Music from the Home Front: Behind the scenes of lockdown’s biggest event
It worked its way through the logistical nightmare of lockdown with some of music’s biggest names, and now as the album Music from the Home Front is released, its secrets have been revealed.
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Despite a near 50-year career releasing records by everyone from Skyhooks to Kylie Minogue, Michael Gudinski hadn’t thought to issue a souvenir album of his Music From the Home Front Anzac Day concert.
Watching social media comments on screen during the show, Gudinski saw one viewer note ‘This has to be an album surely’.
“Honestly, I was that focused on getting the whole concert together, and it was all done in nine days, it hadn’t even dawned on me,” Gudinski says.
“You’d think that would be my first thought. But it was so good and the TV ratings were so strong it made total sense to release an album. But it had to be really special. And we had to get it done quickly.”
Speed was the key. His touring company Frontier was one of many industries on hold once the country was locked down on March 13. A downbeat Gudinski spent a few weeks cleaning out his “hoarder” closet after decades – finding gems he’s banked for the 50th anniversary of Mushroom Records in 2022.
Revitalised, on Thursday April 16 he started work on a televised concert, with Australian and New Zealand performers playing at home in isolation, to air on Anzac Day, Saturday April 25, given the fact no one could take part in any marches.
Gudinski got Jimmy Barnes on board, to perform and help curate, secured Channel 9 to televise the event and got blessing of the RSL.
Gudinski watched the international Global Citizen Together At Home concert that aired in Australia on April 19.
“It actually put me on an even faster track to get our show finished. I wanted something more uplifting.”
He and his team quickly locked artists in.
“I learnt from doing (charity concert) Sound Relief that when you get the top end together the rest comes,” he said. And despite the line-up changing “at least 50 times” Barnes helped pin down the final act booked – Crowded House.
“Jimmy was going to do a song with Neil Finn, then he realised we should just have Crowded House. That was a magic moment.”
The only acts who said no were “very legitimate, older people in complete isolation” and the COVID-19 restrictions meant artists had to record themselves – but at broadcast quality.
Tom Macdonald, Creative Director of the Mushroom Group, was part of the team trying to essentially put together a festival in under a fortnight.
“It was intense,” Macdonald says. “And it was the peak of COVID. We’d give artists instructions on how to film themselves, send them out a kit.
“Usually with a project you spend so long pre-planning it and then you’re in post-production refining it. This was ‘Here’s an idea, give it to the artist, they send it back and that’s the final product’. That’s so unique and it’s why it’s so special.”
Because artists were in isolation, and many in different states and countries, performances were prerecorded (although only days before the show went to air) and pieced together.
“We’ve all seen Zoom and Instagram where things freeze up,” Gudinski says. “We wanted to ensure the artists had approval and it was the best quality it could be.”
As well as securing Tones And I, Guy Sebastian, Dean Lewis, The Wiggles, Birds Of Tokyo, Vera Blue, DMA’s and Ben Lee’s song of the moment We’re All In This Together, Gudinski wanted collaborations – James Reyne and Mark Seymour, John Schumann and Archie Roach, Jimmy and Mahalia Barnes with Ian Moss, and Bliss N Eso with Kate Ceberano.
“It was like my Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield moment,” Ceberano says.
“The Grand Dame with the young turks. Michael Gudinski showed great leadership. It was a time when musicians weren’t sure what to do and he said ‘This is what we’ll do’.”
Gudinski had a few non-negotiables for the broadcast – there could be no promotions flashed on screen, it wasn’t to be a telethon asking for donation and politics was off limits.
Channel 9 got the final product at 4pm Saturday – it went to air 7.30pm that night.
“We cut it very fine,” Macdonald says.
“No one actually saw the show before it aired, it was literally being pieced together just before it went on air.”
With 50 acts, it ran 67 minutes over the allocated running time. “Channel 9 aired the lot,” Gudinski says.
“It was amazing to see original Australian music back on prime time TV.”
With 1.4 million TV viewers, and millions more watching the individual songs posted by artists on their own social media, the album’s rush-release became a priority.
Artists were given the chance to tweak any performances they weren’t happy with.
“There were a couple of glitches on the night, but there weren’t too many who had to do anything,” Gudinski says.
Only a handful of artists, including Courtney Barnett, Ruel and Tame Impala, aren’t on the album – for creative or licencing reasons.
All profits will go to music industry charities Support Act and Music Cares NZ, with retailer JB Hi-Fi waiving all their costs.
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While the CD and digital versions are out now, a triple green and gold vinyl edition will be released on July 31.
The album also marks a first for Gudinski – it’s the first time he’s appeared on a record – courtesy of a welcoming speech from the night.
“I’m normally a one-take person, but that was a dramatic day and I’m embarrassed to say it took me over two hours to do that speech.
“But that’s how much it meant to me.”
For a man who runs on passion, this is one of Gudinski’s most passionate projects.
“It’s been uplifting for everyone involved.
“It’s helped me through a tough time, distracted me, got my creative juices going. I had a lot of arguments, I was told ‘Are you sure you’re going to pull this off’ by people close to me. I nearly had a stroke at one point, but from the announcement to the show finishing, I still get emotional thinking about it.
“It’s become something that will be etched into Australian history. I’ve done a lot in my life, but I’d put this in the Top 5.”
Music From the Home Front (Bloodlines) out now.
Encore screening, Monday, 9pm, Channel 9
Originally published as Music from the Home Front: Behind the scenes of lockdown’s biggest event