An array of Australian guitar heroes and music icons will come together on Tuesday August 7th at The Tivoli in Brisbane to honour their fallen mate, Phil Emmanuel.
Tommy and Phil “The Wiz” Emmanuel have been the benchmark of acoustic and electric guitar playing for over five decades, gracing the national and world stage with cheekiness and talent that made them both, the guitarist’s guitarist.
On the 24th May, the world lost “The Wiz”, and Tommy lost his big brother to an asthma attack.
To the music industry, Phil was always there when someone needed a hand, and now some of Phil’s friends and colleagues, will come together in a memorial concert to pay tribute to their mate.
The concert will be hosted by Phil’s good friend and comedian, Chris Franklin and the evening will be a gathering of Aussie music icons that have shared the journey, including Tommy Emmanuel, Doug Parkinson, Graeme Connors, James Blundell, Normie Rowe, Mick Pealing (Stars), Peter Cupples (Stylus), Doc Span (USA) and Judah Kelly (The Voice). The “Fargone Beauties” are reforming for this concert with their original drummer – Tommy Emmanuel.
As expected, there will be wall-to-wall guitarists including Rex Goh (Air Supply), Mal Eastick (Stars), Tim Gaze (Tamam Shud/Ariel/Stevie Wright band), Phil Manning (Chain), Terry Murray (Fargone Beauties/MMM), China (John Paul Young and the Allstar Band) and of course, younger brother and internationally acclaimed Tommy Emmanuel.
Joining Phil’s musical colleagues on stage, will be his daughter Jesse who has taken up the baton for the next generation of the talented Emmanuel family. It will be a bitter-sweet moment for Jesse, as the last time she graced The Tivoli, it was in full musical flight, together with her father and her Uncle Tommy.
“Circumstances did not permit a public memorial for Phil at the time…” says concert organiser, Michael “China” Walker from John Paul Young’s Allstar Band, “so after the dust had settled, Mandy (Phil’s wife) asked me if I could help put something together that would be fitting to publicly honour him. Once we started making enquiries about who might want to be part of this, the floodgates opened – everyone wanted to show the world, what Phil meant to them, and to be part of the send-off from his musical family.”
The concert will be a chronicle of Phil’s journey, with bands and colleagues from the beginning, to music icons he shared the stage with, to some of the super-talented young guns he was fostering. It will be a roller-coaster of emotions for cast and audience alike, but above all it will be just like Phil : no bullshit, cheeky, super-talented, and LOUD. Phil’s brother Darcy summed up Phil at his funeral – “Phil didn’t chase fame – it chased him … but he managed to get away.” Not this time mate. Gotcha. Your turn in the spotlight.
Tuesday 7th August 2018 ǀ Doors at 7pm for an 8pm start
The Tivoli, 52 Costin Street, Fortitude Valley, BRISBANE QLD
www.ticketmaster.com.au www.thetivoli.com.au ǀ (07) 3852 1711
All profits will go direct to SUPPORT ACT LIMITED