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| The Bushwackers | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Bushwackers |
| Background | group_or_band |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Labels | EMI, Larrikin, Astor, MGM |
| Associated acts | Sunday Singers, Troubadour Folk Club, John Schumann, Redgum, Dando Shaft |
The Bushwackers are an Australian folk and bush band formed in Melbourne in 1971, known for revitalizing traditional Australian bush music and blending it with contemporary folk, country and punk influences. Over five decades they have performed at major festivals, collaborated with notable artists, and recorded a catalogue that includes both traditional songs and original compositions. Their career intersects with the wider trajectories of Australian folk music, British folk revival, and the international roots revival of the 1970s and 1980s.
The group grew out of the Melbourne folk scene centered on venues such as the Troubadour Folk Club and the Sunday Singers during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a milieu that also produced artists like Eric Bogle and groups such as Redgum and The Seekers. Early influences included the recordings of Slim Dusty, the fieldwork archives of John Meredith and the folk revival scholarship associated with Percy Grainger and A. P. Elkin. The Bushwackers first performed at folk festivals including Woodford Folk Festival and the Norchard Folk Festival, quickly becoming fixtures on the Australian festival circuit. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s personnel changes mirrored patterns seen in contemporaries such as The Pogues and Fairport Convention, while the band maintained a catalogue that incorporated songs collected by Banjo Paterson and tunes popularized by Marie Cowan and other collectors. International tours brought them into contact with the Cambridge Folk Festival, Greenwich Village scenes, and artists affiliated with Topic Records and Transatlantic Records.
Founding members emerged from the Melbourne folk clubs and included instrumentalists and vocalists who had worked with local ensembles and touring acts like Dando Shaft and The Bushwackers' contemporaries. Over the years the lineup featured musicians who also collaborated with figures such as John Schumann, Eric Bogle, Slim Dusty, and producers associated with EMI Australia and Larrikin Records. Members have included multi-instrumentalists proficient on fiddle and banjo traditions derived from exchanges with performers from Celtic music communities like those linked to James Galway and The Chieftains, as well as rhythm players whose approaches echo session work for artists such as Paul Kelly and Midnight Oil. Guest performers and session contributors on recordings have included musicians connected to The Triffids, Horslips, and international folk collaborators signed to Compass Records and Real World Records.
The Bushwackers' sound fuses traditional Australian bush ballads, maritime shanties, and working songs with influences drawn from Celtic music, American old-time, and contemporary folk-rock exemplified by Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, and The Pogues. Their repertoire often reinterprets texts by poets such as Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson while arranging melodies that bear affinity to collectors like John Meredith and ethnomusicologists connected to The National Library of Australia. Percussive elements and marching rhythms reflect affinities with street traditions similar to those of The Levellers and brass-inflected ensembles associated with Brass Bands in England, while harmony singing evokes parallels with groups like The Dubliners and The Corries. Instrumentation typically includes acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, concertina, and distinctive percussion, recontextualized through influences from punk rock scenes and contemporaneous roots revivals.
Their discography spans studio albums, live recordings and compilations issued on labels such as Larrikin Records, EMI and independent imprints. Key releases showcase arrangements of traditional material alongside originals reflecting contemporary social themes addressed in works by Redgum and Midnight Oil. Selected albums from their catalogue have appeared alongside archival reissues from labels associated with Topic Records and compilations featuring artists like Eric Bogle, Paul Kelly, and John Schumann. Numerous singles and EPs circulated on Australian independent radio programs affiliated with ABC Radio National and community stations that supported folk broadcasting linked to Folk Federation of Victoria.
The Bushwackers built a reputation as a high-energy live act on the Australian festival circuit, performing at events such as the Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, and support slots on national tours with acts that include Midnight Oil and John Williamson. International appearances took them to the Cambridge Folk Festival and venues associated with the folk revival scenes in London and New York City, where they shared bills with artists on labels like Real World Records and Compass Records. Their stagecraft combined reenacted bush traditions, audience participation, and collaborations with dancers and performers connected to Australian National University cultural programs and touring theatre companies.
The Bushwackers influenced the mainstreaming of Australian folk repertoire, contributing to curriculum and festival programming influenced by institutions such as the National Trust of Australia and the National Library of Australia. Their revival of bush ballads contributed to renewed interest in the works of Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson among audiences reached by broadcasters including ABC Television and print coverage in publications like The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Bands and artists citing their influence range from contemporary folk ensembles to crossover country acts associated with ARIA-listed performers and community-based music initiatives supported by state arts bodies such as Creative Victoria.
Over their career the band and its members have received acknowledgments from folk institutions and arts bodies, including nominations and awards presented by organizations such as ARIA, the Mo Awards, and recognition from folk festivals like Port Fairy Folk Festival and Woodford Folk Festival. Individual members have been honored for service to folk music by regional arts councils and have appeared on compilation releases alongside recipients of awards such as the Order of Australia and international folk prizes administered through institutions linked to BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and Folklife programs.
Category:Australian folk music groups