Powderfinger - Philanthropy

Philanthropy

In their time as a band, Powderfinger have been active in supporting causes or opposing actions taken in charitable, philanthropic, disaster, and political circumstances.

In 1996, Crowded House decided to break up, and organised a farewell concert as a charity event for the Sydney Children's Hospital, to be held on 24 November 1996. They approached Powderfinger and Australian acts Custard and You Am I to contribute by appearing in the concert to be held on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The concert, which was recorded and later released as a live album titled Farewell to the World, was believed to be the largest Australian live concert, with estimates of between 100,000 and 250,000 people in attendance.

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, also known as the Boxing Day Tsunami, Powderfinger performed at the WaveAid fund-raising concert in Sydney in January 2005. The disaster killed more than 225,000 people from 11 countries in the area. The total profit from the funds raised from ticket sales and donations was A$2,300,000.

The song "Black Tears" from the album Dream Days at the Hotel Existence featured the lyric An island watchhouse bed, a black man's lying dead which sparked fears that it might prejudice the trial of the former Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley over the 2004 Palm Island death in custody case. The band claimed that the lyrics were primarily based on the climbing of Uluru by tourists despite requests from the Indigenous people of the area to not do so. The original version of the song was retracted from the album, and replaced with an alternate version with the criticised material removed.

The legal team for Hurley, who was charged with manslaughter over the death of Mulrunji in 2004, referred the song to the Attorney-General of Queensland, Kerry Shine, in their attempt at altering the track. Lawyer Glen Cranny stated that "the content and proposed timing of the song's release raises some serious concerns regarding Mr Hurley's trial." Powderfinger's band manager, Paul Piticco, stated that Fanning had confirmed that the song was related to the case. However, he added that the lyric in question could refer to "a watchhouse in The Bahamas or something."

In June 2007, Powderfinger announced a nationwide tour featuring Australian rock band Silverchair titled the Across the Great Divide Tour. The tour was an attempt to promote the efforts of Reconciliation Australia, a foundation helping to improve the welfare of the Indigenous people of Australia and to "show both bands are behind the idea of reconciliation." Reconciliation Australia aims to promote awareness of the 17-year difference in life expectancy between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of Australia.

The Across the Great Divide tour, which included 34 concerts in 26 towns across Australia, lasted over two months with an estimated 220,000 people in attendance. Powderfinger and Silverchair announced the release of a limited edition tour DVD, featuring two Melbourne concerts and a 90-minute documentary following both bands during each concert. The DVD was released on 1 December 2007, and shared its release date with that of the third single from Dream Days at the Hotel Existence, "Nobody Sees".

In October 2007, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Powderfinger performed at a concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The concert was for invitees only – only breast cancer patients and survivors and their families were eligible to attend. Powderfinger performed alongside Silverchair, Missy Higgins, and other artists to an audience of 700. The concert was filmed and later broadcast as a MAX Session on Foxtel channel MAX on 3 November.

For the Sunsets tour in September 2010, the band's final outing, Powderfinger will promote another indigenous cause, the Yalari organisation. The organisation provides indigenous children with opportunities to get a proper education.

In January 2011, following the Queensland flood disaster, reported that Powderfinger has announced that they will not reform for a benefit concert but instead will donate a never before released song to help raise money for the victims.