Woody is the new alter-ego of Tomás Ford (Canberra audiences may know him from the unhinged chaos of his comedy DJ club Crap Music Rave Party). Woody sees him trade in his glowsticks for gum trees and crooning fair dinkum country, in the spirit of Slim Dusty and John Williamson. His own songs spin yarns about the queer characters he’s met roaming the regions, including more than a few memorable country blokes, while his covers take wild detours from outback classics to Silverchair, ABBA and even Liza Minnelli.

Woody rolls into Canberra on the back of a huge run: daily shows at Woodford Folk Festival, another Tamworth Country Music Festival appearance, and months spent busking his way across rural Australia. His relentless touring has built his act into something uniquely cheeky, heartfelt and impossible not to sing along with.

In November, he took home second place in the Australian National Busking Championships in Cooma, which he immediately claimed makes him “Australia’s 2nd Best Busker.” He likes his invented title so much that it’s become the title of his new acoustic LP. Recorded in Sydney straight after the finals, the album captures the chaotic joy and genuine connection at the heart of Woody’s shows.

This will be an intimate, campfire-side evening full of story, song and surprises. Grab a ticket, get nice and cozy in a chair and get ready for a night you’ll be talking about for months.