Joe Geia Band: From Rations to Wages to Treaty

Joe Geia is celebrating over four decades of songwriting, performance and social activism with a national tour that will also serve to launch his latest recording ‘Sing for the Black’, a double-vinyl album of the songs that make up his “From Rations to Wages to Treaty” musical narrative, accompanied by a 20-page booklet with lyrics and the stories behind the songs. Joe Geia is rightly described as a trailblazer and one of the early pioneers of contemporary Indigenous music. His career is long and diverse, first coming to prominence recording and touring with legendary band No Fixed Address in the late 70s and early 80s. A profoundly important figure, Joe has navigated the challenges of his identity through a lifetime of creative output, and inspired a couple of generations of artists in the process. As the writer of renowned songs such as ‘Yil Lull’ and ‘Uncle Willie’, Joe Geia’s contribution to the arts is significant and enduring. He writes music of bravery and beauty, telling of Aboriginal life in Australia, of the quest for justice and belonging, of history, family and love. Joe Geia’s 2026-2027 Sing for the Black Queensland Tour was made possible with support from the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, as well as the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia, and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office. With support from Big Eye Theatre and DanceNorth.