In 2007 the Melbourne Recital Centre was nearing completion. The concert platform concrete had just been poured. A ‘Hard Hat Concert’ was staged to celebrate this milestone. It was the first music made on the stage and reminded everyone working on the project that what they were building was a very special and significant cultural asset. Graeme wrote and directed a piece for a percussion quartet using found sound and bespoke industrial-sized instruments, made on site. Three workers also played guest solos on tools – angle grinder, power saw and jackhammer.
The concert took place a few days after the main stage concrete was poured. It featured three workers from the site who took solos on angle grinder, power saw and jackhammer.
It was to remind everybody involved project that they were building a world-class concert hall and was attended by State Ministers and project bosses.
Graeme re-purposed objects found on site as instruments, and he designed a range of industrial-scale acoustic boxes that the workers built for the show. Pictured are John Pandazopoulos, Minister for Major Projects and Lynne Kosky, Minister for the Arts, joining the band for an improvised encore.