Gladiator star gigs for charity

Armani with Crowe and the band in Milan on Monday

New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe and his folk-rock band Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts gave a concert in Milan on Monday to raise funds for the Italian charity Children in Crisis.

Crowe, who starred in the Roman film epic Gladiator, has been singing with the band since 1984.

Children in Crisis provides care for victims of family violence and abuse, and was founded by fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who was pivotal in getting Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts on stage.

Gladiator: Likely to win best film Oscar

"Giorgio found a charity which is to help kids in Milan, not a charity that passes money in other countries, " said Crowe. "It wouldn't have really happened without Giorgio Armani."

Crowe added: "We think it's really important to do this kind of thing."

The band has done other concerts for charity in the past and their new album, Bastard Life or Clarity, was released in Australia on Monday.

Before this expansion the band's music was only available through its website.

Alternative career

Speaking of his alternative career as a rock star, Crowe said:

"When I work in a movie, I feel the needs of a character. When I sing songs I write, I'm talking about things that happen in my life, not in a fantasy life on the screen."

The band plays an eclectic variety of roots music.

Do I covet an Oscar? Do I search for one in my life? No

Russell Crowe

"We describe our music as being folk music," Crowe explained, adding that they have a variety of influences, from the songwriters of the 60s to "a little bit of Elvis Presley some Doors and some Tom Jones".

Flattered

Though Gladiator won the best film category at the Golden Globes, and a Bafta earlier in the week, Crowe has not earned best actor titles from Bafta, the Golden Globes or the New York or LA critics.

His current release, Proof of Life, has drawn more attention as the off-screen romance with co-star Meg Ryan than it has for its box-office.

But for the moment Crowe, who starred to great acclaim in the tobacco whistle-blower movie The Insider, is sticking to film.

Russell Crowe: Actor and rock star

He is next to play the schizophrenic mathematics genius John Forbes Nash Jr, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994 for his work on games theory.

Asked about his Oscar nomination for best actor, Crowe was nonchalant.

"In terms of its importance for the industry, I am very flattered," he said.

"But do I covet an Oscar? Do I search for one in my life? No."