The Geelong music community shared a united grief on May 18th 2017 when we lost a man who to many of us was a hero, an icon and an inspiration – Chris Cornell. Determined to turn that grief into something positive, a collective, spearheaded by Stuart Caldwell, was formed in the weeks following to commemorate Chris Cornell’s legacy. Only a month later, and with only one rehearsal, a tribute performance was held at The Barwon Club as our chance to give thanks the great man, whilst also supporting a cause close to many of our hearts and minds: the importance of mental health.
It was truly a magical night, with The Barwon Club at full capacity and a pure electricity of positivity in the air. The night ended up being not only a celebration of Chris Cornell, but a celebration of community and the vast array of talent within it. The crowd cheered in euphoria as one face-melter after another was delivered from a suite of music from Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden through to Audioslave and Chris’ solo work. These songs which we all held so dearly and that are a part of us were all in one special place, for one unique night.
At the end of the night, the collective all agreed: an event like this was too good to do just once!
The GMCC then solidified their partnership with IMPACT (The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation) and what followed was a series of shows paying tribute to the likes of: AC/DC, Dave Grohl, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Queen and even some themed nights such as Numetal and Americana. 100% of all funds raised from these shows goes directly to IMPACT, in support of the Student Travel Award. The award provides funding towards allowing students and researchers at IMPACT to attend conferences and seminars in pursuit of exchanging ideas and ultimately furthering the research being undertaken. We at the GMCC wholeheartedly support this cause, knowing of the kind of magic and greater good that can come of such collaborations!
Tragedy struck on April 2nd 2018 when our friend, collaborator and a genuine inspiration both musically and personally, Dean McInnes passed away suddenly. Dean was a founding member of GMCC and singer of the opening song at the inaugural GMCC show – his passing completely floored the GMCC. But as we had done in the past, the community came together and found strength in unity and in a shared celebration of Dean’s incredible life. We were honored to present the first ‘Dean McInnes Student Travel Award’ at our ‘Malcolm Young: AC/DC Tribute’ night, a fitting tribute to the kind of positive change Dean brought to everyone’s lives.
And so the GMCC continues to fight the good fight and rock the good tunes. With over $20,000 raised to date and 26 amazing shows so far, this story is only beginning. We hope that you can come along and be a part of it too!
See you at our next show!