Australian music community bands together for bushfire relief shows

In the wake of our horrific bushfires the Australian music community has responded in spectacular fashion with fundraiser concerts.

Craigieburn CFA firefighters Glen Payne, Kylie Payne and Steve 'Joyno' Joynson.

In the wake of the horrific bushfires experienced across the country in recent months, the Australian music community has responded in spectacular fashion by promptly booking a series of concerts geared at fundraising for those in need. The biggest show to date is Fire Fight Australia, to be held on Sunday, February 16, at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. This one was announced on Monday morning by promoter TEG Dainty and, by midday Tuesday, more than 70,000 people had jumped at the chance to see a line-up featuring the likes of Queen and Adam Lambert — who just so happened to have a spare night in the midst of their national stadium tour — Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang and American artist Alice Cooper, as well as a formidable collection of local favourites such as Tina Arena, Hilltop Hoods, Olivia Newton-John and John Farnham.

According to TEG, all concert ticket profits and all contributions through Ticketek will go towards key organisations providing support in three vital areas. “Rescue” funds will flow to rural and regional fire services in affected states; “relief and recovery” monies will go towards Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery, while “rehabilitation” will fund the RSPCA’s Bushfire Appeal. With ticket sales for this one-off event promptly exhausted, perhaps we’ll see a national television broadcast and telethon for Fire Fight Australia, too.

Rumbling away in the background is another large-scale event that will resurrect a name first used more than a decade ago, following the devastating Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009: Sound Relief, which was held simultaneously at the Melbourne and Sydney Cricket Grounds. There, bands such as Midnight Oil and Hunters & Collectors reformed specifically for the concerts, which raised close to $8m. While the specifics of Sound Relief 2020 have yet to be announced, they’re getting close. This week, promoter Michael Gudinski suggested a few names on his wish list, including Pink, Kylie Minogue, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran and Elton John.

In his 2010 memoir — written by this newspaper’s former music writer, Iain Shedden — concert promoter Michael Chugg reflected on the experience of presenting Sound Relief more than a decade ago. “I believe in the Australian music industry,” he wrote. “Like any business, it has its faults, but I honestly think the majority of people who work in the local music business do it for the love of it and from that we produce excellent results. The collaboration that forms when disasters such as floods, tsunamis and bushfires demand our help is just one illustration of that.”