Music and a few laughs for drought relief

Local band will be headlining at this weekend's drought relief concert

OH WHAT A NIGHT: Darren Schmidt, Glenn Lumsden, Clare Fitz-Herbert and Rob Fitz-Herbert make up "RiSa" the Kingaroy band that promises to have the crowd dancing late into the night with their infectious rhythms and beautiful harmonies. Picture: Raylee Koch Photography

KINGAROY Red Ants will host a charity comedy and live music night this Saturday to raise money for Graham House, a Murgon-based community centre supporting farmers through the drought.

Despite the South Burnett's recent spot of rainfall, the Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed last month was the driest September on record nationally, with below-average rainfall across the majority of Australia.

Event organiser Simon Neal came up with the idea for the comedy and live music night after he missed seeing the five up-and-coming comedians who will feature at the event on their last regional tour.

"Then on the other hand I was trying to work out a way to raise funds for the local farmers affected by the drought, and then the two ideas came together,” Mr Neal said.

The comedy team stars Nicchia Schutt, Lauren Randall, Jasmine Fairbairn, Andrew Dawson and Clayton Storey.　

They group has toured rural and regional Queensland in the Are We There Yet? tour and have performed together and individually at comedy festivals across Australia.

After the comedians crack up the crowd, local band RiSa will crank up the tunes with live music until 11.30pm.

"It will be a great night out for the community regardless of whether or not you come to support local farmers, or you just want to come for a good time,” Mr Neal said.

Tickets cost $40 per person and include a steak burger, and all profits from the ticket and raffle sales will be donated to Graham House.

Kingaroy Red Ants will be running the bar and retaining the profits for the club.

AGL Energy are the primary sponsors for the event and are joined by a host of South Burnett businesses who have chipped in with financial support and raffle prizes, including Raine and Horne Kingaroy, Fiedler Brothers Plumbing, Kingaroy Satellite Cinema, The Little Butcher, Kingaroy Country Motel, Ollie's Mower Service, Linard Floral and Bridal Centre as well as Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington.

Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Rob Fitz-Herbert said it was important to support those on the land doing it touch.

"Agriculture is essentially the backbone of the region and we need to be able to do whatever we need to do to support the region's farmers in times of drought,” Mr Fitz-Herbert said.

"It is so important for the community to get behind initiatives like this concert. Farmers do a really tough job, and when it comes to intense weather conditions, such as drought, they need the community's support behind them.”

"Holding the event at the local footy club is a very significant thing in itself,” Mr Fitz-Herbert said.

"Aligning a community drought fundraiser event up with the Red Ants footy club doubles the community support and spirit. It is going to make for a great community atmosphere.”

"In situations like this the talk needs to stop and that action needs to start happening,” Mr Fitz-Herbert said.

To buy your tickets head to the Red Ants Facebook page or purchase them in person at Raine and Horne and Somethings Country in Kingaroy or Graham House in Murgon.

Originally published as Music and a few laughs for drought relief