Fred Smith Solo Concert

Dale's Acoustic Live Events presents a rare opportunity to see and hear renowned Australian singer/songwriter Fred Smith from Canberra. His Sparrows of Kabul tour will include songs relating to his time overseas representing Australian Government as a diplomat and new originals from his "Look" release.

In his past career as a diplomat, Fred has entertained tribal warlords, Australian forces and at official functions and his 11 albums reflect the dangers and losses of his sometimes dangerous assignments and impress with authenticity and compassion.   With his latest album "Look", he describes this recording as “a collection of songs that are not about Afghanistan”.   They are about the stuff of our lives and the world we live in: the speed of modern life, love, isolation, and the internet in a world that seems to be lurching forward by a rolling series of crises. 

The only Australian artist to win multiple National Folk Recording Awards, Smith draws on a broad and high-quality oeuvre of songs from eleven studio albums. An experienced performer and raconteur with a deep catalogue of quality songs, he offers a range of themed concerts and presentations that bring to life the human complexities of the countries he has worked in: Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and United States. He consistently offers performances rich in humour, musicality and depth and is recipient of 2023 Alistair Hullett Songs of Social Justice Award, 2022 Canberra Critics Circle Award, and 2022 Australian Folk Alliance Artist of the Year.

“Fred Smith is simply the best folk/country musician working in this country… he has created a repertoire that is wry, literate, witty, powerfully emotional and insightful.” Bruce Elder, SMH.
“Fred Smith is an Australian national treasure. Diplomat, philosopher, poet and raconteur, his songs reverberate with the prophetic voice of humanity.” Peter Wilkins, Canberra Critics Circle

Fred was the subject of an ABC TV documentary about his work as a diplomat in Afghanistan and conflict zones in the South Pacific. His two published memoirs from Afghanistan have been described by Channel 10 Political Editor Hugh Riminton as “as convincing a picture as we will ever have of the tragedy, hope, oddness and courage of Australia’s Uruzgan enterprise… an astonishingly vibrant piece of reportage from the heart of our longest war.”  His Sparrows of Kabul song cycle describing the tragic arc of the international community’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan was described as “…an extraordinary, wonderful and heart-uplifting concert” and a “towering artistic achievement”.

Tickets are $25 on the door, No Eftpos, although you can contact organiser Dale Webb at ohaufolk@gmail.com to reserve and pay in advance by bank deposit. A refreshment break will split two sets of his original songs with the concert beginning 7:30 pm to approx 9:30 pm.  The  community hall is located at 14 Muhunoa West Road, Ohau with accessible parking and doors will open 6:45 pm