More than 23,000 Australians watched The Songs Of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert live from Rod Laver Arena in cinemas. Now the concert is returning in a re-edited version made specifically for the big screen.
by Paul Cashmere
More than 23,000 people experienced The Songs Of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert through HOYTS cinemas when it was broadcast live from Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on September 20, and the event will now return for an encore cinema season.
The original cinema screenings were added after the Rod Laver Arena concert sold out, giving audiences around Australia the opportunity to watch the celebration simultaneously with those inside the venue. HOYTS has confirmed that the next cinema presentation will be a re-edited version created specifically for the big screen.
Details of participating cinemas, screening times and ticketing will be announced soon.
The cinema return gives audiences another opportunity to experience a concert that brought together more than 120 performers, musicians and singers to celebrate the catalogue of John Farnham, while raising funds for Head and Neck Cancer Australia.
The Rod Laver Arena event was directed musically by Chong Lim AM, with Farnham’s band, a 38-piece orchestra and a choir providing the musical foundation for a succession of guest performances.
Farnham himself did not attend the concert, but his presence was felt throughout a set built around songs that have defined his career, from the international breakthrough of “You’re The Voice” to deeper catalogue selections that are less frequently heard in large-scale celebrations.
The Noise11 review of the Rod Laver Arena concert found that the evening went beyond a straightforward greatest hits performance. Chong Lim emerged as a central figure in shaping the musical flow, while songs including “Love To Shine”, “No One Comes Close” and “Dare To Dream” provided a broader picture of Farnham’s recording career.
Among the performers were Rob Farnham, Jack Jones, Mark Vincent, Chris Martin, Hugh Jackman and a large cast of Australian artists who had a connection to Farnham’s music. Celine Dion also contributed remotely.
The concert’s best-known moments included “Burn For You”, “Age Of Reason”, “Pressure Down”, “Chain Reaction” and “Two Strong Hearts”, alongside the song that has become inseparable from Farnham’s public identity, “You’re The Voice”.
The finale brought the performers together for another rendition of “You’re The Voice”, giving the concert a different dimension from the individual performances that preceded it.
For the cinema audience, the encore will also provide an opportunity to see the production from a different perspective. Rather than simply repeating the live broadcast, HOYTS says the new presentation has been re-edited specifically for cinema audiences.
HOYTS General Manager of Programming and Content Michelle Gater said the response to the original broadcast demonstrated the demand for a national cinema presentation of the concert.
“When the concert sold out so quickly, we were honoured to help extend this special celebration beyond Rod Laver Arena and give fans across Australia the opportunity to experience it together in cinemas,” Gater said.
She said additional cinema sessions were required after the initial screenings sold rapidly, with the national broadcast requiring coordination between HOYTS, Cochrane Entertainment and TEG Dainty.
The scale of the concert reflects the breadth of Farnham’s catalogue. The songs performed at Rod Laver Arena covered material from different periods of his career, including “Pressure Down”, “A Touch Of Paradise”, “Age Of Reason”, “Chain Reaction” and “Burn For You”, before culminating in “You’re The Voice”.
The full setlist also revealed a deliberate balance between the major hits and songs that have played a significant role in Farnham’s recorded history.
The event will return to cinemas for an encore season from Thursday 22 October with tickets on sale from Thursday 8 October.
The Songs Of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert Setlist
Age Of Reason / Reasons / Age Of Reason / Have A Little Faith (In Us) / Age Of Reason – Jon Stevens, Jessica Mauboy, Jack Jones, Mahalia Barnes, Human Nature and ensemble
Chain Reaction – Dannielle Gaha, Steve Williams and D² Drumline
When The War Is Over – Jimmy Barnes and Mahalia Barnes
A Better Singer Than Me – Chris Martin, remotely
Everytime You Cry – Human Nature
Love To Shine – Rob Farnham, adult choir and Brett Garsed
A Touch Of Paradise – Ross Wilson
Everything’s Alright – Kate Ceberano and Jon Stevens, with adult choir
No One Comes Close – Jack Jones
Burn For You – Keith Urban with Chong Lim
You’re The Voice – Celine Dion, remotely, with four pipers
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby – Jimmy Barnes, Diesel and Mahalia Barnes
Dare To Dream – Dannielle Gaha and Mark Vincent, with adult choir
Playing To Win – Vanessa Amorosi with Chong Lim
Have A Little Faith (In Us) – Jessica Mauboy
Help! – Kate Ceberano
Simple Life – Human Nature with Kathleen Halloran
You’ll Never Walk Alone – Mark Vincent with adult choir
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head / Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) – Hans
Talk Of The Town – Hugh Jackman, remotely, with Rachel Bostock
Hearts On Fire – Ruby Rodgers with Michael Paynter
Angels – Tina Arena with Jack Jones
Pressure Down – Richard Marx with Chong Lim
That’s Freedom – Vanessa Amorosi and Jon Stevens, with adult choir
It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) – Jon Stevens, Mahalia Barnes and the full company
You’re The Voice – Mitch Tambo, Ezekiel Tambo, full company, adult choir and 24 pipers
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