Big Name, No Blankets

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. Warumpi Band is the original First Peoples rock band to sing in language, known for their anthems 'Blackfella/Whitefella', 'My Island Home' and 'Jailanguru Pakurnu'. Big Name, No Blankets is inspired by their rise to the top through their politics, presence, and potent rock 'n' roll riffs.

Founding band member Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher is the journey’s charismatic narrator, who weaves intimate storytelling with larger-than-life rock 'n' roll songs. Discover how Sammy (vocals) and his two younger brothers, Gordon (drummer) and Brian (bass), went from jamming on a flour drum in Papunya in the 1970s to wild nights conquering pub rock and touring the world.

As the first band to sing rock 'n' roll in Aboriginal languages, Warumpi Band greatly influenced the likes of music greats Yothu Yindi and Coloured Stone. True to their roots, the show weaves in culture from Central Australia and Northeast Arnhem Land and two ancestral languages — Luritja and Gumatj (Yolngu Matha) — as the band navigates divides between bush and city, white and black, fame and family.

You're invited into the world of these central desert legends. Stomp your feet, clap your hands and get swept away by this big-hearted story.

An Auslan Interpreted event