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Bruce is an icon of the Australian folk scene. He has appeared at almost 200 folk festivals across Australia since the 1990s.
He plays regularly at festivals, folk clubs, house concerts and other venues throughout Australia.
Performers of the calibre of Eric Bogle, Joe Dolce, Greg Champion, Blackwood and a host of other Australian
and international performers have covered Bruce Watson's songs.
Bruce has received the Declan Affley Memorial Songwriting Award at the National Folk Festival for the song Amazon,
which has been recorded by Eric Bogle and many other Australian and overseas artists.
Other awards include Port Fairy Folk Festival’s Lawson-Paterson Songwriting Award and Maldon Folk Festival’s Roddy Reed Memorial Songwriting Award.
He has produced seven albums of original songs, plus a songbook of his own compositions: “101 Songs”.
He also appears on more than 20 compilation CDs alongside artists such as Eric Bogle, Roy Bailey, Archie Roach, Yothu Yindi and Christine Anu.
Bruce has a keen sense of the absurdities of life. Nothing is sacred, but many things are precious.
A concern for people, the environment, reconciliation and for life's mysteries and ironies runs through his songs.
His serious songs are both moving and challenging, and he is not afraid to tackle the hard issues.
The humour can be sharp - or at times just plain silly. Victims of Bruce's satirical pen range from Leonard Cohen to Pauline Hanson.
Don't miss songs like Save the Hippy, I Shared a Urinal with Martin Ferguson, The Rules of English,The Wando Vale Annual Sheep Dog Trial, and Toddler with Attitude!
His act is one to be seen as well as heard, with plenty of audience involvement and usually a few surprises. Bruce will make you laugh, cry – and think.
As well as his solo concert performances, Bruce has his fingers in a few other pies.
See his Concerts & Workshops page for details.
Recognition
Songwriting Awards
- Declan Affley Memorial Songwriting Award (National Folk Festival) (finalist on 2 other occasions)
- Lawson-Paterson Songwriting Award (Port Fairy Folk Festival) (Twice)
- Roddy Reed Memorial Songwriting Award (Maldon Folk Festival)
- Finalist in several other awards, including Ozmusic Awards (twice), Australian Songwriters Association Awards (twice), and the Darebin Music Feast.
Radio and TV
- Bruce’s songs have received airplay on ABC Radio National on a range of shows including: The Daily Planet, Australia All Over, Into the Music and the Breakfast show
- Bruce has also been a guest and performed live on ABC (local, Radio National), commercial and community radio, and on national television (Channel 10).
Compilation CDs
As well as seven of his own CDs, songs recorded by Bruce Watson also appear on the following compilation albums:
- Change the World with Your Song (2018), Produced by Change the World with Your Song project
- Pick of the Crop CD9 (2018), Produced by Trad&Now
- The Gathering: 18 Years of Frances (2018) Produced by Frances Folk Gathering
- Coo-ee: Songs of the Anzacs (2015), Produced by Peter Ellis with the Bendigo Historical Society
- Unsung Heroes of Australian History (2012), With Moira Tyers, Wendy Ealey and Neil Robertson
- Pick of the Crop CD4 (2010), Produced by Trad&Now
- The Turning Wave – 2010 Festival (2010), Produced by the TWF, Gundagai, NSW
- Nannup Music Festival: Celebrating 20 Years (2009), produced by the Nannup Music Festival, WA
- Stand Up and Shout (2007), Rouseabout Records, produced by Warren Fahey
- National Folk Festival 2005 , produced by the NFF
- Jamberoo Celebration - 20 Years On (2004), produced by the Illawarra Folk Festival, NSW
- Victoria Sings! (2004), produced by Fay White for Community Music Victoria
- Live @ the Selby Folk Club (2003), produced by the Selby Folk Club, Victoria
- Maldon Turns Thirty (2003), produced by the Maldon Folk Festival, Victoria
- Voices in the Trees (2003), produced by Tasmanian Greens
- No Blood for Oil: Australian Voices for Peace (2003), produced by Geoff Francis, Tasmania
- 35 years of the National Folk Festival (2003), produced by the NFF
- Quadrille Mania, volumes 5 & 6 (2001) produced by the Emu Creek Bush Band
- Green Songs (2001), produced by the Australian Greens
- Australian Folk 2000 (2000), produced by the Folk Alliance Australia
- Standing Room Only (1990), produced by the Melbourne Folk Club
Songs covered by other artists
Songs written by Bruce Watson, recorded by other artists, appear on the following albums (there aer more, but these are the ones we know about!):
- Shaking the Tree, Roots Grown Deep (2019)
- Malcolm J Turnbull, In from the Storm (2018)
- Turlough Canyon Moonrise, (Ireland) (2013)
- Tasmanian Songman Ronnie, Ronnie Summers with Helen Gee, Magabala Books (CD included in book) (2009)
- Margaret Bradford, Ten Years On (2007)
- Joe Dolce, The Wind Cries Mary (2007)
- St Brigid’s School, Fitzroy, We Love Music (2006)
- Blackwood, Home Soon (2004)
- Blackwood, At Home (1999)
- Danny O’Flaherty, From the Heart (New Orleans) (1996)
- On the Mark, How Many of them Can We Make Die? (East Coast Folk Music Convention, Virginia, USA, 1996)
- Boola Boola Band, Graffiti Cafe (1993)
- Eric Bogle, Voices in the Wilderness (1990)
Songs published in books
- Song in Great Australian Places, Graham Seal, Allen & Unwin (2022)
- Song in The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age, 17th Biennale of Sydney, NSW (2010)
- Song in Tasmanian Songman Ronnie, Ronnie Summers with Helen Gee, Magabala Books (2009)
- Tune in The Songs of Henry Lawson (2nd Edition), The Chris Kempster Project (2008)
- Songs in The Waltz, the Polka and all kinds of Dance Music, Ed. Peter Ellis (2007) (Folk Song & Dance Soc, Vic)
- Songs in The Merry Country Dance, Ed. Peter Ellis (2005)
- Songs in River of Verse: Anthology of Tasmanian Verse Ed. Helen Gee (2005)
- Songs in Rebels and Rabblerousers Ed. Warren Fahey. Currency Press (2001)
- Song in Aspects of Language by Elry Edwards, Macmillan Education Australia (1995) (Secondary School textbook illustrating use of language and literature)
- Song in Positive Messages in Popular Music Ed. John Tait. David Lovell Publishing (1992) (Secondary School Resource book to stimulate discussion of social issues)
- Songs in The Balls of Bob Menzies: Australian Political Songs 1900-1980
Ed. Warren Fahey. Angus & Robertson (1990)
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