Billed as an ‘evening of music and solidarity’, the FireAid Benefit Concert held at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum at the end of January saw 35 artists perform in a live broadcast to raise millions for LA Wildfires recovery efforts.
This gathering of artists, live production experts, stars of screen, local philanthropists and music fans was a personal project for Clair Global’s Meegan Holmes, General Manager of Clair’s Sun Valley location, as her family were among the 100,000 people displaced for weeks during the emergency evacuation.
‘Personally speaking, it’s been a very challenging and difficult thing to be so close to,’ she says. ‘But we’ve witnessed some beautiful moments as well, astonishing generosity, support and volunteerism from the people of LA. The donation drives and the mobilisation of people has been very powerful.’
Clair Global’s team was led by Holmes, together with group brands Eighth Day Sound and Sound Image client rehearsals for Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, Sting, Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, Green Day, P!nk and John Fogerty among others, while ATK prepped and deployed a donated d&b audiotechnik KSL PA system to the Kia Forum, where the remaining members of Nirvana made a monumental surprise appearance.
‘It’s been amazing to watch a group of people who would normally spend months planning a show this big, pull it all together in such a short time frame,’ Holmes continues. ‘We’re talking a couple of weeks with some huge names, not in one, but in two iconic venues. It was so impressive, and we really wanted to do our bit to help. There was an experienced and willing production team who wanted to assist this cause, with so many donations of services.
‘That’s the thing about our industry; support is unwavering. Music can truly bring people together; it has power in times of crisis and these were very special, emotive performances. And of course, we’re grateful for the people, the ones that buy concert tickets throughout the year, and didn’t hesitate to buy tickets for FireAid. They fuel our industry and always enable us to step up when there needs to be a big fundraising push. That’s something I’ll remember from this moment in time.’
Organised by the Annenberg Foundation, as the event began, US$2m dollars were raised thanks to a US$1m donation from Irish rock band U2 matched by Clippers Organization and Intuit Dome ownership Steve and Connie Ballmer. At the time of press, an estimated US$100m has been raised, with funds allocated to the rebuilding of LA communities and wildfire prevention methods.
Clair Global site crew comprised System Engineer Grant Cropley and PA Techs Malcolm Whitney-Secright, Kenneth Teaster II, Bryce Marshall and Zachary Hensley.
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More: www.clairglobal.com
