Protect The Kimberley

Friday night the people who ventured out to Federation Square for a free night of music learnt about the plight of the people in Broome and their current battle to save areas of The Kimberley region from a massive gas plant development.

Concert For The Kimberley was put together by John Butler and The Wilderness Society to raise awareness in the city on the other side of Australia - and raise funds and a voice to try and defeat these plans, and ensure the land stays as it is, in terms of his beauty, cultural significance, and it's everyday spiritual function to the Indigenous communities of the area.

Dr Bob Brown started the night, addressing the crowd, before Clare Bowditch and her full band took the stage as the light started to fade over the square.

Her first set was filled with messages, and included songs across each of her albums.  The beautiful One Little River from the brand new album, and The Start Of War.  She gave us the sassy You Looked So Good, and the heartfelt I Thought You Were God. She sparkled on stage with her presence and tunes.

In between the music acts, video presentations on the screen showed the land, and speakers told the crowd of the significant of it to them.  The pictures spoke for themselves, really, about the importance of maintaining the beauty of this magical land.  The message was that the people of Broome, and James Price Point, have been offered things like basic healthcare and education, in exchange for this area of land.  What!!?  The corporations have bullied, and now it's time Australia knew what is going on to help preserve what's right.

Clare returned as the crowd had reached a point where people just dropping in had gone, and music lovers were soaking it up.  So many people around me knew the tracks of her next set, which were all from the new The Winter I Chose Happiness album, with Amazing Life, jazzy Cocky Lady, and catchy and meaningful Thin Skin. Finishing with You Make Me Happy, the set was worth trekking into town for, and standing in the chilly Melbourne spring night.

A cross to Broome and an Indigenous elder there weighed in with the meaning of the land, and the vision of Fed Square let them know on the opposite side of the country that so many people had just learnt of their plight.

The next video presentation was from Albert Wigan, as he shared his connection with the very land under threat, and how he takes his two sons out onto this land to continue traditional hunting and their spiritual connection - and then he appeared on the stage in front of us, and gave the crowd two original songs of his own about the fight to save The Kimberley. Such a talent, he stole the show!  One of the highlights of the night!

The John Butler Trio were the final act for the night, and the reason everyone was still there.  Playing an epic 90 minute set, he was brilliant - a guitar change for every song, and his sound was so captivating and true.  Of course tracks like Zebra and Get Funky Tonight got the most crowd reaction, but his generous set was really amazing.

You can read more about the issue here, and can watch the stream of the gig here for the next 2 weeks.  Raising awareness and a voice across Australia has certainly been achieved with this night - you can also donate to assist with the campaign to prevent the proposed industrialised development being placed in the middle of pristine land, of spiritual and ecological significance, a habitat to many animals, and the home of dinosaur footprints along that coastline.

What a great night, and way to raise awareness of such an important battle, for all Australians.  Save The Kimberley!