Entertaining the troops the true-blue way

ADF personnel training Ukrainian soldiers in Britain under Operation Kudu have received a touch of home-inspired, true-blue, live country music thanks to the latest Forces Entertainment Tour.

CAPTION: Australian guitarist Glen Harrison gives his all while performing with Australian country music star Amber Lawrence during a Forces Entertainment Tour in the UK. Story and photos by Major Dave Thompson.

Australian country artist Amber Lawrence knew she would be welcomed when she first arrived at the training base in the UK.

“There was a bunch of cars in the carpark, and they all have radios tuned to the local smooth country station,” she said.

This latest concert tour has made Ms Lawrence somewhat of a veteran of military entertainment, with the six-time Golden Guitar winner and 2023 Female Country Artist of the Year previously touring Timor Leste, Egypt and Afghanistan with Forces Entertainment.

Performing with her regular three-piece of Glen Harrison on guitar and vocals, and Lara Duncan on backing vocals, the trio lit-up the English countryside with a great mix of crowd requests and many of Ms Lawrence’s original hits.

Keeping the show running smoothly was Canberra-based comedian Emo, another Forces Entertainment Tour veteran.

The ex-shearer and an unashamedly proud country boy had the crowd in stitches with stories about growing up on the land and the ups and downs of life.

While only in country for a few days, the contingent performed a series of intimate shows for a mix of ADF and allied partners deployed to help train the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

CAPTION: Forces Entertainment recently teamed up with Australian country music royalty Amber Lawrence (left) to perform a bunch of intimate gigs in support of UK based ADF members deployed on Operation Kuku.

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