Australia’s music community is gathering to support Kate Stewart in Sydney.
Kate has worked for 35 years in the music industry starting with Roger Grierson in the Mid 80’s; Ken West and the Big Day out Crew; You Am I; and Jess Ducrou with Splendour in the Grass to name a few.
On 21 September, 2017 Kate suffered a stroke and will not be able to return to work.
The industry has gathered to raise funds to enable Kate to continue to live an independent life and to pay for her ongoing care and support.
The show will feature Dempsey, You Am I, Bernard Fanning, Phil Jamieson, Paul Dempsey, Sally Seltmann, Peter Fenton and Smudge and others as they are locked in.
You Am I said in a statement,
‘Before we had half a clue, our band approached Kate Stewart for some advice on how to get shows, how to make a record, how to be a group. We asked her because she had a reputation for being a straight talker, no bluster, and someone who thrived on getting stuff done. She was also a great late-night drinker, raconteur, confidante. To our enormous surprise she suggested management. Rapidly we got an education in ethics and morality in a community where the edges on such behaviour were often blurred. As Rusty has written- she was our centre of moral authority. And our friend. When she gave us our ten bucks a day on tour for “sustenance” it came with sage advice on how to stretch it. When that per diem bulged to twenty, the nights after a show just got longer. As offers and shows came our way, and no doubt our sense of our worth bloated, Kate persistently reminded us in no uncertain terms that we were of no more worth than the gals and guys lugging gear, rolling leads, stamping the wrists, no matter how much bloody velvet we were wearing. We shared floors, vans, longnecks, fights and a thousand sweaty hugs. She was the first person to give us a chance, and the last person out of the venue for hundreds, maybe thousands of shows. Though we parted ways a while back we remain dear friends, as again, she has given us chances when we maybe didn’t deserve them. Now she needs some help (she never asked for it. Never would.) So, we are putting on a show with some wags who also wanna give a little something back to the woman who gave us everything. More to be announced but dig in to this with us lot. And to the folks who will suggest calling the night “Something For Kate” well, yes, it is. But we believe there is a music group of the same nomenclature. And we don’t wanna ruffle their plumage.
Concert for Kate is at the Factory Theatre, Sydney 14 March. Get tickets here.
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