While it took many people to get Tones and I to Longwood, including an online campaign that involved hundreds, one standout local was Shona Guest (a.k.a. Shorty) who engineered her large team with clockwork precision and a lot of fast-paced sweat.

In a spirit of community drive, Shorty led a management committee of 13, a squad of 28 to set up the venue, and about 30 more on the ground at showtime.

On top of that was about two dozen volunteers manning the bar.

“This is the biggest event that Longwood has ever seen,” Shorty said.

“It has astounded the people.

“To have a crowd of 5000 come to a town of only 263 is quiet a challenge.

“It has been overwhelming but achievable with the amazing team of volunteers behind this.

She said everyone in the town had helped out with providing labour and hardware such as tents, shade cloth, and tables.

“You only have to make a phone call or else people have messaged me asking ‘what can I do?’”

Shorty also said many volunteers had given on many fronts.

“Some here have done so much, and when you think of them going from being on the red trucks as volunteer firefighters and in private they had to fight their own fires at home, and then went on to work at fodder depots - and they are now backing up an event of this calibre.

“Longwood gets it done.”