Australian stars line up for bushfire victims

Some of the biggest names in Australian music, past and present, took to the stage today for Australia's largest-ever fund-raising concert and to show support for victims of the nation's deadly bushfires.

More than 100,000 people are estimated to have turned out for the "Sound Relief" concerts, held simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne.

The concerts took place as authorities said the last of the large fires that ravaged Victoria state last month had finally been brought under control after weeks of fire-fighting efforts.

The bushfires left 210 people dead and 10,000 homeless - Australia's worst natural disaster in more than a century.

Among those performing at the event was Australia's environment minister, Peter Garrett, who was scheduled to take to the stage with his band Midnight Oil, one of three that has specially reunited just for the event.

Garrett told journalists that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had been happy for him to take part.

"We didn't have to convince the prime minister or anyone else about us playing," he told a news conference. "I said I'd love us to get out on the stage together. The boys were ready to do it, and it was just one of those things that happened very quickly."

Australian pop star Kylie Minogue was master of ceremonies and the event was opened by British pop group Coldplay, which is currently on tour in Australia.

Others due to take part included expatriate Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, who was to close the Sydney concert, and Olivia Newton-John.

"I shall be there with wings on my heels to help in any way I can the victims of this terrible disaster, let's make it count for all of them," Gibb said in a statement.

A minute's silence will be observed during the evening.

Ticket agency Ticketek said the event at Melbourne Cricket Ground was sold out with 79,000 people paying $75 a ticket, making it Australia's biggest paid concert, topping the previous record crowd of nearly 75,000 for Guns n' Roses in 1993.

A crowd of 40,000 is expected at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"It's just an amazing result," Michael Gudinski of Frontier Touring Company said in a statement.

"It's truly impressive how much the Australian public has gotten behind this. It speaks volumes of the passion of our great country - helping a mate in trouble."

Other bands reuniting for the day apart from Midnight Oil include Split Enz, and Hunters and Collectors.

The Melbourne line-up also included US singer Jack Johnson, Augie March, Gabriella Cilmi, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley, Liam Finn, Paul Kelly, Wolfmother and Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells.

The Sydney concert featured The Presets, Josh Pyke, Eskimo Joe, The Hoodoo Gurus, Jet, Icehouse, Little Birdy, You Am I and the Midnight Juggernauts.

All profits from the Melbourne show will go to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal to help victims of the bushfires while the Sydney funds will be split between the bushfire appeal and a disaster relief fund for flood victims in Queensland.