MUSICIANS UNITE FOR THE HARCOURT BUSHFIRE BENEFIT

Rock band Horizon will appear at The Harcourt Bushfire Benefit, a special live concert supporting victims of the Harcourt bushfires, following devastating fires that tore through Harcourt, Victoria in early January 2026.

Harcourt is a small Central Highlands township located 8 kilometres north-east of Castlemaine and approximately 30 kilometres south of Bendigo, with a population of just over 1,000 residents. Catastrophic fire conditions saw a fast-moving grassfire threaten the town, destroying around 60 homes and severely damaging local infrastructure, including Harcourt’s cool store. With less than 30 minutes to evacuate, residents fled as more than 124 fire crews battled the blaze.

The benefit originated with Chris George from Melbourne progressive rock band Souls Of Ambience after learning the fires had directly impacted Harcourt. Chris reached out to Jerry Speiser, who lives locally and was formerly a member of Men At Work during the band’s internationally successful career.

Jerry had previously recorded at Mat Underwood’s Studio U, which was completely destroyed in the fires. Once the loss of the studio was confirmed, Chris began developing the idea of a benefit concert to support both Mat and the wider Harcourt community.

Guitarist Brett Garsed and drummer Angus Burchall – both former long-standing members of John Farnham’s band – had also recorded at Studio U, and through Horizon’s label, Pop Preservation Society, and composer Lee Bradshaw, the band was invited to be part of the event.

The afternoon will feature Horizon alongside Souls Of Ambience, with Jerry Speiser performing with his band Questionable Gentlemen while also serving as MC.

All funds raised will be managed with transparency, with musicians and locals working together to ensure support reaches those most impacted. The concert stands as a musician-led response to a community in crisis – artists supporting artists, and music supporting recovery.