballad) and Australia’s highest award for lifetime contribution to music, The Don Banks Music Award. He prefers to say he is a graduate of the Dingo University of the Outback.
Carcoar Bookings
or call John Burke 0424774712
Nashdale/Orange Bookings
Enquiries JAM Orange 0409 826 834
Dalton Bookings
Enquiries Julie 0421900015
