If you thought the death of Maurice Gibb spelled the end of The Bee Gees, you’d be mistaken. Robin revealed that he and Barry are planning to reform the band, six years after their brother’s death.
“The two of us are getting back together again. I was with Barry in Miami a couple of days ago. It was an emotional thing because Maurice wasn’t just a brother, he was a comrade in arms really,” Robin Gibb told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. “We have got through the breakwater of the emotions and now we can go forward.”
Hopefully when the reunion happens, the band will return to where it all began for some Australian shows!
45, 000 Sydneysiders and 80, 000 Melburnians crammed into their respective cricket grounds for yesterday’s massive Sound Relief concerts.
Crowds at both shows were treated to some extra special performances. Coldplay originally promised an acoustic set, but their electric numbers proved anything but ordinary with the surprise addition of John Farnham to the line-up. The Aussie music veteran joined Coldplay for “Fix You” and “You’re The Voice,” a song Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin called the “national anthem.”
Having living legend Barry Gibb close the show was exciting enough, but to have Olivia Newton-John join him for the Kenny Rogers Dolly Parton classic “Islands in the Stream” was something else. They might not admit it freely, but I’m convinced everyone has a soft spot for that song.
Melbourne didn’t miss out either, with some amazing reformations and international stars. One of the biggest was Midnight Oil, who closed the show.
Their 50-minute set included hit after hit, “Read About It,” “Beds Are Burning” and “Blue Sky Mining” among them.
“You are such a good crowd for such an important event,” Peter Garrett told the enthusiastic crowd.
Initial reports said Kylie wouldn’t sing, but she did anyway, wowing crowds with this beautiful acoustic rendition of “I Still Call Australia Home.” This is another of those songs eligible for the title of honorary anthem – it gets to me every time. This video is preceded by a moving minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims.
Kings of Leon wouldn’t play “Sex on Fire” lest it offend the bushfire victims, yet their mammoth hit “Use Somebody” was well received. From the pop tunes of Gabriella Cilmi to the laidback sounds of Jack Johnson, and the country-tinged duets of Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, it was a concert that delivered something for everybody.
Wolfmother and Jet worked double-time, appearing at both Sydney and Melbourne shows. But they didn’t mind, with Wolfmother singer Andrew Stockdale adding that the event was one of the most significant in Australian music history.
“It just shows what this country does – it gets behind people when they’re down and out,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.
Organisers expect the event to raise more than $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and Queensland flood victims.
We heard the rumours but now it’s official. Barry Gibb will come out of retirement to close the Sound Relief benefit concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The former Bee Gee will play with a star-studded band featuring INXS drummer Jon Farriss.
“Every artist who grew up on the Bee Gees will want to be side of stage for this one, no matter how young they are,” an insider said yesterday.
Here’s another rumour for you. Barry’s expected to bring a special guest from America with him to perform a couple of tunes: none other than our beloved Olivia Newtown-John! This show just keeps getting more exciting!
There are whispers that Barry Gibb and Kylie Minogue may be added to the already massive Sound Relief concert bill.
Word is that Ian “Molly” Meldrum has coaxed the former Bee Gee out of retirement. If anyone could have done it, it would have been Molly!
Molly’s also saying that Kylie will play at the benefit show, but no formal announcement has been made yet.
The March 14 Sound Relief concerts will raise much needed funds for victims of the Victorian bushfires and Queensland floods. Tickets went on sale yesterday, but limited tickets are still available.
