Welcome to Bruce Watson’s web page

Bruce is a major Australian songwriter and performer in the folk tradition. Based in Melbourne, he performs around Australia at festivals, clubs and a range of other venues.

Bruce is a hilarious humorist and a writer and performer with the power to move audiences to tears. His performances are joyful and thoroughly engaging, with witty lyrics and energetic presentation. He is a masterful craftsman of songs, be they evocative and heart wrenching, or side-splittingly funny.

Gigs coming up: Unsung Heroes of Australian History, Northcote Town Hall, September 11
Bruce joins with 3 other talented songwriters and performers to present in spoken word, song and image the lives of many remarkable people who make up Australia’s story. This concert was a hit at the National Folk Festival last Easter.

For details go to Gig Guide.

New CD: Balance
Bruce's new album Balance has just been released and is now available through this website.

The launch at the Boite, supported by the cream of Melbourne's folk musicians was packed,and a magic evening.

Order, listen to tracks and find out more about Balance
View photos of the launch on Facebook

Bruce's Videos
Check out Bruce's videos, mostly of Bruce's live performances, including:
- Australia's Lost Languages
- The Man and The Woman and the Edison Phonograph (with Ronnie Summers)
- The Rules of English
- Olegas
- Down at the Pool
- The Old Bush Dance
Go to Videos page

The story behind The Man and The Woman and the Edison Phonograph
Ten years ago Bruce wrote a song on the extradinary story of Horace Watson recording Tasmanian Fanny Cochrane Smith singing traditional Aboriginal songs in 1903. He has now recorded it with Tasmanian Elder Ronnie Summers.
Read about the background to this song, and how Bruce and Ronnie Summers got together to sing it.

New song: The Beanie Song
Bruce recently performed at the Torquay Beanie Festival and wrote a song specially for the occasion. Here is an early live recording.
Watch out for the video coming soon.
Listen to the song

New poem on Campbell the Swaggie
Everyone who has been to a folk festival has seen Campbell reciting with his swag and billy - busking or at a Poets' Breakfast.  He seems to magically appear at every festival. But I was at a festival recently and he wasn't there!
Read the poem