45, 000 Sydneysiders and 80, 000 Melburnians crammed into their respective cricket grounds for yesterday’s massive Sound Relief concerts.

Crowds at both shows were treated to some extra special performances. Coldplay originally promised an acoustic set, but their electric numbers proved anything but ordinary with the surprise addition of John Farnham to the line-up. The Aussie music veteran joined Coldplay for “Fix You” and “You’re The Voice,” a song Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin called the “national anthem.”

Having living legend Barry Gibb close the show was exciting enough, but to have Olivia Newton-John join him for the Kenny Rogers Dolly Parton classic “Islands in the Stream” was something else. They might not admit it freely, but I’m convinced everyone has a soft spot for that song.

Melbourne didn’t miss out either, with some amazing reformations and international stars. One of the biggest was Midnight Oil, who closed the show.

Their 50-minute set included hit after hit, “Read About It,” “Beds Are Burning” and “Blue Sky Mining” among them.

“You are such a good crowd for such an important event,” Peter Garrett told the enthusiastic crowd.

Initial reports said Kylie wouldn’t sing, but she did anyway, wowing crowds with this beautiful acoustic rendition of “I Still Call Australia Home.” This is another of those songs eligible for the title of honorary anthem - it gets to me every time. This video is preceded by a moving minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims.

Kings of Leon wouldn’t play “Sex on Fire” lest it offend the bushfire victims, yet their mammoth hit “Use Somebody” was well received. From the pop tunes of Gabriella Cilmi to the laidback sounds of Jack Johnson, and the country-tinged duets of Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, it was a concert that delivered something for everybody.

Wolfmother and Jet worked double-time, appearing at both Sydney and Melbourne shows. But they didn’t mind, with Wolfmother singer Andrew Stockdale adding that the event was one of the most significant in Australian music history.

“It just shows what this country does – it gets behind people when they’re down and out,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Organisers expect the event to raise more than $5 million for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and Queensland flood victims.

Sydney band Decoder Ring has scored the prestigious support slot for Coldplay’s Viva La Vida Australian tour. The local lads, who were hand-selected by the British band, will play for 150, 000 fans at 11 Aussie arena shows.

Decoder Ring’s organic sounds and psychedelic electronic arrangements are sure to set the stage for Coldplay’s spectacular audiovisual show.

There are strictly limited tickets available through Ticketek. Here are all the dates.

27 and 28 February 2009 - Burswood Dome, Perth
3, 4, and 5 March 2009 - Rod Laver Arena, Rod Laver Arena
8 and 9 March 2009 - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11, 12, 14, and 15 March 2009 - Acer Arena, Sydney

Image used with permission from Liz O’Grady

Kylie Minogue and Coldplayhave teamed up for an ethereal new single called “Lhuna.” The track was released yesterday to support World AIDS Day.

All proceeds from the sale of the landmark single will go to (RED)Wire, a charity which helps deliver AIDS medication to those that can’t afford it.

This song is certainly a departure from the soaring stadium anthems and boppy pop gems we’re used to hearing from these musicians. Who would have imagined their collaboration would sound like this?

Coldplay are bring their Viva La Vida tour Down Under. Lead singer Chris Martin has told The Sunday Telegraph he needed to ensure the concerts were flawless before bringing the show to our shores.

“For us, touring in your country is kind of exotic, so we feel like it’s kind of a treat. So we wait until we feel like we deserve to go to Australia,” he explained. “We don’t like to play in Australia until we’ve perfected our concert.”

The tour announcement coincides with this weekend’s release of a deluxe edition of Viva La Vida: Prospekt’s March, which features eight new tracks.

Coldplay tickets are available through Ticketek from 4 December. Here are the dates!

27 February 2009 - Burswood Dome, Perth
3 and 4 March 2009 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
8 and 9 March 2009 - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11 and 12 March 2009 - Acer Arena, Sydney

Image source: DaigoOlivia @ Flickr