AudioCulture

The noisy library of New Zealand music

More
Contact Us About Us Writers Terms & Conditions
Funded by
Partners with

The Warratahs Profile

Kerry Doole
Published: 1 Jul 2013
Updated: 14 Aug 2018
In a career now past the quarter-century mark, The Warratahs have given homegrown country music real credibility, bringing their fresh sound to just about every nook and cranny in the country.

Here's a band that got together for all the right reasons – to play the music they loved with a bunch of mates down at the pub. There was no vision of world or even national domination as The Warratahs took to the stage at The Cricketers' Arms in Wellington in 1986.

Show more +
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w7
The original Warratahs line-up. Left to right: John Donoghue, Wayne Mason, Barry Saunders (seated), Marty Jorgensen, Nik Brown.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb wm4
Wayne Mason with The Warratahs in 1990
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb warratahs2018
The Warratahs, 2018. From left: Nick Theobold, Barry Saunders, Mike Knapp, and Nik Brown.
Photo credit: James Gilberd
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
Hero thumb mqdefault
Barry Saunders on Radio Wammo 2012
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w3
Wild Card (1990)
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w53
Nik Brown and Barry Saunders with The Warratahs at Snobbz Nightclub, Hastings, 1990.
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb 08 888
The poster for the Wildcard release party (with Dribbling Darts Of Love) at The Gluepot, December 1990
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
Hero thumb 5453.key
Hands Of My Heart
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w15
The Warratahs in the 2000s. Left to right: Nik Brown, Barry Saunders, Sid Limbert, Mo Newport.
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w5
The Warratahs in the 2000s. Left to right: Mike Knapp, Barry Saunders, Nik Brown, Alan Norman.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w19
The Warratahs, 2013: Nick Theobald, Nik Brown, Barry Saunders, and Mo Newport
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w2
Too Hot To Sleep (1989)
ImageableImage
Hero thumb cb1
Clinton Brown with The Warratahs in Hastings in 1990
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w16
The Warratahs in the 2000s. Left to right: Nik Brown, Sid Limbert, Barry Saunders, Mo Newport.
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w51
Barry Saunders with The Warratahs at Snobbz Nightclub, Hastings, 1990
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w55
Rob Clarkson with The Warratahs in Hastings, 1990
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w18
Barry Saunders
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
Hero thumb 21541.key
Radio With Pictures - My Kind of Town - 1981 documentary directed by Simon Morris, featuring interviews with Barry Saunders and Nick Theobald during their time as the Tigers, plus Sharon O’Neill, producer Peter Dawkins, Dragon’s Marc Hunter, Kevin Stanton of Mi-Sex, and Dave McArtney.
ImageableImage
Hero thumb cb2
Clinton Brown with The Warratahs in Hastings in 1990
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w5
Big Sky (1993)
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w52
The Warratahs on stage at Snobbz Nightclub, Hastings, 1990.
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
Hero thumb 5454.key
Maureen
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w12
The most recognisable Warratahs line-up that recorded two albums and toured virtually nonstop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Left to right: Wayne Mason, Barry Saunders, Clinton Brown, Rob Clarkson, Nik Brown.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w10
The Warratahs in the 2000s. Left to right: Nik Brown, Barry Saunders, Alan Norman, Mike Knapp.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w1
The Only Game in Town (1987)
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w4
One Of Two Things (1999)
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w9
The most recognisable Warratahs line-up that recorded two albums and toured virtually nonstop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Left to right: Rob Clarkson, Wayne Mason, Barry Saunders, Clinton Brown, Nik Brown.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w8
The Big Sky-era Warratahs line-up. Left to right: Mike Knapp, Barry Saunders, Wayne Mason, Clinton Brown, Nik Brown.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w17
The Big Sky-era Warratahs line-up. Left to right: Clinton Brown, Wayne Mason, Barry Saunders, Mike Knapp, Nik Brown.
Photo credit: Bruce Ward collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w14
Barry Saunders with The Orange in Christchurch, 1969 
Photo credit: Photo by Kevin Hill
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
Hero thumb 5680.key
Making Music - Wayne Mason
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w54
Nik Brown with The Warratahs in Hastings, 1990
Photo credit: Glen Moffatt collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w13
The Big Sky-era Warratahs line-up. Left to right: Mike Knapp, Nik Brown, Barry Saunders (seated), Wayne Mason, Clinton Brown.
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w11
The short-lived Warratahs line-up between The Only Game In Town and Too Hot To Sleep. Clockwise from bottom left: John Donoghue, Nik Brown, Wayne Mason, Rob Clarkson, Barry Saunders.
Photo credit: Photo By David Hamilton - Trevor Reekie Collection
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w1
RipItUp February 1988
Photo credit: Photo by David Hamilton
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w3
The short-lived Warratahs line-up between The Only Game In Town and Too Hot To Sleep. Left to right: Nik Brown, John Donoghue, Barry Saunders (seated), Wayne Mason, Rob Clarkson.
Photo credit: Photo By David Hamilton - Murray Cammick Collection
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w2
The Warratahs on the cover of Rip It Up, December 1990
Photo credit: Polly Walker
ImageableImage
Hero thumb w6
The most recognisable Warratahs line-up that recorded two albums and toured virtually nonstop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Left to right: Wayne Mason, Clinton Brown, Barry Saunders, Nik Brown, Rob Clarkson.
Photo credit: Trevor Reekie Collection
EmbeddableItem EmbeddableItem! type = Person
3 col el, class=ExternalLink::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy
Links:

Barry Saunders on Radio NZ 2012

Live on Radio NZ, May 2012

Wikipedia

Warratahs 25 Years on Radio NZ

Barry Saunders on Elsewhere

Amplifier

3 col el, class=RelatedPage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy
Related:

The Fourmyula

Wayne Mason

Clinton Brown

Rockinghorse

John Donoghue

3 col el, class=LabelPerson::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy
Labels:

Pagan

Ode

3 col el, class=Trivia::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy
Trivia:

The Warratahs were named by John Donoghue, after a character in Footrot Flats.

A highlight of Barry Saunders’ solo career was opening for Patti Smith and Bob Dylan in Christchurch in 1998. He recalls now that “my part went really well and got a great review. Patti Smith was fantastic, and Bob Dylan came and said a brief hello after.”

3 col el, class=CollaborationPerson::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy
Members:

John Donoghue - bass

Barry Saunders - vocals, guitar

Wayne Mason - keyboards

Nik Brown - violin, mandolin

Marty Jorgensen - drums

Rob Clarkson - drums

Nick Theobald - bass, vocals

Mo Newport - drums

Clinton Brown - bass

Alan Norman - keyboards, accordion

Sid Limbert - bass

Mike Knapp - drums