The Bushwackers (band)
The Bushwackers Band, often simply the Bushwackers, are an Australian folk and country music band or bush band founded in 1970. Their cover version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" was listed in the APRA Top 30 Australian songs in 2001, alongside its writer Eric Bogle's 1980 rendition. Their top 60 studio albums on the Australian Kent Music Report are Bushfire, Dance Album, Faces in the Street and Beneath the Southern Cross.
History
The Bushwackers Band were formed as the Original Bushwhackers and Bullockies Bush Band in 1971 in Melbourne by Dave Isom on guitar, banjo, vocals and mandolin; Bert Kahanoff on lagerphone and vocals; and Jan Wositzky on vocals, harmonica, banjo and percussion. Isom had started the La Trobe University Folk Club in 1969 and saw a concert by the Wild Colonial Boys at The Assembly Hall, Melbourne, with Kahanoff. Isom was inspired to form his own group, its name derives from a recording, Bullockies, Bushwhackers and Booze by various artists including Martyn Wyndham-Read, Peter Dickie and Jim Buchanan. Early gigs were in October 1971 by the trio who were later joined by various players, including Mick Slocum on accordion, concertina and vocals; and fiddlers Tony Hunt and Dave Kidd. Their debut album, The Shearers Dream, appeared in 1974 via Picture Records with the line-up of Hunt, Isom, Slocum and Wositsky joined by Dobe Newton on lagerphone, whistle and vocals.The ensemble shortened their name to the Bushwackers Band and went full-time with their first tour to the United Kingdom. With an ever-changing line-up, and adding tin whistle, harmonica, concertina, 5-string banjo, bodhrán, bones, spoons, electric bass and guitar and drums the band worked throughout Australia and Europe. Their second album, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, had Pete Howell on bass guitar joining the line-up of Hunt, Kidd, Newton, Slocum and Wositzky. It featured their cover version of the title song, which was written by Scottish-born Eric Bogle. "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by the Bushwackers Band, alongside Bogle's 1980 rendition, was listed as one of the APRA Top 30 Australian songs in 2001 as part of the celebrations for the Australasian Performing Right Association 's 75th anniversary.
Their fourth studio album, Bushfire, was produced by John Wood for Image Records and peaked at No. 37 on the Kent Music Report albums chart. By 1979 the line-up was Newton, Slocum and Wositsky joined by Steve Groves on vocals and guitar, Fred Kuhnl on vocals, bass guitar and moog and Gregory Martin on drums and percussion. The Bushwackers' fifth studio album, Dance Album used the line-up of Martin and Newton with Andy Colville on electric guitar, Roger Corbett on electric bass, Michael Harris on fiddle and viola, Louis McManus on fiddle, mandolin and acoustic guitar and Bill Smith on harmonica, bones, spoons, axes, bodhrán and cross-cut saw. The album peaked at No. 35 – the group's highest placing. Corbett became the group's principal songwriter, record producer and talent manager.
In 1981 they released two top 60 studio albums, Faces in the Street and Beneath the Southern Cross. By the following year the line-up of Corbett, Newton and McManus were joined by Danny Bourke on fiddle and vocals, Tommy Emmanuel on guitar and vocals and Freddie Strauks on drums. McManus was replaced by Tony O'Neill on mandolin, guitar and vocals and Harris rejoined in 1983 while Strauks was replaced on drums by Robbie Ross.
In 1984 Newton disbanded the group except for reunion shows. The ABC's A Big Country aired a documentary special titled that year.
In 1987 he co-wrote "I Am Australian" with Bruce Woodley of the Seekers. In 1993 Newton and Corbet reformed the Bushwackers Band with Pete Drummond on drums, Michael Fix on guitar, Mark Oats on fiddle and Melanie Williamson on piano accordion, guitar and vocals. Fix was soon replaced by Peter Malone on guitar, who was replaced in turn by Brad Johns and then Tim Gaze by 1995. Other members have included David Brannigan, Dave Mattacks, Pat Drummond, Eddy van Roosendael.
