We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Elders, Ancestors and leaders of the Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands ILBIJERRI Theatre Company is based.
We extend this respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, recognising their resilience and ongoing connection to land, water and culture, despite ongoing colonial interruption and genocide.
Always was, always will be, sacred Indigenous land.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be advised that this website may contain images of deceased persons.
★★★★ “An early highlight of this year’s Sydney Festival”
The Guardian
★★★★★ “Has the audience screaming and stomping joyfully”
Arts Hub
★★★★ “It is transformative [...] The band is hot and unstoppable, the cast a joyful expression of music and story”
The Guardian
Big Name, No Blankets celebrates the phenomenal journey and impact of Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher, one of the founding members of Australian music icons Warumpi Band in an epic rock 'n' roll theatre show.
Named after Warumpi Band’s debut album — Big Name, No Blankets is a theatre show featuring Warumpi hits, showcasing Luritja and Gumatj (Yolngu Matha) languages and culture.
★★★★★ “Filled with laughter, iconic songs and rockstar performances”
Sydney Arts Guide
Making history as the first rock ’n’ roll band to sing in Aboriginal languages, Warumpi Band is acclaimed for creating our blak anthems: Jailanguru Pakarnu, My Island Home and Blackfella/Whitefella.
Sammy and the band amplified blak voices and stories through Warumpi Band while unifying listeners with the power of rock 'n' roll. This dynamic show will have the whole crowd dancing, clapping and singing along.
“This show is all heart.”
ABC NEWS
Packed with humour, iconic songs and rock star performances, Big Name, No Blankets is a joyful show about how music can influence massive change. You’re invited into the world of these central desert legends. Stomp your feet, clap your hands and sing along as you get swept away by this big-hearted story.
★★★★ “Maza described the work in an opening night speech as the Blak musical we need in the wake of the failed Indigenous Voice referendum. The joyous response from the audience left no doubt that she was right.”
The Guardian
With more locations to be announced
Sydney Festival
10-14 January 2024
Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company,
22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay NSW 2000
RISING Festival
31 May-2 June 2024
Melbourne Town Hall
90-130 Swanston St,
Melbourne VIC 3000
Darwin Festival
7-8 August 2024
Darwin Amphitheatre
21 Geranium St,
The Gardens NT 0802
Brisbane Festival
20-21 September 2024
Concert Hall, QPAC
Cnr Grey and, Melbourne St,
South Brisbane QLD 4101
Big Name, No Blankets at RISING 2024, by James Henry, and Sydney Festival 2024, by Brett Boardman
Warumpi Band left an enduring legacy on Australia's music scene across three decades, three albums, and three national ARIA awards. Their music had a profound impact on the national consciousness and resonated especially deeply in the central desert where their journey began. Warumpi Band’s electrifying rock anthems reverberated through Pintupi Luritja communities—Papunya, Mt Leibig, Haast Bluff, and Kintore—forming the sonic backdrop to desert childhoods.
Growing up amidst the rise and peak of Warumpi Band's success set the stage for the next generation. Their radical, politically charged calls to action instilled hope and provided a voice for audiences that echoed the realities of their lives. The three critically acclaimed albums - "Big Name, No Blankets" (1985), "Go Bush!" (1987), and "Too Much Humbug" (1996) - not only defined an era but birthed a new sub-genre, Desert Reggae music. Desert Reggae, primarily sung in language, emerged as a potent storytelling tool, echoing Warumpi Band's ancient storytelling traditions.
At the core of this musical evolution stood Warumpi Band's lead guitarist, Sammy Butcher. His influence and Warumpi Band’s legacy provided a lifeline for youth grappling with profound challenges in the face of colonisation. Sammy's commitment to music as a positive outlet and a tool for empowerment is a beacon in the community and materialised in the setting up of a recording studio in Papunya in 2004. Warumpi Band's journey, encapsulated in their radical anthems, paved the way for a musical era that not only rocked stages but also resonated as a powerful force for societal change.
