Watched by over 1.419 million viewers on Anzac Day 2020, Music From The Home Front screened on Australian television and was born out of Australia and New Zealand’s first lockdown response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Conceptualised by the Mushroom Group’s Michael Gudinski and staged in nine days, Music From The Home Front 2020 saw a line-up of Australia and New Zealand’s musicians united together to remind us that we were not alone – even when we were socially distancing.
Gudinski was well into planning this year’s concert when he passed away on March 2. The Mushroom Group have announced the 2021 event will present performances from many Australian musicians as they commemorate and pay tribute to our nations’ ANZAC history.
As with last year, Music From The Home Front 2021 will feature big names and collaborations showcasing the talent in our local music community. The 2021 event is presented in partnership with the Victorian Government as part of its commitment to showcase Victoria as the state of music.
Mushroom Group’s CEO Matt Gudinski said: “Dad had many great passions throughout his career, but his love of the local music industry never shone brighter than it did during the last year as we suffered through the impact of Covid-19. It’s incredibly fitting that Music From The Home Front, a project he was immensely proud of in 2020, was one of the events he was working on right up until his last day. That we can bring to life a broadcast concert version from his hometown of Melbourne, supporting the industry he loved, in a city he long promoted as the leading music capital of Australia, resonates deeply with all of us at Mushroom.”
Acting Minister for tourism, sport and major events, Mary-Anne Thomas said: “We are proud to support Music From The Home Front in 2021 and it’s fantastic we can welcome crowds to this year’s event and show our support for the live music industry.”
While last year’s show was entirely filmed during lockdown, Music From The Home Front will go ‘live’ on stage this year, with artist performances broadcast live from Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl. These tracks will be mixed with additional streamed performances shot at various locations. Viewers can either experience Music From The Home Front in person at the ticketed Sidney Myer Music Bowl concert in Melbourne, or watch the broadcast from anywhere in Australia on Channel 9 and 9Now, or stream it globally via YouTube.
The live line-up stars: (in alphabetical order):
Amy Shark, Bliss N Eso (pictured), Kasey Chambers, Budjerah, Jerome Farah, Lime Cordiale, Mia Wray, Tash Sultana, The Rubens, Vance Joy, and Royal Melbourne Hospital Scrub Choir.
Tickets for the Bowl concert will go on sale Friday 16 April at 12noon AEST via musicfromthehomefront.com with prices starting at $69 (plus booking fees). Pre-sale tickets will be available via frontiertouring.com/homefront from Wednesday 14 April.
Meanwhile, the broadcast will also feature location performances from more artists – those clips will also screen at the venue during the concert (as well as on TV). Those artists include (in alphabetical order):
Ben Lee, Dean Lewis, Gordi, Hayley Mary, Jess Hitchcock, Jimmy Barnes, Mahalia Barnes, Sam Fischer, The Kid Laroi, Tina Arena, and You Am I.
Plus more to be announced.
Music From The Home Front proceedings will kick off on Anzac Day eve (Saturday 24 April), from 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now and YouTube (7.30pm AEST).
Adrian Swift, 9Network’s head of content, production and development said, “Music From The Home Front is all about celebrating heroes: our ANZAC and Australian military heroes, our healthcare heroes who’ve looked after all of us during the last year of pandemic and this year, the biggest hero of Australian music and the man who made this all possible, Michael Gudinski. Australia’s greatest musicians will join us from some of the country’s most iconic locations as well as gathering at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in honour of these great Aussies in what will be the music event of the year”.
