Photo by Sam de Souza
A nuanced musical portrait of a complicated nation
This is Fred Smith at his best: weaving music, story and images into a nuanced portrait of a complicated nation – insightful, engaging and quietly compelling.
With America deep in “interesting times,” Fred Smith and his band guide audiences on a musical safari through the United States of Anxiety, a show that makes sense of the chaos with humour, insight and heart.
Smith is one of the few Australian folk singers to hold both a US merchant mariner’s licence and a US Marine Corps medal. He has worked on American cruise ships, travelled the interstate highways, and lived alongside US soldiers in southern Afghanistan, experiences that give his observations unusual depth and perspective.
Drawing from his US travelogue albums Texas and Great, this concert blends songs with stories and sharp, good-humoured commentary on American politics, history and culture.
Sydney Morning Herald
“a wonderful, quirky and irreverent look at the United States…a wry and profound understanding of that complex society.”
Photo by Sam de Souza
Photo by Sam de Souza
Photo by Sam de Souza
Photo by Sam de Souza
About the Artists
Fred Smith is one of Australia’s most original and compelling songwriters, known for his sharp wit, emotional depth and gift for storytelling.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, he has carved out a unique place in the Australian music landscape, blending folk, roots and contemporary songwriting with a distinctly Australian voice. His songs move effortlessly between the poetic and the political, the deeply personal and the broadly human, earning him a reputation as a writer who can make audiences laugh, cry and think, sometimes all in the same song.
Songwriter, diplomat, philosopher, poet and raconteur, in 2025 Fred Smith was awarded an Order of Australia for services to music and foreign affairs. Reflecting this improbable combination, his work pairs shimmering melody with hard-nosed realism to paint a vivid picture of the world we live in.
Smith has toured extensively across Australia and internationally, performing everywhere from major festivals to remote communities and conflict zones. His acclaimed albums, including song cycles inspired by his time in Afghanistan and the Pacific, have been praised for their honesty, craftsmanship and narrative power, becoming important historical documents that bring to life the human complexities of the places he has worked: PNG, the US, Afghanistan and, most recently, Australia.
Australian Folk Music Awards Solo Artist of the Year (2022), he has been described as “simply the best folk/country musician working in this country, wry, literate, witty, powerfully emotional and insightful” (Bruce Elder, SMH).
Fred is also the subject of an Australian Story documentary about his work in Afghanistan and on peacekeeping operations in the war-torn islands of the South Pacific.
Acknowledgments
This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund – a partnership between Queensland Government, through Arts Queensland, and Sunshine Coast Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
Dates
8 - 17 May ‘26
Tickets
From $25.00
plus booking fee
Duration
110 mins inc interval
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Red Chair Event FAQs
Is the venue accessible?
Most venues we work with offer basic accessibility features such as step-free entry, wheelchair access and accessible toilets, but facilities vary from place to place. Because Red Chair events tour to a wide range of regional halls, theatres and community spaces, not all venues have the same accessibility features, particularly smaller or heritage-listed buildings.
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If you have specific access needs and would like assistance planning your visit, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
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