Dave Johnson

Traditional Australian bush songs and ballads, from the convict era through the goldrushes and into the 1890s, make up the core of this performer's repertoire. Dave works as a solo act, a band leader, a dance caller and a workshop leader depending on the booking, backing the vocals on guitar, concertina or banjo and adding fiddle for the dance tunes. Themed sets built from years of research include one on early convict songs with recitations and projected lyrics for a singalong, and another on Australian railway songs presented at the Sydney Folk Festival in 2019. Beyond performing, Dave has led the Heritage Ensemble and encouraged younger folk musicians through workshops.