The Way That It Was Tour (2025 - 2026)

Bringing Music Back to the Halls

he Way That It Was Tour began with a simple belief: Australian country halls are living folk heritage, and the best way to keep them alive is to fill them with music, stories and people.

Wicker Suite wanted to bring contemporary folk music back into the regional community halls that have long been at the heart of Australian cultural life. These spaces are more than venues — they are places where generations have gathered for dances, celebrations, meetings and performances, and where stories continue to be shared.

The tour was created not simply as a series of concerts, but as an opportunity to bring people together, celebrate these important spaces and reconnect communities through live music.

​

Honouring A Folk Tradition

The Way That It Was Tour was inspired by the country hall touring traditions established by Australian music pioneers such as Slim Dusty and Joy McKean, where artists travelled beyond major centres to share music directly with communities.

The project also followed in the footsteps of contemporary community-focused touring initiatives such as Festival of Small Halls and the work of Fanny Lumsden, which have demonstrated the power of bringing live music into regional spaces.

Rather than following a traditional touring circuit, Wicker Suite built the tour one community at a time. Each hall was individually approached, with every performance shaped by the people, places and stories of the communities who welcomed them.

​

Songs, Stories and Shared Experiences

For Wicker Suite, folk music has always been about more than the songs themselves. It is about the stories behind them, the people who share them and the spaces where they are heard.

The Way That It Was Tour centred the traditions that have shaped folk music for generations: acoustic performance, storytelling, connection and the passing of music from one person to another.

Each performance combined original songs, old-time and bluegrass influences, and stories behind the music — allowing audiences to connect not only with what they were hearing, but with why those songs mattered.

This is folk music at its most fundamental: stories carried through song, shared in a room where everyone can be part of the moment.

​

Community, Not Just an Audience

Wicker Suite never wanted audiences to feel like they were simply attending a concert. The heart of the tour was creating a shared experience where musicians, volunteers and communities all played a role.

Each performance featured a local support artist, providing regional musicians with the opportunity to share their music with new audiences. Hall committees were also encouraged to host drinks and nibbles alongside performances, creating welcoming gathering spaces while raising funds to support their ongoing work.

Every hall had its own character, its own stories and its own community. That is what made each night of The Way That It Was Tour unique.