Farm aid: music community finds more ways to help drought-stricken farmers

The music community is finding different ways to aid embattled drought-stricken farmers.

Last week, as reported in TMN, Newcastle’s inaugural Scene & Heard launched A Farmers Day Out where members of the farm community can go into a ballot to get free tickets to see The Living End, Spiderbait and Something For Kate among others.

It will also have donation tins at the event gates for charity Buy A Bale.

TMN understands that more initiatives are being firmed in the country and rock music sectors, as well as by live music venue operators.

These will be unveiled over the coming weeks.

But in latest moves:

• John Farnham is headlining a massive charity concert called Hay Mate: Buy a Bale – A Concert For The Farmers.

It will take place at Scully Park in Tamworth on October 27, and is being organised by Farnham’s longtime manager Glenn Wheatley, with all proceeds going to Rural Aid.

The bill is yet to be completed, but Guy Sebastian and Adam Harvey are among the first to be confirmed.

Negotiations are underway to show the event live on TV and viewers will be able to phone in donations as it goes to air.

•  Jimmy Barnes is donating all his 2018 royalties from the Working Class Boy soundtrack.

“It’s just a drop in the ocean given the size of the problem but every little bit counts and the folks in the bush need all the help they can get right now,” Barnes posted.

He hinted he would be involved in other initiatives.

The Working Class Boy movie premieres on Thursday, August 16 at the Melbourne International Film Festival with a Q&A session with Barnes and director Mark Joffe.

• Travis Collins headlines Buy A Bale – A Concert for Hunters Farmers on Thursday, August 16 at Cessnock Leagues Club.

The show includes Viper Creek Band and Mickey Pye, with all monies going to Rural Aid – Buy A Bale.

For other ways to help, click HERE.