FEATURE:
Musicians and the Australian Bushfires
IN THIS PHOTO: Sir Elton John/PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Gibson
What Now Going Forward?
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I am writing this feature…
IN THIS PHOTO: A firefighter hoses down trees and flying embers in an effort to save houses near the town of Nowra in New South Wales/PHOTO CREDIT: AFP
on a day (9th January) when Australian bushfires are still wreaking havoc and destruction. It is hard to comprehend the full scale of the carnage and what has been lost. Apart from millions of animals and wildlife to acres and acres of land, the toll is horrendous – not to mention the loss of homes and human life. There is hope the fires will abate in the coming days, and there will be an end. As it is summer in Australia, there is a danger new fires will start and there will be a lot more to ensure. In this article from The Telegraph, they investigate why the bushfires have been so severe:
“Australia is no stranger to wildfires, but this season has been unprecedented in scale and intensity - and the summer is far from over.
So far at least 17 people have died in blazes that have swept the country, more than 1,200 homes have been destroyed and 5.5 million hectares (13.5 million acres) of land has been burnt.
So what has caused the blazes which have devastated huge swathes of the country?
Why are the fires so bad?
Australia’s deadly fires have been fuelled by a combination of extreme heat, prolonged drought and strong winds.
The country is in the grip of a heatwave, with record-breaking temperatures over the last three months. In mid-December the nation saw the hottest day in history - the average temperature was 41.9 degrees Celsius.
These conditions, which show few signs of abating in the next few weeks, have been accompanied by brisk winds which fan the flames and push the smoke across Australia’s major cities. On Monday wind speeds were recorded at 60 miles per hour.
All this follows the country’s driest spring since records began 120 years ago, with much of New South Wales and Queensland experiencing rainfall shortfalls since early 2017. Trees, shrubs and grasslands have turned into the perfect tinder for flames”.
So so so sad. It’s breaking my heart. My home is on fire. I’m donating $100,000 to @WIRES_NSW to help injured, displaced wildlife. Please see here to find out how you can help Australia: https://t.co/2U6v1NQnn8 pic.twitter.com/dRgfGniJWp
— Flume (@flumemusic) January 7, 2020
A lot of people feel helpless, and they want to do what they can, wherever they are. If you want to donate to help out, this link provides good information. Of course, nothing can bring back all that has been lost so far, but it is heartening to see so many people united and donating. Around the world, people are sending their support to Australia. In terms of donations, millions (of Australian dollars) has been raised already. I have been especially struck by the music world’s reaction to the bushfires. Sir Elton John has donated to help those affected:
“Sir Elton John has pledged $1m to the relief effort in Australia where wildfires have devastated a swathe of the country.
The singer made the announcement while on stage in Sydney, telling the audience they should be “in awe of the work that the firefighters are doing”.
He added: “This is a magnificent country that I’ve been coming to since 1971.
“I love it here so much. To see what is happening here breaks my heart and so we have to come together and we have to fight, and this is my bit towards it.
“I love Australia so much and to those that have lost their homes, God bless, I hope that your lives will be repaired very soon.”
It came as the smoke from the fires – which previously covered”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
As NME report, other musicians have joined the wave of support. It seems like artists from all corners are donating and playing gigs to help in the effort:
“Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds bandmate Warren Ellis have pledged $500,000 (£382,000) to help victims of the Australia bushfires.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the fires destroying our beloved Australia,” wrote Cave in a statement posted on Instagram.
“We are pledging $500,000 to some of the many organisations carrying out selfless and courageous work aiding and supporting communities and wildlife who have been hit by this overwhelming devastation. We urge everyone to do whatever they can to help.”
Queen have also revealed they have been asked to perform a Live Aid style benefit concert in Australia to help the victims of the bushfires".
It has been upsetting seeing images of animals and wildlife left dead or uprooted by relentless fires. Brave and dedicated fire crews are working around the clock, and the money that has come in will go a long way. It is not only Elton John and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds who have provided money and support for the Australian bushfire relief effort. Many different artists have also joined together:
“Courtney Barnett is throwing two benefit shows in Melbourne, Australia, with Camp Cope and Alice Skye, with all proceeds going to “bushfire disaster appeal, vic/nsw fire services and wildlife rescue.”
