COMING HOME

Tracing back to the 1980s in Papunya, Warumpi Band's rise to fame, and their iconic breakthrough in the Australian music scene as the first Aboriginal rock band to sing in language, has a big story behind it.

WORDS JENNA HOARE

40 YEARS AFTER the band's debut album, Big Name, No Blankets, their legacy continues on stage with the aptly named rock‘n’roll theatre production retold through the eyes of founding lead guitarist Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher, portrayed by Baykali Ganambarr.

Following a national tour across every major city, including Darwin Festival in 2024 and Barunga Festival last month, the talented cast performs over two electrifying evenings at the Araluen Arts Centre in Mparntwe/Alice Springs as part of this year’s Desert Festival.

Co-director Anyupa Butcher, daughter of founding band member Sammy Butcher, says the production was developed over six years before going on tour with Ilbijerri Theatre Company.

“We premiered the show at the Sydney Festival last year at the Roslyn Packer Theatre and since then we have done all the major festivals across Australia in each capital city.”

Now, the production is returning home to Central Australia.

“I have some mixed feelings. I feel excited but I also feel like it will be an emotional experience for family who haven’t seen it, and to bring the story home and just working with my Dad,” Butcher says.

“I think it will be a beautiful experience for him to watch it with his family surrounding him.”

Collaborating with award-winning writer Andrea James, the show features iconic songs ‘Blackfella/ Whitefella’ and ‘My Island Home’, while exploring themes of identity and resilience.

“For people to come together and experience a strength-based show that is around hope, and that was my father’s dream, was to bring hope to people and to its audiences,” Butcher says.

The performance is a meaningful reunion for the audiences who love the music.

“We’ve embedded Luritja throughout the script … it was important for us to represent our family and community and for audiences to listen to our language," Butcher says.

“I think Alice Springs will be the most important show that we’re going to do because it’s coming home.”

Big Name, No Blankets
WHEN FRI 18 JUL, 7.30PM | SAT 19 JUL, 7.30PM 
AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE 
COST $75–$85 
INFO desfest.com

^{Image: Taj Pigram. Photo credit: James Henry.}