Whoever said music festivals don’t do good things for the community? (here’s looking at you Town of Claremont)
Organisers of the Tasmanian MONA FOMA festival have revealed that they raised $155,000 in donations from their one-off Bushfire Fundraiser Concert, with all proceeds going towards the Red Cross Tasmanian Bushfires 2013 Appeal, put together earlier in the year to raised funds for those afflicted by the terrible fires that ravaged through Tasmania this past January.
To help raise money towards relief efforts, MONA FOMA first announced their charity concert would take place on January 21st, the day after it had finished wrapping its successful arts and music festival.
Held at Princes Wharf 1 in Hobart, the evening opened with author Neil Gaiman and composer/arranger Jeherek Bischoffwith before taking in a lineup that featured David Byrne & St. Vincent, Kate Miller-Heidke, Evan Dando and Spencer P. Jones, Dewayne Everttsmith, and the Japanese Taiko Drum ensemble, and a closing headline slot from Hoodoo Gurus.
The evening also featured a performance from The Break, a makeshift supergroup featuring members of Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors, and Violent Femmes leader-come-MONA FOMA curator Brian Ritchie. “Rock and roll will never die and neither will the generosity of musicians,” enthused Ritchie on the museum’s official Facebook page.
“Dozens of companies and individuals minimised production costs, suppliers donated gear and services including artist accommodation,” organisers noted in reaching the $155,000 figure which has been donated to the Australian Red Cross.“Rock and roll will never die and neither will the generosity of musicians.” Brian Ritchie, MONA FOMA
Other musical entities who threw their support behind efforts towards those affected by Tasmania’s extreme bushfires include organisers of the Marion Bay Fall Festival, whose own staff and crew were evacuated from the grounds following flames raging through the island state over New Year’s.
Falls also raised $20,000 of their own money towards the victims of the bushfires through their own Red Cross appeal, while Melbourne’s the Tote managed to raise an additional $5,000 with a charity gig over the Austalia Day Weekend featuring many Tassie-related acts including Witch Hats, Wally Corker’s Drunk Arse Band, The Bulls and many more.
This isn’t the first time that Australia’s music community have banded together to help those in need. In early 2011, Big Day Out festival donated $20,000 to Queensland flood victims after the northern city was left virtually underwater. They also organised for a ock ‘n’ roll auction to take place with prizes including passes to Coachella Festival and a meet and greet with Katy Perry.
That year’s Big Day Out headliners The Foo Fighters also managed to raise a staggering million dollars, which went to both the victims of the floods, as well as those in need in Christchurch after the devastating earthquake.
