By Tyler Wright
Local musicians will head to Emerald’s Gemco Theatre on Friday 18 November to raise funds for Support Act, a crisis relief service for workers in the music industry.
The Reiltin Collective; made up of internationally acclaimed Irish-born singer-songwriter Maria Forde, violin-mandolin virtuoso Greg Hunt and Dandenong Ranges local pianist and vocalist Jules Vines, will join the Victorian Irish Dance Academy and RRR storyteller and poet Ian Bland to present an evening of Celtic entertainment.
CDs will be on sale, supporting the ‘Melbourne in 60 Seconds’ project; a collection of 60 second original songs capturing the essence of Melbourne – from the ‘G,’ Moomba, laneways and the suburbs.
Vocalist and Macclesfield local Jules Vines said the Reiltin Collective is “delighted’ to be able to perform together once again.
“It’s expensive to make music… anywhere up to $15,000 to $18,000 to make an album and then you need to be able to sell it, so people who were musicians and had no gigs at all and they were on the breadline perhaps beforehand, through Covid really struggled; and that’s what [Support Act] supports,” Vines said.
Vines said the traditional tunes, storytelling and dancing will hopefully get people singing along, tapping their feet and “enjoying life the way it’s meant to be… with music, warmth and joy amongst friends”.
“We’re setting up a format to be able to host another concert with some of the other musicians on [the Melbourne in 60 seconds] CD going forward,” Vines said.
Musicians on the Melbourne in 60 Seconds CD include well known Melbourne musicians Pete Farnham, Jane Clifton, Mick Thomas and Rebecca Barnard.
“If it goes well, we should be able to help build live music back here in the hills and help the Gemco at the same time.”
The Celtic entertainment night will begin at 8pm, with tickets priced at $25.
Tickets can purchased through the Trybooking website, under the title ‘Maria Forde’s Reiltin Collective with Ian Bland’.
The Gemco Theatre is located at 19 Kilvington Drive in Emerald.
