Touch of paradise on stage as Fire Fight pays homage to hero fireys

While there were some big names performing at Fire Fight on Sunday night, it was Australia’s fireys who were the true stars.

John Farnham performs during Fire Fight Australia at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. Picture: Cole Bennetts/Getty Images

Midway through a 25-minute performance to close a remarkable concert, John Farnham took a few moments to reiterate a sentiment expressed by the many artists who had taken to the stage before him.

“Thank you to the fireys,” the singer said. “I have the honour and privilege to know a few of these guys. Ross the builder, I won’t give his last name — I don’t want to embarrass him — but he was in Merimbula as a captain.

“We’ve sat down over a couple of beers and he’s told me about this, the pressure that he felt sending some of those volunteers into danger was a real deal for the man.

“It really affected him. But he was brave enough to be able to pull it off, and his people didn’t let him down.”

That sentiment holds true for Fire Fight Australia, an impressive concert pulled together at short notice by concert promoter Paul Dainty and his team. As befitting a wider arts fraternity that did not hesitate to co-ordinate an array of fundraising activities in recent months, the show was delivered with uniform professionalism, enthusiasm and lightness of spirit.

Host and comedian Celeste Barber used the opportunity to direct some sharp barbs at political leaders whose delayed and tentative offers of assistance provoked great scorn from the community. “As Aussies, we band together because we have to look after each other, ’cause it turns out people at the top don’t,” said Barber, who later wore a shirt that featured Scott Morrison in a Hawaiian shirt coupled with the phrase “Merry Crisis”, referring to the Prime Minister’s ill-timed Christmas holiday.

Queen guitarist Brian May with Adam Lambert at the Fire Fight Australia. Picture: AFP

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From ANZ Stadium in Sydney, the entire event — which raised about $9.5m — was beamed into living rooms across the nation via Seven Network and Foxtel.

Live music doesn’t get much of a look-in on television schedules these days, other than perfunctory performances during sporting events. But on this occasion Seven pushed its chips into the centre of the proverbial table and committed considerable resources to an extraordinary 10 or so hours of high-quality live entertainment.

Volunteer firefighters react during Fire Fight Australia at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Cole Bennetts

On show were several generations of popular Australian artists, from 23-year-old indigenous hip-hop artist Baker Boy to the night’s 70-year-old headliner. Each act was afforded just a handful of songs to strut their stuff, and the shorter sets encouraged consistently high-energy displays. Afternoon highlights including pop singer-songwriter Tina Arena, whose stellar vocals were on display in Chains and Heaven Help My Heart before ending with a driving cover of Boys in Town by Divinyls. Later, Sydney-born rock band 5 Seconds of Summer impressed with a strong set concluded by chart-topping 2018 single Youngblood, while Canadian singer Michael Buble provided a change of pace when he appeared via live cross from Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.

“We’ve got a little treat for you now,” Farnham said to preface the night’s final song, before introducing indigenous singer and dancer Mitch Tambo to the stage, as well as a didgeridoo player and Queen guitarist Brian May, who earlier had thrilled the crowd by reprising his band’s 1985 Live Aid performance with singer Adam Lambert.

For more than three decades, You’re the Voice has been tattooed on Australia’s heart as something very close to a national anthem. Farnham has performed his signature song hundreds of times, yet the version of his 1986 hit single on Sunday night might have been the most moving take ever aired.

Tambo sang the entire second verse in Gamilaraay language and Olivia Newton-John lent her voice to the closing minutes, but for the final chorus the real stars of the show walked out to stand between the performers and the crowd. They were 14 state fire service workers, young and middle-aged, wearing bright yellow jackets and sturdy boots. They were the people their communities looked to in a time of national crisis and, as uncomfortable as they were at being the centre of attention, they were the ones who provoked the night’s biggest and most heartfelt round of applause.