More than $20 million has been raised from the Reach Out To Asia tsunami appeal concert at the Sydney Opera House.
The pledges come on top of more than $120 million in private and corporate donations made to Australia’s aid organisations.
Triple M, Nova and ARN’s Mix and classic hits’ stations broadcast live simulcasts of the benefit concert, and Radio Australia allowed people in countries – worst affected by the disaster – to tune in.
Significantly, the commercial radio simulcasts were commercial free, unlike the three tv networks, which hung on to their advertising revenue from the night to ‘meet some of the costs of staging the event’.
Triple M was the first on board. Austereo CEO, Michael Anderson, says: “What started as a small idea has grown to be a massive outpouring of support from musicians and channels Seven, Nine and Ten. It’s important that the message of the need for donations reaches as many people as possible.”
The concert featured The Wrights – a supergroup with members from Jet, Powderfinger, Grinspoon, Spiderbait, the Living End, Missy Higgins, Killing Heidi, The Dissociatives, Alex Lloyd, Kasey Chambers, Noiseworks and Australian Idol’s Guy Sebastian and Anthony Callea.
Triple M kicked off fundraising from 6am with a Pay for Play Saturday, taking requests from anyone who made a donation to World Vision’s tsunami appeal.
Some of Australia’s top performers, including Missy Higgins, John Butler, Eskimo Joe, The Whitlams and Thirsty Merc also played live in the Triple M studios.
For some of the celebrities, the tsunami has had a personal impact.
Nova 100’s breakfast co-host, Kate Langbroek, was in Thailand when it struck.
The 4500 tickets for the concert sold out in less than an hour, raising $112 500 for World Vision.
Another benefit concert is reportedly planned for Saturday 29 January and will feature Jet, Silverchair and the John Butler Trio and a reformed Midnight Oil.
World Vision head, Tim Costello, says people around the world are saying Australia has set the benchmark for tsunami aid.
“For perhaps the first time in our history, Australia actually is so far out in front it’s magnificent.”
Noiseworks has announced it will release a ‘Greatest Hits’ album and donate all proceeds to the tsunami appeal.