Bernard Fanning has taken a chance to open up about the importance of an event such as AusMusic T-Shirt Day, expressing anger at a perceived lack of government support for artists and creatives.

Fanning, who has spent decades in the music industry as the frontman for Powderfinger and as a solo artist, this year serves as one of the myriad acts chosen to be one of this year’s ambassadors for AusMusic T-Shirt Day, sharing the role with diverse names such as The Kid LAROI, Jessica Mauboy, Troy Cassar-Daley, Missy Higgins, Hilltop Hoods, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and Hoodoo Gurus.

As such, he’s in a suitable position to chat about the importance of an organisation such as Support Act, for whom AusMusic T-Shirt Day is designed to raise money for.

Described as the music industry’s charity, Support Act exists to provide crisis relief, mental health programs, and services for individuals in the Australian music industry, including musicians, managers, crew, and other music professionals.

Speaking to Nova’s Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel yesterday, Fanning explained the impact that an organisation such as Support Act has.

“There's so many layers to people in the music industry,” he explained. “Obviously everyone sees [Ricki-Lee Coulter] and I, the actual acts or the artists, but there's obviously the crew who you couldn't do a show without, they are the lifeblood of the industry; the live industry.

“There's management and there's all sort of people, and like everybody else, they are subject to physical illness, mental health issues, falling on hard times, and all those sorts of things, but because it's generally casual work, there's no backup. There's nothing.”

As he continued, Fanning also pointed to a lack of inactivity from the government as to why the music industry needs to effectively take care of itself.

“Support Act was kind of formulated to try and give people some opportunities around those situations when they've fallen into difficult times or whatever,” he explains. “It goes for every industry, but we're just trying to look after our own industry.

“I mean, the Government does absolutely piss-all for the arts industry in general,” he adds. “That's why the initiatives have come from the industry itself.”

“It's not just the people that are on stage, it's the people who are putting the lights, doing the sound, building the stages, getting everything there,” added Coulter. “They are the lifeblood of our industry.

“And the arts are always the first ones to be called on in hard times,” agreed host Joel Creasey.

Alongside his role as an AusMusic T-Shirt Day ambassador, Fanning has also just announced a special national tour next year, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut solo album, Tea & Sympathy.

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