Lack Of Spirit Blasted By Farm Aid Organiser

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday January 19, 2008

By JODIE MINUS

THE organiser of the two BlueScope Illawarra Farm Aid concerts held late last year has slammed Wollongong residents for their lack of community spirit in attending the Lang Park event.

The free concerts, held in Wollongong on November 25 and Kiama on December 2, were organised by Jamberoo sound technician Charlie D'amico and raised less than $9000 for the Salvation Army's Drought Relief Appeal.

Only a scattering of people turned up to the Wollongong concert and donated a mere $1100 to the cause.

"With all the exposure and publicity that went out, hardly anyone turned out at all and it was very disappointing," Mr D'amico said.

"We had big video screens on either side of the massive stage and you get 600 people show up (at Wollongong); it's tragic."

Wollongong City Councillor Frank Gigliotti was at the Wollongong event and said that he saw only about 50 or so people in attendance, which was very "embarrassing".

Cr Gigliotti said the event may have been more successful if it had been held in Dapto.

"They have a slightly different attitude in areas like Dapto to farmers, because in a sense, not long ago there were quite a few farmers in Horsley and West Dapto."

Both open-air gigs received funding support for production costs from BlueScope, as well as Wollongong City Council and Kiama City Council who each donated $2000.

According to the Salvation Army a total of $5800 was raised through the two concerts in bucket donations and a further $2629 was received in phone donations.

Mr D'amico had hoped to raise more than $50,000 from the two concerts, which included a Robbie Williams impersonator as the headline act as well as retro dance performers Street Talk, Illawarra teen band Inappropriate and blues musicians Kane Dennelley and Jason David.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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