Take Five: Indigenous Songs We Discovered On Tour Through Arnhem Land By Bad//Dreems
.jpg)
Since their formation more than decade ago, Aussie rock band Bad//Dreems have been making waves in the music scene. After embarking on a tour throughout Arnhem Land last year, a historical region of the Northern Territory home to the nation's traditional landowners, the band discovered a deep appreciation for Indigenous music and culture. We caught up with Bad//Dreems to chat about their fave songs discovered on tour through Arnhem Land, ahead of their upcoming performance at Lazy Mountain Music & Arts Festival in Berry, where they will share the stage with some of Australia's most electrifying acts including Gang of Youths, Tash Sultana, Middle Kids and more.
Check out their top picks below and grab your tickets to catch the band at Lazy Mountain Music & Arts Festival on Easter Saturday!
|
Words By Alex Cameron (Bad//Dreems):
We were fortunate enough to tour through Arnhem land with Black Rock Band from Jabiru and Guts touring in August 2022. This was a life changing trip and we were privileged to be guests in remote communities, as well as perform at Freedom Day Festival, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Wave Hill walk off. We were exposed to many amazing artists and songs. Here are 5 of them...
Highway 21 - Black Rock Band
This song, originally by West Arnhem legend Narbalek, was introduced to us by their countrymen and relatives Black Rock Band, who cover it. It was the soundtrack to barrelling down the corrugated highways of Arnhem Land with Black Rock Band in a totally unfit for purpose Toyota minibus called Tracy. We met Stuart Guymala from Narbalek in Maningrida - top fella.
Gurindji Blues (Poor Bugger Me) - Ted Egan and Vincent Lingiari
We were honoured to play at Freedom Day Festival, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Wave Hill Walk Off and the beginning of the Land Rights Movement. Many years before PK's 'From Little Things Big Things Grow,' Ted Egan wrote this song describing the plight of the Gurindji people.
Walaya - Ripple Effect Band
Ripple Effect are a band of amazing women from Maningrida. They are relatives of Black Rock Band. This is the first single taken from their upcoming album and was originally written by Rachel Thomas in the 1990s. The recording opens with the tape of her original recording.
Lonely Bangardi - Wildfire Manwurrk
Wildfire Manwurrk are also from Maningrida. They are a family band, consisting of well-known artist and community leader Victor Rostrum and his sons. They sing in ancient, endangered languages Kune, Dalabon and Rembarrnga. They are passionate about presenting the challenges of remote community life through song.
She Cried - Frank Yamma
We were lucky enough to watch Frank Yamma play a couple of sets at Freedom Festival. You can tell just from looking at him that he is a journeyman with more stories to tell than there are grains of sand in the desert. This is song is from his Countryman album (2010). It's one of the most powerful and raw pieces of music I've heard in a long time.
Want to catch Bad//Dreems at Lazy Mountain Music & Arts Festival on Easter Saturday? Score your tickets HERE!
%20(1).jpg)
.png)