By Brian Wise
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – The Forum, Melbourne, February 24, 2026
There is undoubtedly a special relationship that exists between Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and Australia, especially the state of Victoria and the city of Melbourne. You could tell that by the incredibly reverential audience that greeted them enthusiastically at The Forum, were then silently spellbound throughout the evening and then called them back for three encores.
Welch herself pondered on this relationship during the pair’s first Victorian show of their just finished 2026 tour. She recalled their first visit to Melbourne just over 21 years ago when one gig expanded into five shows including a final show at this very venue. Early last year on their Woodland tour, on which they were accompanied by bassist Paul Kowert, they played five shows at Hamer Hall, along with three Sydney Opera House shows. This more expansive tour covered 11 dates in five capital cities and regional venues. It was a surprisingly short gap since the last tour which was a decade in the making – Welch says they usually work in ten-year cycles – but the devotion has not abated. An annual Australian tour might keep them comfortable for the rest of their careers!
Part of the secret of the relationship with audiences here is that we were quick to pick up on the fact that this duo is unique. The combination of Welch’s voice, Rawlings guitar playing and their stunningly in-sync harmony has inspired many imitations over the past few decades, but it has never been equalled. Add that to songwriting that so often deals with universal themes and emotions that it is timeless and hard to match. Just listen to Mavis Staples rendition of ‘Hard Times’, which Welch mentioned after they performed it, and you can hear just one recent example of economy of writing that can capture a whole world of feeling.
Welch evokes an emotive fragility in her singing that is as profound as some of the great country singers but without the twang. What can you say about Rawlings’ guitar playing that adequately captures its magnitude. Setting the musical backdrop to the vocals, the guitar explores the possibilities of the songs as if it is the third member of a trio, wandering off into various excursions before returning to the centre and receiving huge applause from the audience. With just guitars and a banjo (proving difficult to tune) and microphones for the instruments and voices, the sound was amazing. (Kudos to the sound engineers and The Forum).
Freed of having to promote a new album, Welch and Rawlings ranged across their catalogues. Let’s not forget that David Rawlings has also released some excellent albums under his own name, although invariably they are joint efforts.
They also added some intriguing interpretations, including the Rawlings-Ryan Adams co-write ‘To Be Young (Is To be Sad, Is To Be High)’. (They guested on Adams album Heartbreaker). There was also a wonderful (and I use the word in its true sense) version of Guy Clark’s ‘Desperadoes Waiting For A Train’ which is begging for them to record it (it is the 50th anniversary of Clark’s Old No.1 album). The Old Crow Medicine Show’s ‘I Hear Them All’ segued into Woody Guthrie’s ‘This Land Is Your Land’ which prompted a hearty singalong from the audience – something that reminded me of the audience singing along to Springsteen’s ‘Born In The USA’ on his first tour here forty years ago.
Closing with the almost epic ‘Revelator,’ after the third encore and two hours, everyone left The Forum with the good vibes that rolled off the stage. People crowded around outside talking about the show, trying to work out where they would put it on the Welch/Rawlings pantheon of great shows.
I have seen Welch and Rawlings in a large variety of settings – from town halls to large festivals – but I have never seen them give less than a compellingly superb performance.
So, I am thinking what more could I have possibly wanted from this show? Glad you asked. I would love to see them play with a band, especially when they played ‘Wrecking Ball’ from Soul Journey.
Then again, maybe I shouldn’t have looked at the set lists of their other shows on the tour. At The Palais on Friday evening, they did ‘Method Acting/Cortez The Killer.’ In Sydney, they performed the Grateful Dead’s ‘Brokedown Palace’ and in Adelaide they did Jerry Garcia’s ‘Bird Song.’ (When they return to the US, they are undertaking a tour celebrating the dead’s Reckoning (Live) album). In Canberra, they performed two Springsteen’s songs: ‘Racing In The Streets’ and ‘Atlantic City.’ Every show is like a unique gift in itself.
Let’s hope that the next Gillian Welch and David Rawlings tour doesn’t return to the ten-year cycle. There is too much to enjoy and discover to wait that long.
Spewing, was lazy and missed it.