My Story: Earthquake Relief Concert

This week was 18 years since the Earthquake in Newcastle and surrounds which is evident today in new buildings and old stories about December 28th 1989!! It's recognised as happening at 10.27am and amongst a range of remembrances a memorial clock stopped at that time is on the wall at Jesmond Woolworths.

The funniest footage [of what must be remembered as a tragedy which cost 13 lives] was the news story being recorded about possible industrial action by Newcastle Buses where the ground shakes and the Union rep looks around saying "sh%# what was that?" and was therefore 'must see' footage on all the news bulletins.

The city was shutdown, buildings were demolished or haggled about insurance for more than 5 years... awnings fell at Hamilton, Newcastle Workers collapsed... and I for one MISSED IT ALL!!

Friends and I were on an ill conceived bushwalk down the Williams River in the Barrington's which Scouts and other adventure clubs have famously undertaken. That year there was a fair bit of water in the creek-like sections and it slowed us as a group. Personally whilst reasonably fit from footy that year my knees had started to complain and my old faithful comfortable joggers turned to soap from the continual wet walking and wading... more than one of us slipped on a mossy rock you needed to shimmy across to avoid jumping down into a tree trunk covering the waterfall-like section... friend Bernadette slipped and we later learned didn't just injure her side but busted a rib...

I gained some new insights into my own way of being part of a group that day and was also pretty annoyed with our two friends leading the group who in recognition of fading light and us taking a lot longer than planned charged off to set a pace... out of some frustration and with only minimal communication... as others of us with less balance and struggling a bit were left to bring up the rear!! While some of those friends returned again many times since, including this year... I count it as an interesting experience I don't care to repeat!! They were glad of that!

We didn't hear about the earthquake until half the group waiting at 'Bear's' house were joined by the Chinese takeaway buyers who heard about it on the radio and in the take away!!

My flat had water damaged books from a wavy fish tank, fish on the floor a cracked wall and a clothes dryer that had almost fallen off the top of the water heater... otherwise you wouldn't have known anything had happened!!

Simone tells the story of falling off her bike, friends in Sydney remember feeling a shake...
AND in the Barringtons..... NOTHING!!

The earthquake was in part the inspiration for the NCYC 2003 theme of "Shaking the Foundations" which was really about Jesus 'god values' view of the world that turns convention and trend upside down and calls us to live in community and relationship as intended!!

BUT the reflections I do have involve the coming together of people to raise money through the 'Earthquake Relief' Concert and that's what I was reflecting on this week as the 28th rolled around!!

40,000 people packed into the Newcastle International Sports Centre Stadium [since named 'Marathon' and now 'Energy Australia' Stadium...] The concert was put together by lots of Aussie acts and their management with the grunt of Michael Chugg... the black t-shirt is still in my collection somewhere!!

How did you decide the playing order 'Split Enz' and 'Crowded House' were asked...."well nobody could play after 'the Oils' so they'll be last and who cares from there..."

My highlights included:
The Angels entire set as they were just 'on fire' in those days
Ian Moss for the first time live
Neil Finn making a mistake and Paul Hester reaming him mercilessly about it as a turning of the tables on the perfectionist
The people towers rising ten people high
The blanket tossing of small males and females what must have been 10 metres in the air at times
All this in a pretty spontaneous, generous and playful atmosphere considering the alcohol and 'grass' consumption for the day... judging by most punters we encountered!! It had the same kind of unifying feeling as the Sydney Olympics did in the city that September 2000!!

I wonder if anyone had footage they've put on youtube from their archive!! While there was some consternation later about exactly how much money was raised it was one of my most memorable concert experiences!!

As another aside the earthquake experiences and stories of many people effected gave rise to the play "Aftershocks" which was a style of theatre production thats since become very popular in style and is like a retelling 'in their own words' of peoples experience and reflections!!