John Farnham Celebration Becomes A Once-In-A-Lifetime Night

More than 120 musicians and performers gathered at Rod Laver Arena for a one-night celebration that went deeper than John Farnham’s biggest hits, uncovering the songs and connections that have made his catalogue so enduring.

by Paul Cashmere

The Songs Of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena far exceeded expectations, turning John Farnham’s catalogue into a vast live production that was as much about the songs fans know by heart as the deeper cuts that revealed another side of his career.

The scale was enormous. More than 120 artists and musicians were involved, with the concert also streamed live into Hoyts Cinemas across Australia. Yet for all the spectacle, the most rewarding moments came from the connections between the songs, the people who performed them and the different chapters of Farnham’s career.

At the centre of it all was Musical Director Chong Lim AM, who deserves recognition as the star behind the stars. Chong Lim arranged the material, worked with the individual performers, conducted the orchestra and shaped the John Farnham Band into a single musical unit. The production only worked because the enormous cast remained musically coherent.

The song selection was particularly important. Rather than constructing a parade of Farnham’s most familiar singles, the concert reached into the catalogue for songs such as “Love To Shine”, “No One Comes Close” and “Dare To Dream”, giving the audience a glimpse of the Farnham catalogue that diehard fans have carried with them beyond the obvious hits.

“Love To Shine” became especially personal when John Farnham’s son Rob Farnham performed it. Jack Jones delivered a standout “No One Comes Close”, one of the night’s great vocal moments, while Dannielle Gaha and Mark Vincent brought “Dare To Dream” to the stage.

Vincent returned later for a stunning “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, backed by the adult choir, while Human Nature drew on its own history with Farnham through “Everytime You Cry”. The group also appeared in the opening “Have A Little Faith” and later in “Simple Life”.

The concert repeatedly found ways to connect Farnham’s catalogue to the wider Australian music story. “When The War Is Over”, performed by Jimmy Barnes, Mahalia Barnes and Diesel, reached back to Cold Chisel and songwriter Steve Prestwich. Farnham had recorded the song during his period with Little River Band, while Barnes brought his own connection to the Cold Chisel composition. Jimmy’s grand daughter Ruby Rogers also showcased ‘Hearts of Fire’. Her third generation pressure gave the evening a “passing of the torch” moment and a feeling that the Australian music industry moving forward is in good hands.

Ross Wilson performed “Touch Of Paradise”, a song more closely identified with Farnham but written by Wilson and first recorded by Mondo Rock. The performance made the history of the song part of the celebration rather than simply reproducing Farnham’s version.

“Long Way To The Top” provided another connection. The AC/DC classic has long been part of Farnham’s live repertoire and became a full-cast moment, with Jon Stevens and Mahalia Barnes among the performers and Jimmy and Jane Barnes contributing the bagpipes.

There were lighter moments among the emotion. Chris Martin appeared remotely for “Better Singer Than Me”, recalling with humour how Shane Warne introduced him to Farnham. Hugh Jackman also appeared remotely, talking about seeing Farnham perform more than 30 times before joking that Farnham now has a restraining order against him.

Celine Dion’s contribution came from Paris. Her remotely delivered version of “You’re The Voice” nonetheless felt integrated into the evening, becoming one of the concert’s highlights before the full company returned for the finale.

Kate Ceberano and Jon Stevens were among the evening’s strongest performers. Kate Ceberano took on Farnham’s recording of The Beatles’ “Help”, from his Uncovered album, while she and Stevens revisited “Everything’s Alright”, their connection to Farnham extending back to Jesus Christ Superstar.

Vanessa Amorosi demonstrated the extraordinary power of her voice on “Playing To Win”, with Lim switching to keytar, before joining Stevens for “That’s Freedom”. Richard Marx, a close friend of Farnham, delivered “Pressure Down” with the restraint and respect of a guest who understood that the night belonged to the songs and their central figure.

The concert concluded with “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)” followed by “You’re The Voice”, with Mitch Tambo leading the final anthem alongside the entire cast, 24 pipers, didgeridoo and choir.

It was a genuinely one-off event. The combination of artists, musicians and arrangements assembled at Rod Laver Arena is unlikely to be replicated in exactly the same form. Those inside the arena witnessed something that existed for one night only, while audiences in Hoyts cinemas across Australia were given the opportunity to experience it simultaneously.

The concert also supported Head and Neck Cancer Australia, reflecting Farnham’s own experience and his desire to contribute to awareness and fundraising.

For a career as broad as Farnham’s, the most fitting tribute was not simply to reproduce the greatest hits. It was to show how many musical lives exist inside the catalogue. Chong Lim and this extraordinary cast did exactly that.

Promoter Paul Dainty said, “I have been lucky enough to see some extraordinary concerts in my career, but tonight was very special – every artist brought something of themselves to John’s music, while never losing the spirit of the original songs. It was a spectacular celebration of an extraordinary Australian artist.”

Set 1
Age Of Reason 1 – Jon Stevens,
Reasons – Jessica Mauboy,
Age Of Reason 2 – Jack Jones,
Have A Little Faith – Mahalia Barnes,
Age Of Reason 3 – Human Nature
Chain Reaction – Dannielle Gaha
When The War Is Over – Mahalia Barnes, Jimmy Barnes
Everytime You Cry – Human Nature
Better Singer Than Me – Chris Martin (remote)
Love To Shine – Rob Farnham
Touch Of Paradise – Ross Wilson
Everything’s Alright – Kate Ceberano, Jon Stevens
No One Comes Close – Jack Jones
Burn For You – Keith Urban
You’re The Voice 1 – Celine Dion (remote)
When Something Is Wrong – Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, Mahalia Barnes
Dare To Dream – Dannielle Gaha, Mark Vincent

Set 2
Playing To Win – Vanessa Amorosi
Have A Little Faith – Jessica Mauboy
Help – Kate Ceberano
Simple Life – Human Nature
You’ll Never Walk Alone – Mark Vincent
Raindrops / Sadie – Hans
Talk Of The Town – Hugh Jackman (remote)
Hearts On Fire – Ruby Rogers
Angels – Tina Arena, Jack Jones
Pressure Down – Richard Marx
That’s Freedom – Vanessa Amorosi, Jon Stevens
Long Way To The Top – Jon Stevens, Mahalia Barnes, all artists

Encore
You’re The Voice Finale – Mitch Tambo, all artists

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Tagged as: Australian music, Chong Lim, Jack Jones, Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham, John Farnham Celebration Concert, Mahalia Barnes, Mark Vincent, Rod Laver Arena, Vanessa Amorosi, You're The Voice