Liam Gallagher and FKA Twigs are amongst the latest group of artists showing their support for the live music industry. The two artists have donated signed instruments to two charitable auctions.
The auction agendas are to curate funds for music industry workers financially struggling from the Covid-19 pandemic. The fate of much of the music industry is undecided at the moment, thus the public support by the likes Twigs and Gallagher is vital.
The first auction is a one-off event for The Music Venue Trust (MVT), a charitable organisation focused on preserving and maintaining music industry artists, particularly independent venues. The MVT was behind the huge #SaveOurVenues movement, a national campaign that has since generated over £1m.
The second auction is entitled #ILoveLive. The proceeds of the #ILoveLive auction will go entirely to the Stagehand charity. Stagehand is a hardship fund for workers of live industry events.
After hearing of “a former stage manager who woke up in tears after realising she had £10 in her bank account”, Stagehand selected the worker for a series of £500 payments. Stagehand said: “It wasn’t much but it showed that someone cared.” Both FKA Twigs and Gallagher gave signed guitars to the #ILoveLive auction. Tahliah Debrett Barnett, aka FKA Twigs, bequeathed some of her famous stage masks too.
Eric Clapton, Elbow and Nile Rogers also partook in the #ILoveLive, each gifting a signed guitar. Other artists that got involved were Florence Welch, Ellie Goulding and Robbie Williams, who gave the personal gift of handwritten lyrics. Meanwhile, The Chemical Brothers donated a signed synth, and Craig David gave away a signed mixing desk.
Steven Wilson, singer, songwriter and founder of progressive rock band Porcupine, donated personal memorabilia for the MVT auction. Wilson donated a box set containing a Grammy nomination certificate, an unreleased song, and other surprises, all worth over £10,000.
David Stopps, music manager and founder of the Stagehand draw, spoke on the Covid-19 pandemic, and how the mental health of many industry workers have been negatively affected. Stopps said sadly: “When I heard about the 10th suicide attempt among road crew I thought, I’ve got to do something.”
Tom Bailey, a client of Stopps and a former member of the Thompson Twins, donated the guitar that he played at Live Aid back in 1985. Meanwhile, Nile Rogers, originally from Chic, gifted a special replica of his iconic Stratocaster guitar. The “hitmaker” replica was the driving force behind several Chic tracks, and more recently serving on Daft Punks’ Get Lucky.
Rogers showed his gratitude for music tour workers amid the donation. Rogers meditated that “A Chic show would not be possible without our incredible crew who have been deeply affected by the pandemic, as have all the crews. They’ve had such a tough time this year with no work at all.”
The need for financial action towards the music industry at these present times is immediate and pressing. Although the UK government has given furlough schemes and grants for industry workers, but it is not enough. Freelance workes such as sound and lighting engineers and tour managers have been left by the wayside during the Covid pandemic. Hopefully, the auctions are a step in the right direction for saving the music industry as we know it.
