Musicians add their voices to IR campaign

(Clockwise from top left) Missy Higgins, Toby Martin, Tex Perkins and Phil Jamieson.

by Kerri Carr

Some of Australia's top musicians put their voices behind opposition to the Howard Government's industrial relations policies on April 22. They performed before about 40,000 protesters at the Rockin' for Rights concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Comedian Charles Firth described the performances as the "sweet music of revolution".

Something for Kate performed Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down".

Missy Higgins and Kev Carmody duetted on the song he wrote with Paul Kelly, "From Little Things Big Things Grow".

For the finale You am I and Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon sang the Rose Tattoo classic "We Can't Be Beaten".

Other artists who also performed free of charge to put their weight behind the anti-WorkChoices campaign were: Patricia Amphlett (Little Pattie), the Alliance Band, Deni Hines, the Screaming Jets, Dallas Crane, Richard Clapton, the Whitlams, Magic Dirt, Beasts of Bourbon, the Herd, Mark Seymour, Dave Larkin, Youth Group and the Hoodoo Gurus.

Former Midnight Oil lead singer and Kingsford-Smith MP Peter Garrett introduced several bands.

Before the concert the crowd attended a rally in Hyde Park North where Unions NSW Secretary John Robertson described the Howard Government as a "rotting, stinking, miserable government that has taken away the rights of working men and women".

"Let's rock the Howard Government out of Canberra," he said.

The crowd marched to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the concert.

Mr Robertson said people had travelled from the north and south coasts and Canberra to attend.

©2000-2002 NSWTF Online is a resource for teachers
provided by the NSW Teachers Federation.
[Authorisation of election comment] [Privacy]

http://www.nswtf.org.au/journal_extras/musoadd.html
Last Modified: 03 May 2007