"Hi Friends,
Still recovering from Monday's "Rock For Doc" concert at The Enmore Theatre. It was an awesome night for me and I'd like to thank everyone who worked on this concert and who came to it.
Support Act is a music industry organisation which supports artists and their families during their times of hardship, helping out financially and in other ways during times when, usually due to illness, an artist can't work to support his or her family. At times like these Support Act steps in and draws on their musical friends to donate their services and the funds raised at such concerts then go to assist the artist and artist's family through hard times. It is a remarkable brotherhood that I have supported for many years and it shows the strength and caring of the Australian rock music family.
It's difficult to highlight names as an example of the support I've received as there are so many. Thank you to The Angels (Buzz Bidstrupp, Jim Hilbun, James Morley and Bob Spencer), Angry Anderson and Rose Tatoo, Baby Animals, Jimmy Barnes and his band, Suze de Marchi, Diesel, Dragon, Jon English, Noiseworks, Red Phoenix, Don Walker, Mark Gable, Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie - in fact Midnight Oil together again with none other than Senator Peter Garrett! What a blast! Thanks also to Mi-Sex, Stellar, Melinda Schneider, Diva Demolition, Jonesy and Amanda, and The Radiators, who sent me flowers, to name but a few. (Thanks guys, I really do like flowers.)
There were many more who gave their support on the night . There were 68 performers I know of - and I heard on the night that various other musicians just rocked up to The Enmore and joined in.
The supportive response for me has been overwhelming. I really don't know what to say, and I've come close to tears at some of the comments of support I've received. I never thought that one day I would need help so it is to my great surprise that so many people gave so generously of their time and in other ways to come to my aid at this difficult time in my life. For this everyone who has helped has my enduring gratitude.
To Support Act, the many talented musicians and technicians, The Enmore Theatre and their staff and to all of you who have so generously given me such wonderful and generous support, thank you. Monday night was awesome and somebody said to me after coming off stage "Go Rock 'em Doc, there's a lot of love in the room for you tonight." When I hit the stage along with the very talented David Hasselhoff, I knew what they meant.
The atmosphere was electric. I'd like to thank all of you fans and friends who came along with such generosity in your hearts. I hope the fact that you were seeing a snap-shot of some of the greatest of Australia's rock talent gathered under one roof didn't pass you by. Monday's Rock For Doc was to me an historic moment in Australian Rock Music history.
Sadly, I cannot close without honouring the passing of two of our greatest road warriors - firstly Aaron Chugg, manager of The Screaming Jets and tour manager to many international artists touring Australia, who proved to the international acts that Australia not only had high technical competence but we also were armed with compassion and intelligence, who died last month. And Angels' bass player Chris Bailey, who passed away this month. Of course I will miss him, just as I will miss Aaron, and my condolences go Chris's lovely wife Josie and beautiful son Ollie as well as Aaron's family.
The Rock For Doc concert was backed by Support Act and The Angels' management company Spitfire Music, so my heartfelt thanks goes to them, especially David Lowy and David Edwards, and also Clint Braddick and Ben Turner, but without one person - a powerful woman in mostly a man's world - this event might not have happened. I'm speaking of our publicist who rose to the occasion of putting this show together when many thought the logistics too difficult. I want to send a very big thank you to Cat Swinton. If she hadn't taken control of this project and put in all the long hours she did this event might not have gone ahead and we'd all be the poorer for that. It's hard to find words to express my appreciation for all she has done both for me and to get this great concert happening. So thank you Cat, thank you Deb Martin and Jen Barclay and all the other greet people behind the scenes. Thank you all.
Doc Neeson E=mc2"
Rock for Doc
