Vanessa Amorosi performing at Hay Mate – A Bush Cristmas Appeal For Our Aussie Farmers
Dry soil, no water, “insane” feed prices – Vanessa Amorosi has witnessed first-hand the devastation of drought while living in rural Victoria. Which is why the singer-songwriter is joining other Aussie acts in Mornington to raise money for farmers.
South East
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Vanessa Amorosi may be based in the US, but she can’t shake her “farm girl” roots.
The Aussie singer-songwriter, who will take to the stage at Mornington racecourse with the likes of John Farnham and Daryl Braithwaite for Hay Mate – A Bush Christmas Appeal for Our Aussie Farmers, knows how hard it is to live on the land.
Amorosi experienced first-hand the devastation of drought while living in rural Victoria in the mid-2000s.
“I had a big block and I’d been taking in a lot of horses, as people didn’t have enough food to feed them,” Amorosi said.
“I was literally going to saleyards and buying Clydesdales as people were throwing them away in God-awful condition, really skinny.
“But in saying that, at the time, the price for a round bale was insane.”
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Amorosi knew she was one of the lucky ones though, as she could afford to keep the feed up to her animals.
“I was going through a round bale a day and I had about 15 to 16 Clydesdales and it was just very, very tough until feed starting growing,” she said.
“I lived on an old orchard so the soil was amazing, but even then it was really tough to get feed to them.
“I’m blessed because with my job, I do have the finances to be able to afford that to keep the herd going.”.
Now based in Los Angeles, Amorosi still has a connection to the land.
“I have a big block in Los Angeles and I still have horses, a bunch of goats and nine rescue pit pulls,” she said.
“Once you’re a farm girl, you’re always a farm girl, no matter where you are,” she said.
Amorosi will be part of an amazing line up of Australian artists for Hay Mate concert, which will raise money for Rural Aid’s Buy A Bale campaign, a “cause very close to my heart”.
“It’s a tough situation and when I see photos of people with their cattle and how hard it is to get water and feed to them,” she said.
“It kills me.”
Amorosi, Farnham and Braithwaite will be joined by Jon Stevens, John Williamson, The Black Sorrows with Vika and Linda, Russell Morris, All Our Exes Live in Texas, Tim Wheatley and Little Georgia.
Fans will also get a chance to see Amorosi perform her new single, Hello Me and songs from an album due to be released next month.
Amorosi said she was thrilled to support such a great cause alongside so many great artists, who were like family to her.
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“It’s lovely that everyone is paying attention, embracing it and stepping in and trying to help out,” she said.
“That’s the wonderful thing about Australians. And music is a great way to bring everyone together.”
Hay Mate will be held at 12.30pm on December 15 at Mornington Racecourse. The Nine Network will broadcast the concert from 8pm. Tickets go on sale November 1.
Details: ticketmaster.com.au or phone 136 100.