John Schumann

Noted rock historian Glenn A Baker describes John Schumann as “…one of the finest songwriters this country has produced.”Funny, smart and a great storyteller, John Schumann is also regarded as one of the best frontmen in the country. Concerts with his world-class band, The Vagabond Crew, are compelling and memorable.As the lead singer and one of Redgum’s two major songwriters, John Schumann was “fortunate” enough to write a few major hits – including “I was only 19” and “I’ve been to Bali Too”.The performance at the Gov on August 3 will feature those and other Redgum songs. But there will be more.Over and above his Redgum catalogue, John Schumann draws from 4 decades of songwriting and solo albums.Etched in Blue, his highly acclaimed first solo album. True Believers chronicles Australia’s epic social and economic changes in the late 80s and early 90s.  Lawson, an album of songs based on the poems of Henry Lawson. Behind the Lines - an emotion-charged songbook of Australia at war. Ghost and Memories - a collection of Australian stories and memories from 1953 to 2024.This concert will also feature couple of splendid covers. “Working Class Man”, made famous by Jimmy Barnes, is reimagined as a gentle, reflective ballad. And then there’s Schumann’s stunning rework of “Khe Sahn”. Schumann’s version is dubbed “The Long Tan Version” because - as he explains - Australians weren’t at Khe Sahn.Each one of these songs define John Schumann.And they prove Glenn A Baker right. John Schumann is one of the finest songwriters this country has produced.