A BRITISH émigré who went on to become a superstar in Australia has sparked a row between his adopted home country and New Zealand after Wellington vetoed a plan for him to sing at this year’s Anzac Day ceremony at Gallipoli.
John Farnham, who grew up in Dagenham and emigrated to Australia with his family four decades ago, was to have performed for crowds camping out before the dawn service at Anzac Cove on April 25.
The Australian Government and military supported the concert, but Helen Clark, the New Zealand Prime Minister, rejected the idea on the ground that it would be inappropriate to have loud music in a place that had been a killing field.
Ms Clark made it known that she personally had “never heard of Johnny Farnham”, a remark which many Australians, who regard the singer as a pop music legend, would see as an insult. Farnham found fame with hits such as Sadie and You’re the Voice, which reached No 6 in the British charts in 1987 with the lyric: “How long can we look at each other down the barrel of a gun?” He fronted a new version of We Will Rock You with Queen for the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
He was said to be extremely disappointed by the decision. Glen Wheatley, his manager, said: “This was not to be a loud concert but a dignified performance at a solemn event. As it is for many Australians, it’s a very important date and we had no hesitation in accepting the offer for John to perform in the appropriate manner. We would have treated the show with respect in the way it should be.”
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A spokesman for Ms Clark said that her concern was not with Farnham but the nature of the service. “I think with a commemoration of a series of events so tragic, we need to be very careful that it’s dignified and appropriate out of respect to the many, many people who suffered,” the official said.
John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, will raise the issue when he flies to Auckland this weekend. The concert is now likely to be given by a string quartet and the Australian didgeridoo player William Barton.