Musicians Andy Cowan and Janette Geri, back from left, Mt Dandenong Hotel owner Mark Strahan and concert organiser, Alex Legg are getting ready for the bash of the century. 28553 Picture: Luke Plummer
By Tania Martin
HILLS musicians will take centre stage in Mt Dandenong on the weekend for the first of a series of bushfire relief concerts.
Andy Cowan, Phil Manning, Janette Geri and Phil Smith represent just some of the talent that will be on show.
They have given up their time free of charge to help raise cash for the bushfire relief.
The concert offers an afternoon of non-stop entertainment at the Mt Dandenong Hotel, Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, on Sunday 29 March from 1pm to 11pm, and costs just $20.
Hotel owner Mark Strahan is also hosting a silent auction with plenty of great items up for bids.
Gig organiser Alex Legg sent out a call for help following the Black Saturday fires and received a staggering response from musicians across Melbourne.
He said the reaction had been phenomenal.
The initial idea was to hold a 200-hour music marathon over two weekends to raise cash for people ravaged by the fires.
But since then Legg said the idea had evolved.
He will now be organising a number of events across Melbourne over the next few months.
“We want it to be something that keeps going,” he said.
“We are trying to out-cycle the news cycle…to keep it fresh in people minds.”
Legg said the fires had resonated with a lot of the local performers.
Singer Janette Geri said the Dandenongs had been very lucky to escape relatively unscathed.
She said it was important to support those who had suffered the devastating losses of loved ones and their homes.
Other concerts were also being organised for later this year at the Burrinja Gallery in Upwey and at Manchester Lane in the city. Legg even hopes to take the gig on the road to the fire ravaged regions.
“We want a beer company to come on board and sponsor us so we can travel to some of these places and sing a few songs,” he said.
Funds from the first concert will be donated to local CFA brigades who spent hours fighting last month’s fires, including Ferny-Creek Sassafras, Olinda, and Montrose.