Sydney producer Flume has also pledged $100,000 to WIRES, posting to Instagram “It's so sad. It's breaking my heart.” Following a performance in Melbourne, Vampire Weekend donated $10,000 to Wildlife Victoria and encouraged others to lend their support.
Pink has also pledged to donate $500,000 to local firefighters, tweeting links to various fire services. A “disheartened” Kacey Musgraves asked her Twitter followers how she could help, ultimately finding an undisclosed organization to donate to”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Lizzo visits a food bank in Victoria, Australia
I think we feel those who are famous or well-known do less when it comes to charity than most regular people. When it comes to crisis like we have seen in Australia, it is humbling than those in the music industry are helping and making sure they can do all they can. There have been benefit gigs in Australia, and I wonder whether we will see any in the U.K., U.S. or the rest of the world. I shall come to that in a minute, but I want to quickly mention Lizzo, who volunteered her time earlier in the week. As NME explain, she has volunteered her time at a Melbourne food bank:
“Lizzo volunteered at a Melbourne food bank earlier today (January 8) as aid efforts for those Australians affected by the country’s ongoing bushfire crisis continue.
The ‘Cuz I Love You’ artist is currently on tour in Australia, and she pitched in at a Foodbank Victoria warehouse today to help the cause as she helped sort and pack food hampers.
Speaking to volunteers at the food bank, Lizzo said: “Thank you so much for volunteering your time and your energy and your hearts. Let’s go get some boxes!” (via 10Daily).
Foodbank is the largest provider of food relief in Victoria, with the organisation issuing urgent food relief hampers to those affected by the bushfire crisis.
“We need your support to continue delivering emergency food relief and water to Victorians affected by this devastating bushfire crisis,” a statement from Foodbank Victoria reads.
“With roads in the area cut off, many Victorian families are isolated – without food, water, electricity, or communication. Foodbank Victoria sent life-saving food and water to Mallacoota by sea to assist.”
You can donate to Foodbank Victoria here.
IN THIS PHOTO: Grimes/PHOTO CREDIT: Eli Russell Linnetz
As I said earlier, the fires will continue, but we all hope the weather improves in a way that allows for some rain, stability and relief. The massive outpouring and awareness raised on social media regarding the situation in Australia and climate change is something that must be a priority in 2020. If our government in the U.K. and Trump in the U.S. has been slow to acknowledge and respond to the effects of climate change, they cannot remain motionless now. Seeing kindness from musicians and so many people around the world has been inspiring, but there is that concern as to whether there will be a lot more bushfires in Australia and, indeed, what other horrors we have to see. I have covered this before, but what can the music world do regarding climate change and reducing their impact? I have to make it clear that, of course, the events in Australia have not been caused by musicians and the receptibility for change lies with politicians – they are the ones who hold power and can affect change. Apart from donations and raising awareness at gigs, I think 2020 is a year where the effects of climate change will be at the forefront of many albums. Grimes’ forthcoming album, Miss Anthropocene, is out on 21st February and will put the environment at the forefront. This article from last summer explains more:
“Grimes is one musician choosing to dive headfirst into the topic. In an interview with The Washington Post last week she announced that her upcoming fifth album will be a concept record about “the anthropomorphic Goddess of climate Change”. In practice that might not be so overtly calling for environmental action, but at least it is focusing on the issue. The same goes for Foals, who talk about the state of the world on their most recent record Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1. Speaking to us about the issues that fed into the record, frontman Yannis Phillipakis said: “What scares me right now is what scares you, right? … the bee population that’s going, environmental collapse, biodiversity collapse – the fact that on an aesthetic level there’s a plastic flotilla the size of France in the Pacific”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna performing at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
Every generation has to deal with something world-changing and unsettling and, whilst it is not the same as political action and laws, music can raise greater awareness and spur others into action. It is important climate change becomes part of the scene this year, and I hope many mainstream artists do their part. 2020 is an exciting one for festivals and big artists hitting the road – everyone from Elton John to Madonna are touring -, but there are considerations regarding travel, sets and environmental damage. This Vice article talks about the way artists can reduce the negative effects their tours have:
But beyond recording albums, what happens when we start to think about practical steps musicians can take with regard to climate change? If we’re talking about the same things that we non-musicians can also do to minimise a personal effect on the planet, then yes, there are some basic starting points. They can use paper straws, energy saving light bulbs, try and get an electric van when hiring a vehicle on tour – all the stuff that’s been pushed in the past few years and is now starting to be common sense. But the bigger issue of trying to combat climate change as a musician falls on shoulders of those higher up the food chain. Soon, you realise that kicking the problem up to promoters, venues and so on really requires investment from government and major multi-national companies.
