Warren Fahey

Warren Fahey AM is a folklore collector, cultural historian, author, broadcaster, record and concert producer, visual artist, songwriter and a performer of Australian traditional and related historical music.

Fahey is the founder of Larrikin Records, Folkways Music and the band The Larrikins. In 1988, he sold his music publishing company, Larrikin Music, to Music Sales Corporation,[1] and in 1995 sold Larrikin Records to Festival Music. In 2002 he established the record company Undercover Music Australia.

After the Down Under (song) court case, he suggested that the copyright owners of the Kookaburra (song), Larrikin Music, 'gift' the song to Australia.[2]

He has a distinguished career as a folklorist and collector of oral histories.

As a performer he has been telling Australian folk stories, reciting bush poetry and singing either solo or with his ensembles The Larrikins, The Celebrated Knickers & Knockers Band, and, more recently, the Australian Bush Orchestra. Commenced performing in 1969 and has a unique repertoire of bush songs, early ballads, city ditties and associated folklore including poetry, drinking toasts and parodies. He presents specific entertainment programs based on his books at the various Writers Week festivals as well as performances at folk and regional arts festivals.

With his pioneering ensemble, The Larrikins, he has toured for Musica Viva and the Arts Council circuit for the past 40 years. He produced and hosted the entertainment at the first State Dinner in the new Federal Parliament House. He has represented Australia for the Department of Foreign Affairs in numerous Cultural touring programs performing in Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Britain and the first-ever cultural exchange tour to the South Pacific region. He has performed at the Commonwealth Arts Festival, Edinburgh, Vancouver Folk Festival, Auckland Arts Festival and the state festivals of Perth, Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival, Darwin Festival. In 2006 he performed a song cycle world premiere performance of Andrew Ford’s ‘Barleycorn’ for the Brisbane Festival.

Since 2000 he has performed at the National Folk Festival (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, Majors Creek Music Festival (twice), Victor Harbour Festival, Araluen Folk Festival WA and, in 2009, The Blue Mountains Festival, National Folk Festival and Cobargo Festival. In 2001, he hosted and performed at the Belongings Exhibition for the State Library of NSW for the Governor General, and then at the re-opening of the Mitchell Library with a performance for the Governor of NSW and the Premier.

In 2006 he was Artistic Director of the ten-day Australian Spotlight, Lorient Festival, Brittany, France, on behalf of the Australian Government.

Since 2003 he has been guest lecturer on various prestige cruise ships, notably Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas and Cunard. Mostly on Australian, New Zealand and Asian journeys however, in 2013, he was invited as guest lecturer on two journeys in the Adriatic. In 2014 he commenced including Asian talks in his talks schedule. In 2016 he travels with Seabourn (January) Los Angeles to Raratonga and in February with Queen Victoria on an Australian circuit.

He has performed in numerous countries, mostly with his ensemble, The Larrikins. In 2008, he took his group to Malaysia for Austrade and, in January 2009, to the Philippines for a DFAT cultural tour.

Warren sings and plays concertina. He continues to ‘revive’ old songs by marrying them with either traditional or new musical settings. He writes songs where there are no songs to tell an aspect of the Australian story.

In 2010, he devised, scripted, recorded and co-produced (with visual artist Mic Gruchy) a major multi-screen art installation commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney titled 'Damned Souls and Turning Wheels' - a history of Cockatoo Island.[3]

His Australian Folklore Unit has been collecting and annotating Australian folklore for nearly 50 years and made available in his books, radio programs, concerts and, most importantly, on his website.

In 2012, he was Artistic Producer for the Kings Cross Festival.

In 2012, Rebel Studios completed a one-hour bio documentary on his work titled 'Larrikin Lad' which was screened on SBS 'Studio' and released as a DVD by ABC Video.

2014 saw Warren return to collaborating with video artist Mic Grouchy to devise and create a series of films on the history of Rookwood Cemetery (for the Rookwood Trust). One film told the story of Rookwood as the Southern Hemisphere's largest surviving Victorian necropolis and four told the story of notable interments Roy Rene, David Jones & Anthony Hordern, Mai Quong Tart and newspaper baron John Fairfax. In 2015 additional heritage films were made on Rookwood's ANZAC connections, Louisa Lawson, Peter Dawson. In addition Warren produced public events including Tales of Valour (commemoration WW1) and the 2015 Remembrance Day.[4]

As a features writer Warren Fahey continues to contribute to numerous newspapers and magazines including a stint as lifestyle writer for Harper's Bazaar, Australian stringer for Conde Nast Traveler USA, Vogue Entertaining and Travel, The Bulletin Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Rhythms and various specialist magazines. He has written extensively for television and radio.

2015 Warren Fahey and Max Cullen co-wrote and performed the two-hand stage play Dead Men Talking. Max Cullen plays Henry Lawson and Warren Fahey is Banjo Paterson. The first tour covered the mid NSW coast in twelve night tour. There were 40 performances during the year and it will return in 2016 touring South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland.

In January 2016 he will present three shows 40 Ways To Love Your City celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Festival. They will be staged in the Famous Spiegel Tent in Sydney's Hyde Park.

Awards

Business

Community

Discography

Publications

Festival Performances

Broadcasting

References

  1. ↑ http://www.musicaustralia.org/apps/MA?function=showDetail&currentMapsRecord=ANL:MA~Converted-ruth-6&itemSeq=3&total=5&&returnFunction=searchResults&scope=scope&simpleTerm=bogle&sessionId=reuseSearch4DF04B5890C879F01514A5ECCDC1843D1262684917865
  2. ↑ http://folkstream.com/reviews/larrikin.html
  3. ↑ http://vimeo.com/27618513
  4. ↑ http://www.rgct.com.au
  5. ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/honour-for-larrikin-who-keeps-folk-songs-alive/story-e6frg8n6-1225848209404
  6. ↑ Australian Government - It's an Honour Search Australian Honours

External links

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