Tour Of Duty: Live Album Dropping On ANZAC Day

The Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) have announced that the live album of the 1999 Tour Of Duty benefit concert for the troops in East Timor over Christmas will be released this ANZAC Day.

The star-studded concert had performances from John Farnham, Kylie Minogue, Doc Neeson, The Living End, James Blundell, Gina Jeffreys and more, aiming to give the troops in Dili a reprieve while away from their families during the holidays.

Marking the 40th release of ARCA’s Desk Tape Series, the live album release will raise funds for Support Act’s Roadies Fund to provide financial, health, counselling and wellbeing services for roadies and crew in crisis.

When the concert premiered on Channels Seven and Nine on 21 December 1999, the Aussie stars offered an emotionally resonant thank you to the Australian troops serving with the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET).

Shortly after arriving in Dili, the capital of East Timor, John Farnham remarked, “I’ll never be able to explain to my family and friends how I felt being transported in a green truck accompanied by a soldier brandishing arms and looking at children and women on the streets in what’s been a horrendous situation.”

Kylie Minogue added, “Even if it takes people’s minds off this situation, even for an hour, I’m fully honoured to be part of it.”

The genius idea for Tour Of Duty was born by The Angels’ singer Doc Neeson and put together with Glenn Wheatley’s company, Talentworks.

Neeson said at the time, “Having done my national service in New Guinea and being an army brat myself, I knew how the troops would have felt at that time of the year. They would have been homesick, felt disconnected and wanted some real entertainment.”

The Living End’s Chris Cheney has ruminated on the concert's heavy moments, recalling: “When John [Farnham] hit that really high note at the end, it was spine-tingling.

“Twenty-five years later, I am still transported back to that moment—that voice, the way he hit the note, and the whole atmosphere. You felt very lucky to be there. Seeing the look of joy on the faces of the troops, they were having the time of their lives.”

Cheney added, “Years later, I still meet people who tell me they were in the audience and how magical it was. We were a lot more raw and aggressive than the other acts, and I think we were chosen to appeal to the younger crowd. It worked; they were singing along to all our songs and even threw in a couple of ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi! Oi!’ in for us!”

Gina Jeffreys remembered standing on the stage and looking at a sea of soldiers, spotting a woman in the crowd who mouthed, “Thank you.” Jeffreys added, “They were so thankful that we would be there and thinking of them at that time of the year, and with TV coverage as well.

“It was massive, and they felt seen and appreciated. I came off the stage afterwards and spoke to her, and she made me cry because she was over there protecting someone else’s children while her children were at home during Christmas. I bawled my eyes out; that really moved me.”

Tour Of Duty Live At National Stadium will be released on Thursday, 25 April, via ARCA’s Black Box Records. You can watch the performance of I Still Call Australia Home live for Tour Of Duty below.