Aussies Against Fracking presents the first in a series of concerts for The Battle of Bentley.
Aussies Against Fracking was formed as a vehicle to enable members of the entertainment industry to voice their opposition to coal seam gas mining (CSG) and is a supporter of the Lock the Gate Alliance. To date the group has organised a number of concerts across the northern rivers, in the Surat Basin and in Sydney to raise awareness of the harmful impacts of invasive mining practices, and featuring musicians including Ash Grunwald, Xavier Rudd, Leo Sayer, John Waters, Reg Mombassa, Kevin Borich, Adam Harvey, Deni Hines, The Round Mountain Girls, Luke Vassella, Diana Anaid and many more.
This Friday February 21, the old Bentley Hall will be filled with the sounds of some of our region’s finest musicians and performers coming together to oppose the proposed Rosella gas well at Bentley.
First performer of the night will be regional sweetheart Andrea Soler, back from her European tour and fresh from her performance at Byron Bay’s Falls Festival.
Then Blakboi will perform his inspiring beatbox acoustica; this multi-instrumentalist and surfing activist is a passionate leader in the campaign.
After Blakboi is Jimmy Dowling, whose music was described by Rhythms magazine as ‘the perfect example of true soul craft’.
Joining Jimmy is Ilona Harker – once described as the musical love child of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. Hearing her smoky sultry lyrics is an experience that will stay with you long after.
Completing the lineup are Jimmy Willing and Davey Bob Ramsey, appearing as Jim Bob, then morphing into Davey Bob’s Blue Revellers, who will delight us with their toe-tappin’ heart-breaking hillbilly cabaret tunes.
A magical piece of physical theatre featuring Michele Thomas’s Faune Fantasy will be performed, and the crowd will hear from a few speakers involved on the ground at the Bentley camp.
A few inspirational and locally made short films will be played, as will messages from a huge array of Aussie performers and personalities who oppose fracking.
This musical event, organised by Nick Hanlon and Amanda Shoebridge from Aussies Against Fracking, is being held to support those people protecting the northern rivers from invasive gas mining. This is shaping up to be the biggest environmental battle ever staged in this region.
Aussies Against Fracking will continue to present concerts at Bentley Hall for as long as it takes to win the fight to protect our region from the dire threats of fracking and ‘Unco Gas’.
Tickets for Friday’s concert are $5 and are available at the door, with all proceeds going towards further events at Bentley. A sausage sizzle is being held by Gasfield Free Northern Rivers from 6pm – the show kicks off at 7pm. All are welcome!
Further enquiries: Nick Hanlon [email protected] 02 6679 5074.
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