In August 2023, Newton and Corbett, performed a rendition of "I Am Australian", in their audition on the twelfth season of The Voice Australia, in which they received a four-chair turn before securing a place on coach Jessica Mauboy's team.
Members (Not a complete list)
1970s
- Dave Isom – guitar, banjo, vocals, mandolin
- Bert Kahanoff – lagerphone
- Sylvester Kroyher – Fiddle
- John Spencer – Banjo, Mandolin
- Jan Wositzky Bill Smith – vocals, harmonica, banjo, percussion, bodhrán, spoons, bush bass, bones, axes, cross-cut saw
- John Millard – Whistle, Flute
- Mick Slocum – accordion, concertina, vocals
- Dave Kidd – fiddle
- Tony Hunt – fiddle, viola, banjo
- Dobe Newton – lagerphone, whistle, vocals, side-drum, cross-cut saw
- Peter Howell – bass guitar
- Dave Brannigan – Guitar
- Louis McManus – fiddle, guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar
- Pete Farndon – bass guitar
- Dave Mattacks – Drums
- John Fitzgerald – Guitar, fiddle
- Chris Duffy – guitar
- Hugh McDonald – Bass, guitar
- Jim Fisher – Guitar
- Doug Gallagher – Drums
- Fred Kuhnl – vocals, bass guitar, moog
- Gregory Martin – drums, percussion
- Steve Groves – vocals, guitar
- Michael Harris – fiddle, viola
- Andy Colville – electric guitar
1980s
- Roger Corbett – electric bass, vocals
- Eddie van Rosendael – Drums
- Freddie Strauks – drums
- Tony O'Neill – mandolin, guitar, vocals
- Tommy Emmanuel – guitar and vocals
- Robbie Ross – drums
- Danny Bourke – fiddle, vocals
- Michael Fix – guitar
- Mario Gregorie – Keyboards
- Peter Northcote – Guitar
- Des McKenna – Drums
- Mick Hyder – Fiddle
- Pete Keown Drums
- Steve Fearnley – Drums
- Spiro Phillipas – Bass
- Phil Emmanuel – Guitar
- Brendan O’Shea – Bass
- Pat Drummond – Guitar
- Simon Patterson – Guitar
- Bob Donaldson – Drum
1990s
- Melanie Williamson – piano accordion, guitar, vocals
- Mark Oats – fiddle
- Steve Housden – Guitar
- Pete Drummond – drums
- Peter Malone – guitar
- Brad Johns – guitar
- Guy Dutton – Guitar
- Tim Gaze – guitar
- Dave O’Neill – Fiddle
- Hanuman Das – Bass
- Willie Kwa – Drums
- Pamela Drysdale – Accordion, Vocals
- Mike Kerin – Fiddle
2000s
- Andrew Clermont – Fiddle
- Clare O’Meara – Fiddle, Accordion
- Matt Hanley – Guitar
- Justin Duggan – Drums
- Duncan Toombs – Guitar
- Michael Vidale – Bass
- Brad Bergen – Drums
- Mark Miller – Bass
- Rick Shell – Drums
- Ben Corbett – Guitar, Bass
- Gary Steel – Accordion
- Adrian Cannon – Drums
2010s
- David Hicks – Drums
- Declan O’Neil – Drums
- Brad Bergen – Drums
- Andy Gatus – Drums
- Sarah Busitil-Palmer – Fiddle
- Silas Palmer – Fiddle, Accordion
- Sue Carson – Fiddle
- Liam Kennedy-Clarke – Bass, Electric Guitar
- Oscar Lupuczuk – Bass
- Dave Roberts – Drums
- Gabi Louise – Fiddle
- Ben Conchella – Bass
- Rory Phillips – Bass, Electric Guitar
2020s
- Josh Beveridge – Bass
- Cait Jamieson – Fiddle