Ballarat music lovers were treated to a master class from some of the best in the business on Saturday afternoon when the annual Red Hot Summer Tour rolled into the North Gardens.
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Greeted by near-perfect conditions in the picturesque location, the almost-9000 strong crowd were warmed up by Dean Ray and Taxiride.
Prolific Australian musician Ross Wilson of Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock fame was brought in as a replacement for the ill Daryl Braithwaite, and it wasn’t long before the crowd got to their feet for tracks such as ‘Come Back Again’ and ‘I Come in Peace’. A rousing extended rendition of ‘Eagle Rock’ had thousands singing along.
Enjoying a recent return to stardom, Shannon Noll’s string of hits including ‘Drive’, ‘What About Me’ and ‘Lift’ were also well received, while former Australian Crawl frontman James Reyne added a rendition of the Daryl Braithwaite classic ‘The Horses’ to his set with assistance from renowned vocalists Vika and Linda Bull.
However it was clear from the outset that the man who had drawn the hordes through the gates was the formidable John Farnham, who delivered 90 minutes of some of his most iconic songs before a fireworks display completed the evening.
Regional Touring promoter Duane McDonald said the Ballarat show had been the most successful of the five dates played so far on the tour.
“It was absolutely huge and the fireworks really sent it out with a bang,” Mr McDonald said. “We gave Ballarat a miss last year but we will definitely look to bring it back here next January.”
Among the thousands who ventured to the North Gardens were Greg and Maree Orr, who were first time attendees at the festival which has visited Ballarat four times prior to Saturday.
“A little bit more shade would have been nice, but apart from that all of the music’s been great,” Mr Orr said.
The event comes amid a successful run of outdoor summer shows in Ballarat, with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds taking to the North Gardens in early January. Xavier Rudd and The Cat Empire were also due to take to the same stage on Sunday afternoon.
Mr McDonald said while he acknowledged sound complaints may have come from the packed weekend of music, he hoped nearby residents recognised the economic value the shows delivered the town.
“Where we are in North Gardens means the neighbours can hear it but because of those 9000 people coming to the show all of the motels are booked up and the cafes around town are all full,” Mr McDonald said.
“It’s a fantastic result to have more than 13,000 coming to Ballarat to see live Australian acts in one weekend.”