Warumpi Band, was the first Aboriginal rock 'n' roll group to sing in language and incorporate traditional instruments such as didgeridoo, boomerang and clapping sticks. The band was formed in Papunya, 250 km West of Alice Springs in 1980. The original line-up consisted of George Rrurrambu Burarrwanga on vocals and didgeridoo, Gordon Butcher Tjapanangka on drums, Sammy Butcher Tjapanangka on lead guitar, Brian Butcher Tjapanangka on bass guitar and Neil Murray on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Warumpi Band built up a loyal following in Sydney's northern beaches pub rock scene and played as a support act to Midnight Oil. In 1985 the band signed with Midnight Oil's Powderworks label and released their debut album, Big Name, No Blankets in April 1985. After three decades and numerous world and national tours, Warumpi Band brought their focus homeward to their family and their Community in the central desert.
Whilst recognising that Warumpi Band's influence reached far and wide, the place they cultivated the strongest support was at home in the central desert. Right back to “Warumpinya” where it all began. Back to the dreaming site of the honey ant tjukurrpa. Right back, full circle.
In the early 2000’s young people in Papunya were dealing with the aftermath of assimilation, the ongoing effects of colonisation and the introduction of the NT Intervention. With a government that did not listen and increasing poverty, some young people turned to petrol sniffing as a means to cope with the intergenerational and ongoing colonial trauma. With rising suicide rates and a feeling of apathy and disempowerment, young people needed a positive outlet. Sammy's dedication, evident in the establishment of Papunya’s recording studio, played a pivotal role in reducing petrol sniffing by over 90% in Papunya. His core values centred around using music as a means of empowerment, bringing communities together, and sharing stories. The intergenerational commitment to lift up the next generation is shared in the documentary "Out of the Shadows" (2004).
One of the first bands Sammy mentored was called “Little Orphan Band” which brought children from broken homes into the recording studio to immerse themselves in music and self-author their own sound and story. Sammy taught the youth to play instruments, to work together collaboratively in a band, and to record music. This gave rise to a new genre of music, Desert Reggae influenced by Warumpi Band’s sound as well as reggae, gospel and surf-inspired guitar riffs. Warumpi Band's influence seamlessly transitioned to the next generation of musicians in the Pintupi Luritja region, giving rise to this new genre that tackles social and political issues whilst singing in language and empowering their peers. This fusion genre is a testament to Sammy's guidance.
Stylistically, Desert Reggae is heavily influenced by reggae and mbaqanga music inspired by South African reggae Rastafarian artist and musician Lucky Dube. The young people in Papunya found an affinity with the political struggles of Lucky Dube - a black South African who lived through South Africa’s apartheid. His music resonated with desert Communities. But Desert Reggae is uniquely central Australian with the use of Aboriginal languages from the region creating resonances that cannot be emulated in English. As the genre progressed and spread in the region other bands formed, namely Tjupi Band, which still plays today and was founded by the next generation of Butchers. Jeremiah, Jason and myself, Crystal Butcher, have all played a part in this ever-evolving band with a shifting line-up of proud central desert musicians. We work with a rotation of lead singers and musicians giving a platform for artists to go on and forge solo careers. Tjupi Band operates in a non hierarchical and decolonised mode, grounding us in our culture and ancient traditions.
Warumpi Band laid the ground for young people to know they can create their own stories in their own way. Sadly in recent years, the recording studio in Papunya has been damaged. Jason and Jeremiah Butcher are taking the baton from their father Sammy Butcher and leading the next generation of central desert musicians. They plan to fix the damaged space so that the next generation can use it as they did in the early 2000s. There are opportunities to support this goal by buying merchandise at ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s tour of Big Name, No Blankets - a theatrical rock ‘n’ roll performance that shares Warumpi Band’s story from the perspective of the Butcher family. All of the profits from merchandise sales will be donated to the restoration of the Papunya recording studio.
Desert Reggae now stands as the leading music genre across the Central Western Australian deserts, with Anangu and Aboriginal artists contributing to its library. The genre's expansion, both in terms of artists and reach on social media, signifies its growing significance in contemporary Indigenous musical expression.