For example: is there a way for venues to bring their cost on the environment down, whether that’s removing all plastic cups and straws, or something more dramatic, such as running on renewable energy? Could a promoter who owns a venue back their plan? Thing is: things get tricky when it comes to installing renewable energy, involving planning permission and building warrants from the local council. Then there's costs, paperwork, extra checks to follow up on. So while it's not impossible, it would be a process. One venue that's already achieved this is east London's Village Underground, who describe themselves as an 'ecological project' and run on 100 percent green energy”.
PHOTO CREDIT: @chazmcgregor/Unsplash
It is great seeing a show and having a moment to be in a stadium or venue and seeing something magical and spectacular. Whilst that is important, can artists scale things back and still entrain their fans without needless excess and theatre? This BBC feature from November is worth investigation:
"Do we really need 27 scene changes? Do we need cars hanging from the ceiling?"
It might not be an obvious question for a superstar agent to be raising, but it's one Emma Banks, who co-founded the UK arm of one of the world's biggest music tour agents, is increasingly having to ask.
She says your favourite artist's tours can have up to 60 trucks moving equipment all over the world.
And she says musicians "have to be proactive" about the impact tours like that have on the environment.
Emma's roster at the Creative Artists Agency ranges from other female superstars like Katy Perry, Lorde and Kylie to some of the biggest bands on the planet - including Arcade Fire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and Muse.
Although it's difficult to calculate the exact impact of each individual tour, a 2016 report on the impact of live music events suggested the UK festival scene produced 19,778 tonnes of carbon emissions every year - excluding the travel of artists and fans.
In comparison, football tournament Euro 2016 is reported to have produced a total on 2.8m tonnes, including travel of fans and players.
It's also been suggested that private jets, which many artists use to keep up with their hectic tour schedules, burn 40 times as much carbon per passenger as regular commercial flights.
Some artists have announced plans to reduce the impact of their tours.
PHOTO CREDIT: @maxwbender/Unsplash
There is a lot more that can be done regarding musicians and ways to improve their carbon footprint, but I know how hard that can be, seeing as there is demand for new and established acts to tour and bring their music to the masses. I do feel every artist, regardless of popularity, needs to make cuts and take small steps in every area. It might be as simple as fewer tour dates or not flying as much. That might sound severe, but the music industry is one of the most loving and community-led, and fans around the world, I know, would rather artists look after the environment, even if it means they loss out. One only needs to look at the images and news reports of artists donating their time and money to help Australia to realise the music world wants to see change and action. I have argued a lot how this year needs to be more fun and together and, whilst that might sound counterintuitive, I think we can mix the serious and fun; songs that put the environment under the spotlight and others that take our minds elsewhere. Things might seem hopeless at the moment, and the task of reversing climate change is one that seems lost and futile. Maybe our politicians are unconcerned and docile, but there we will see action from the music industry – from bands who tour less to those who donate proceeds from sales to environmental charities; others that put environmental concerns in their albums and songs. It is a long road ahead, but it is very clear that…
PHOTO CREDIT: @wildlittlethingsphoto/Unsplash
ALL is not lost.