The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Folk Club Saturday Evening Performance May 3rd 2025
Close to ninety people enjoyed an outstanding evening of music at our May Club Night. The former Savoy Theatre was overflowing with joy. Seating in the front half was arranged in theatre style with tables set up behind. Extra chairs were needed as more people arrived. The Federal Election vote counting would have to wait.
Hailing from the Illawarra, The Water Runners have performed at most Australian Folk and Country Music Festivals. Their music combines original Australian folk, bluegrass, and influences from country, roots, and traditional folk styles. John Littrich on guitar led most of the vocals, with Neil McCann blitzed the tunes on banjo and mandolin and backing vocals. Who doesn’t love those instruments! Danita Harris sparkled with backing harmonies and violin, while new recruit James Turk starred on the double bass. For those who missed the night, I think the photo I took gives you the idea of their polish and energy.
The Water Runners have three CDs, and they performed many of those songs throughout the evening. I wonder why I only bought one CD!
Somehow, our kitchen volunteers managed to get everyone served during the break and then back into the music. I didn’t count how many songs they performed, but they were all faultless and uplifting. Closing at 9.30 just seemed too soon. It really was a night to remember.
Lloyd Batten
Secretary
Newcastle and Hunter Valley Folk Club
May 2025
Articles from The Bugle Jan 2026
Highland FM 107.1
"The true beauty of The Water Runners is that it connects people."
Review from The Exeter Village Association Feb 2025
By Ruth Spence-Stone and Susanna Price
"The Water Runners played to a sold out concert for the Exeter community in the Village Hall on Saturday 22 February 2025. It was the first time for most of us to hear this dynamic folk/bluegrass music.
Our feedback form from the participants rated this music very highly. We loved the dynamic, fresh, compelling, sound. We loved the classical instrumental threads (violin and double bass) blending so harmoniously with guitar, banjo and mandolin. And we highly appreciated the originality of their compositions which so perfectly located us in the landscape with lesser known stories from our history. The variety and depth of stories added another dimension to enrich our understanding of the world around us. Great beat, great singing and great playing. A high energy performance by talented musicians. Couldn’t recommend The Water Runners highly enough. "
Click graphic for the article.
Illawarra Folk Festival 2025
Bruce Elder On the new album Further Down the Road 2021
I think it is great fun with a truly local spin. I don’t think I have ever heard a recording that more overtly screams out “this is live, live, live. Sing along everyone … and maybe even get up and dance."
Bruce Elder-retired journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald. Publisher of Aussie Towns online.
Treasurer Tilba Festival April 2021
Your band was sensational, lots of great feedback on your performance. Thanks again for being part of the day 😊
Kind Regards
Carrie Taylor- Tilba District Chamber of Commerce.
2020 Festival Blog No.3 – Illawarra Folk Festival 19 January, 2020
WATER RUNNERS RUNNING HOT
By Nick Hartgerink
Among the many impressive things about the Illawarra Folk Festival is the way it nurtures new talent, and gives local Illawarra acts a chance to perform in front of new audiences.
And more often than not, its loyalty to local acts is repaid in spades.
Take The Water Runners for example. Four years ago this Kiama band debuted at the Illawarra Folk Festival, playing the festival’s smaller stages to audiences made up mostly of family and friends, with a few interested onlookers.
The band has played the festival each year since then – and each year their performances have grown in quality, stature and audience size. The band has had a few changes of personnel but its nucleus of front man John Littrich (guitar and vocals) and Neil McCann (banjo and mandolin) has remained firm. John’s son Dominic is on percussion, while the addition of superb fiddle player Danita Harris has really added another dimension to their sound.
This year The Water Runners really came of age, packing out the Slacky Flat stage with an audience in the hundreds and standing room only at their Saturday lunchtime show. They blew everyone away with their set of mostly originals, with the occasional cover (like their bluegrass re-imagining of U2’s standard “Still Haven’t Found What I Am Looking For”).
John’s haunting new song for the recent South Coast bushfire victims, “The End Of The Year”, brought the house down, and brought tears to many eyes.
Unfortunately this was The Water Runners’ only performance at the Illawarra Folk Festival this year, as they are packing up and heading for the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the coming week where one of Neil’s songs is nominated in the Best Bluegrass Song category of the Tamworth Songwriting Awards.
They will be doing five shows at Tamworth, so clearly their growing reputation has preceded them.
No doubt they’ll be back at Bulli in future years. Loyalty works both ways.
Every element of this tune (Kate Kelly's Dream) demonstrated the great musicality and musicianship of The Water Runners. Nothing is overdone, everything sits in its rightful place.