“I was doing a show at a school out in Ivanhoe, a well-to-do school, and I got chatting to a guy after the show and it was close to Christmas so I asked him what his plans were. He said, ‘Well tomorrow I’m going to the Sacred Heart in St Kilda, and I’m going to cook bacon and eggs for anyone who wants it’. I remember saying, ‘That’s great, good on you’. So he said, ‘Why don’t you come and help me?’ and of course I couldn’t hardly say no.”
Located on St Kilda’s Grey Street, the Sacred Heart Mission has been operating a soup kitchen from there and assisting the homeless 365 days of the year since 1982, a fact that continues to fuel Nankervis’ support. “I admit my first visit was challenging,” he says. “Some people are down and out and really struggling. But the kitchen at the Sacred Heart serves everyone. People come in from neighboring suburbs and no one is turned away. I think that is really admirable.”
In a similar spirit, performers at the Heart of St. Kilda concert are there to support the cause and are not paid. Always a mix of comedy and music, this year’s lineup features Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey, The Rebelles, Ella Hooper, Red Symons, and comedians Judith Lucy and Bob Downe – just to name a few.
Nankervis recalls fondly a performance by Paul Kelly at the event a few years ago.
“I remember he sang From St Kilda to Kings Cross and the whole audience rejoiced in the fact that they were in St Kilda to hear him sing it and sing along with him,” he says. “I’m a big believer in community and in trying to galvanize a suburb and a group of people. This concert is something that does that.”
Last year’s concert raised $79,000 for the Sacred Heart Mission’s Meals Program, and with Melbourne seeing a visible increase in the amount of homeless people on the streets, particularly in the CBD, the good work of missions like Sacred Heart on Grey Street need no justification.
“The event is certainly gaining momentum,” says Nankervis on his nine years of work for Sacred Heart. “I just know that there are always people doing it tough. Sometimes it takes awhile for people to find out about things, so you just have to hang in and keep doing it.”
One difference over the years for the concert has been making sure the variety of performers is suitable to all ages and inparticular, families.
“There does seem to be an increase in families coming,” he says, “For the first couple of years it was more of an adult only event, so that’s been a good change because the night is a real variety of performances; comics go on right after musicians. Another recent change is we’ve had a house band – The Meltdown – who backs everyone. A lot of nice traditions like that have started to happen.”
The Meltdown have also provided an opportunity to make sure the musical performances are unique to the event.
“I do a lot of benefit type of shows,” says Nankervis. “I always find that the audience at a benefit show really get so much out of it because it’s entertainment, but it’s entertainment for the purpose of a good cause, so it’s always very special.”
A St Kilda local himself, Nankervis is nothing but grateful to both the community and a worthy cause, as well as celebrating the location itself.
“There’s nothing hidden in St Kilda,” he adds. “Everyone is encouraged to be themselves and for the most part what you see is what’s happening.”
BY HANNAH JOYNER