Warumpi Band's legacy endures not only in their timeless music but in the vibrant evolution of Desert Reggae, echoing the power of music to transcend generations and societal challenges. Sammy Butcher is a founding member of Warumpi Band and an Elder in his community who has shaped and supported many young people's musical journeys. He was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was nominated for an NT Australian of the Year award in 2024.
In the words of Sammy Butcher, Warumpi Band was a band of the people, it was about hope and uplifting our communities. Warumpi Band’s legacy endures over many generations and will continue to live on through the families and communities where it began.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government's Major Festivals Initiative, managed by Creative Australia, its Arts Funding and Advisory Body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., commissioned by RISING, Sydney Festival, Darwin Festival, Brisbane Festival, Perth Festival and Adelaide Festival.
Writer Andrea James
Story and Cultural Consultant Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher (a founding member of Warumpi Band)
Co-Directors Dr Rachael Maza AM and Anyupa Butcher
Music Director Gary Watling
Cinematographer & Sound Designer James Henry
Sound Arrangements and Composition Crystal Butcher
Sound Arrangements and Composition Mentor David Bridie
Set Designer Emily Barrie
Lighting Designer Jenny Hector
Costume Designer Heidi Brooks
Video Content Designer Sean Bacon
Animation Patricia McKean and Guck
Core Band Gary Watling, Malcolm Beveridge, Jason Butcher, Jeremiah Butcher (Darwin Festival), Angus McKean (Brisbane Festival)
Performers
Baykali Ganambarr (Sammy)
Teangi Knox (Gordon & drums)
Taj Pigram (George)
Jackson Peele (Neil)
Cassandra Williams (Suzina, Mum & Ensemble)
Aaron McGrath (Brian & Ensemble)
Producers Nina Bonacci & Alexandra Paige
Theatre Consultant Sarah Goodes
Dramaturg Amy Sole
Production Manager Nathan Evers
Stage Manager Celina Mack
Assistant Stage Managers PJ Rosas & Kira Feeney
Audio Engineer Daniel Lade
Monitor Engineer Tui Rapata Hohepa Campbell
Lighting Associate Travis Kecek
Warumpi Family Consulting Suzina McDonald & Marion Burarrwanga
Hero Image by James Henry
Writer Andrea James
Story and Cultural Consultant Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher (founding member of Warumpi Band)
Co-Directors Dr Rachael Maza AM and Anyupa Butcher
Music Director Gary Watling
Cinematographer & Sound Designer James Henry
Sound Arrangements and Composition Crystal Butcher
Sound Arrangements and Composition Mentor David Bridie
Set Designer Emily Barrie
Lighting Designer Jenny Hector
Costume Designer Heidi Brooks
Video Content Designer Sean Bacon
Animation Patricia McKean and Guck
Core Band Gary Watling, Malcolm Beveridge, Jason Butcher, Jeremiah Butcher
Performers
Baykali Ganambarr (Sammy)
Googoorewon Knox (George)
Teangi Knox (Gordon & drums)
Aaron McGrath (Brian & Ensemble)
Jackson Peele (Neil)
Cassandra Williams (Suzina, Mum & Ensemble)
Tibian Wyles (Ian, Ensemble & Understudy)
Producers Nina Bonacci & Alexandra Paige
Theatre Consultant Sarah Goodes
Dramaturg Amy Sole
Production Manager Nathan Evers
Stage Manager Celina Mack
Assistant Stage Managers PJ Rosas
Audio Engineer Daniel Lade
Warumpi Family Consulting Suzina McDonald & Marion Burarrwanga
Image by Oumoula Mckenzie
Story and Cultural Consultant Sammy Butcher
Writer Andrea James
Co-Directors Dr Rachael Maza AM & Anyupa Butcher
Story Consultant Anyupa Butcher
Sound Arrangement & Composition Crystal Butcher
Sound Arrangement & Composition Mentor David Bridie
Band Arrangement & Composition Gary Watling
AV Designer James Henry
Set Designer Emily Barrie
Band includes Jason Butcher & Jeremiah Butcher
Theatre Consultant Sarah Goodes
Dramaturg Amy Sole
Creative Consultant Lisa Watts
Producers Nina Bonacci & Alexandra Paige