CHARITY CONCERT FOR BUSHFIRE VICTIMS
WEXFORD Arts Centre is hosting a benefit night in aid of the victims of the Australian wildfires which have devastated homes and farms.
The charity concert organised by musicians Sammy Horner and his wife Kylie of Ardamine, Courtown, will be held on Friday January 31 to help victims of the bushfires which have killed 27 people and wiped out almost 11 million hectares of land, an area nearly twice the size of Ireland.
Kylie is from Adelaide, South Australia and the pair are a touring music duo called The Sweet Sorrows, who perform globally each year, including an annual Australian tour.
‘We spent 10 weeks there from August to November last year. We have been horrified by the scale of this event and many of the places we stayed and played in on our last tour have been devastated’, said Sammy.
‘Australia has fires almost every year but this has been the worst natural disaster on record’.
‘We suggested a benefit night and have been overwhelmed by the interest and offers of help’, he said.
Among the acts peforming will be The Remedy Club, The Man Whom, Beki Hemingway, The Sweet Sorrows, Cursed Murphy Versus the Resistance, Frankenstein Bolts, Ten Ounce Mouse and Jaxson.
All profits from the concert will go to agencies in Australia helping with the devastation.
Tickets at €10 each are available from Wexford Arts Centre box office and online. A raffle will be held and a hat will be passed around during the night.
All the bands are giving their services free of charge. The Arts centre is providing the venue while staff are giving their time to run the event.
‘Australia is burning. It is both catastrophic and unprecedented. Since last September 2019, in a hideously premature fire season, 27 people have perished in the fires, at least one billion animals have died and more than 2,000 homes have been incinerated. We can do something besides watch, pray and pledge support’, said Kylie.
Samuel said the Wexford concert seems to have started a chain reaction with more possible gigs happening in Cahore, Enniscorthy, Portadown, Scotland and all over the UK. ‘ The response from artists has been wonderful’, he said.
The couple thanked the Arts Centre for providing their ‘ beautiful venue’ and the musicians and performing artists for agreeing to take part.