Live Like an Afghan

Sun 24 Aug 2014

1:00pm – 2:00pm

NOTE: This lecture will be held at the State Theatre, Underground Studio, not the WA Museum. Details and bookings can be found on UWA's IAS website.

In this special event, Fred Smith will share his reflections on Afghanistan from his experience of working closely with tribal leaders during the two years he spent as a diplomat and political advisor in Uruzgan province. His job was to comprehend the complex web of tribal and patronage networks within which Australian troops were operating. This required him to see the world, not only through the eyes of Australian troops, but those of the Afghan’s as well. He did all this and more, returning with a dozen songs for the album Dust of Uruzgan, “a cycle of songs that are raw, remarkably honest and suitably ambivalent about the nature of war… that offer an intimate perspective on the war in Afghanistan” (Sydney Morning Herald).

Fred Smith’s presentation will be coloured by projected images from Defence Force and other photographers, as well as a selection of songs including Live like an Afghan.

Fred Smith studied law and economics at UWA and ANU, graduating in 1996.For the past fifteen years he has worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including peace monitoring missions in the war torn islands of the South Pacific, as well as touring the American and Australian festival circuit as a singer/songwriter. In 2009, he was the first Australian diplomat to be sent to work alongside Australian troops in Uruzgan province southern Afghanistan. A second tour in 2013 saw him as the last Australian diplomat to leave Uruzgan. He returned from his first mission with a collection of songs for the highly acclaimed album, Dust of Uruzgan. Fred Smith’s intriguing dual career was the subject of an episode of ABC’s Australian Story broadcast in October 2013. www.reverbnation.com/fredsmith

Fred Smith is the most interesting folk musician working in Australia. This remarkable singer-songwriter―who at various times reveals influences that range from Paul Kelly via Lou Reed to Loudon Wainwright III to Leonard Cohen―keeps releasing amazingly accomplished albums.
- Bruce Elder,Sydney Morning Herald

Fred will be introduced by Stephen Smith, Winthrop Professor of International Law at The University of Western Australia and former Australian Defence and Foreign Affairs Minister

CROWN, TILLYA TEPE. GOLD. 1ST CENTURY BCE – 1ST CENTURY CE