Live Aid tribute show for Griffith Carevan at Griffith Regional Theatre June 3

Well, not quite. But a tribute show in honour of Live Aid 1985 will at Griffith Regional Theatre on 3 June, with money raised going to charity. 

Live Aid 1985 is perhaps the most famous fundraising concert of all time. It was organised by Scottish rock star Bob Geldof to raise money for the ongoing Ethiopian famine. 

The idea of producing a tribute show in honour of the Live Aid concert from 1985 is something creators Jonny Gardiner and Dave Patten had been working on for some time. A successful premier show paved the way for a national tour and a string of charity partnerships helping those in need in local communities.

Both musicians have toured internationally and previously performed in shows playing the parts of Live Aid performers Bono, Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury.

“Both of us remember and were heavily influenced by the original concert and the artists that performed in it. It was a true labour of love creating a show that would do justice to the legends who performed on that day in 1985,” Dave Patten said. 

The showed premiered at the Laycock St Theatre, Gosford in July 2016 to a sell out crowd. 

The Live Aid 85 crew has now teamed up with Griffith Neighbourhood House and will be donating $5 from every ticket sold to Carevan, who supply food and shelter to those in need in the Griffith area.

“We are beyond proud to not only do what we love to do on the stage but also help out those in need through local charities on the ground. The Carevan project does great work in the local community. The original Live Aid Concert was about helping African people in need. We want to do our bit to help people in need in rural communities,” Mr Patten said.

 “This is a multimedia concert experience with tribute artists re-creating some of the highlights including the epic set by Queen, U2, David Bowie, The Who and more. We even take on Led Zeppelins reformation set, which is one of only two times they performed together after John Bonham’s death in 1980,” Mr Gardiner said.  

The Griffith Carevan is a mobile ‘More than a Hot Meal’ van, which resulted from an identified need in the community to assist local individuals and families who are struggling or facing hardship.  

Griffith Neighbourhood House manage the carevan and are a community centre that work with all members of the community, with a focus on the disadvantaged, to provide a locally based single point of access to information, resources, services, and support.  

To purchase tickets for the event, visit the Live Aid 85 Tribute page on the Griffith Regional Theatre website.