By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Lee Kernaghan calls Geelong a “city with a great big country heart”.
Visits to the home of the Cats have been a regular item on his itinerary in the 24 years since his first song Boys from the Bush, was released in April 1992.
The experiences of traversing the country have come out in his many songs since and will be front and centre when Kernaghan revisits Geelong this month.
“I like to tell a few yarns and anecdotes as to how some of those songs came to be,” Kernaghan drawled.
“It takes people on a rollicking ride across Australia. It’s the music of our country and our way of life and I love being able to tell the story.”
As well as taking in all the hits from Kernaghan’s amazing career, the show is also a mark of respect for the stories of the Anzacs.
Kernaghan’s Songs and the Stories tour will feature special highlight performances from his latest release, Spirit of the Anzacs.
“It was a true privilege to have been a part of the making of the album and such an emotional and moving experience to bring the stories of our Diggers to life once more in song,” Kernaghan said.
The album, based on the stories and diary entries of servicemen and women from Gallipoli to Afghanistan, struck an immediate chord with Australians.
The album not only went platinum within three weeks but dominated the ARIA all genre album chart by holding the top position for four weeks in a row.
It was an epic project, Kernaghan admits, a couple of years in the research and writing with the support of the historical department at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
“We worked closely with them to ensure authenticity of everything we did,” Kernaghan explained.
“It was an incredible privilege to be part of it, so powerful and moving. There’s a certain amount of magic when you combine the words of our Diggers with music.”
That feeling is only enhanced by having family members and sometimes Diggers themselves present in the audience.
“The overwhelming sense you get is pride and appreciation for what they done for us. It always feels like something special is about to happen when we go out on stage.”
Kernaghan praised fellow musicians Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Sheppard, Shannon Noll, Jon Stevens and Megan Washington who also donated time and talent to the project.
He said 100 per cent of all proceeds from the Spirit of the Anzacs song and music video would go to Legacy Australia and Soldier On.
Kernaghan’s Songs and the Stories tour comes to Costa Hall on 20 May at 8pm. Bookings through GPAC on 5225 1200 or at gpac.org.au
