After joining the prestigious ranks of Australian country music as the 2024 Toyota Star Maker, Forster made his second consecutive Deni Ute Muster appearance on Saturday.
Performing on the day stage last year, he progressed to his main stage debut in 2025.
“I mean, to be on a main stage anywhere is quite an achievement,” he said before his Saturday night performance.
“For me to come back here, I’ve only ever been here twice, and to be able to go straight from the day stage to the main stage is a big honour.
“So I’m pretty amped, and I’m pretty keen to give Deni everything I’ve got.”
Forster said his plan was to entertain, and hopefully earn a another invite to the Muster.
“I hope they want me back for years, and years, and years to come, because Australia’s always been my home.
“As much as I tour in the United States, this will always be home.
“I’m very patriotic to where I’m from. I’m from Winton, Queensland, a rural part of Australia.
“I grew up on a cattle station and still live on a cattle station.
“A lot of people move to the city when they get a job like this, but I’m still true to my roots and I want to sit there and just work cattle when I’m done.”
Forster said coming from regional Australia and touring internationally, he feels very comfortable in Deni.
“Going from a small town to a big place in any line of work is a big deal and a bit daunting to any bush kid, but I grew up rodeoing, so there ain’t a light bright enough or a crowd big enough to scare me.
“I always get there, do my job and hopefully, everyone enjoyed it.
“I never get real frightened about the crowds or anything like that.
“A bit different in Sydney and Brisbane because I’m not used to so many people flying around.
“At least here in Deni there’s no buildings everywhere; you can see dirt and grass and that sort of makes me feel at home.”
Wade has earned a legion of enthusiastic fans with his music, including many in attendance on Saturday night, and picked up more with his Aussie country style.
“It’s funny because I never really learnt how to write a song properly. I’ve just sort of winged it more or less.
“If they find it catchy they find it catchy, if they don’t, they don’t. I write songs for cowboys, in my opinion.
“The way I started writing was around a trailer at a rodeo after the bar shut, singing a few cowboy songs to old cowboys. If they liked it, I was sure other people would like it.
“They’re some of the most harshest critics in the world; they’ll tell me how it is.”
Even with his rising popularity, Wade said the Deni Ute Muster atmosphere is something he didn’t want to miss out on.
“You know what you’re coming into; it is like controlled chaos.
“There is a rowdy crowd, there’s a family crowd, and it never seems to get in trouble at all because everyone is here to just have fun, enjoy some live music and all the festivities around - they’ve got the bull ride, they’ve got cars doing burnouts, trucks and utes all done up, some good food and, out there, heaps of beers.
“It’s a good time, so coming down here is always good fun.”
Wade’s performance on Saturday on the Ute Muster main stage was also a celebration of Australian country music, with special guest appearances showing his pride for the industry here in Australia.
“We feature special guest Piper Butcher, I’m getting to hang out with my mates the Wolfe Brothers, Ethan Calway and Jay Santili; just some really good artists that I’ve had the pleasure of working with, competing against or looking up to.
“It’s been a pretty cool thing coming up in this industry and how supportive it all is.
“It’s hand-in-hand with rodeo because no-one is against you; everyone wants to see you do good things.”
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