Tonic Music have revealed their latest campaign to raise mental health awareness with The Specials’ Terry Hall and Dub Pistols’ Barry Ashworth. The new campaign will be called Tonic Rider which provides mental health support for those working in the music industry, from the frontman of a band to those working backstage on a tour.
Tonic Water is a mental health charity that was founded in 2012 based in the south coast of England. It was created as ‘a direct response to the lack of creative support for people experiencing mental health difficulties. It was founded upon the belief that participation in music and the arts can aid you in your recovery from mental illness.’
Tonic Rider will provide guides, mental health first aid training and suicide prevention training to grassroots venues and in-person support stands at music venues and festivals. There will also be videos, blogs and podcast as well as virtual peer support groups during the lockdown period. Mental health professionals have got on board, providing much needed support via e-mail to those seeking advice and help from the programme.
Ashworth and Hall are both patrons of the Tonic Rider.Ashworth stated his cause for becoming an ambassador to Musicweek, stating “Among my music circle, it’s been devastating to lose friends to suicide since the pandemic. People have lost their livelihoods, their identities, their confidence and have feelings of anxiety, depression and feelings of hopelessness”. The singer covered New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ with Canadian artist Dubmatix and dub producer Gaudi to raise funds for the programme.
Similarly, Hall stated his deteriorated mental state during the lockdown period, telling Musicweek “these are terribly testing times for those of us with mental health issues. My mental health deteriorated towards the end of last year. The thing that got me through was communication. If you’re suffering, then it is incredibly important to tell people, family, friends, doctors, Tonic.” Terry Hall has been involved with the charity previously, with The Specials funding the Tonic Water Ska choir through their 2019 Encore album launch.
Adam Ficek who is the drummer in Babyshambles will be delivering group sessions in the Tonic Rider, using his own experiences within the music industry and as a psychotherapist. He stated in the press release, ‘I look forward to using my own experiences as a musician and psychotherapist to develop a much-needed resource for everyone in the music industry.’ Tonic Rider was piloted at 100 Club in London and the Wedgerooms in Portsmouth with organisers wishing to roll out the programme to green rooms, festivals and Night Time Industries Association members.
With the pandemic affecting musicians and those in the music industry the most, Tonic Rider aims to provide support to all and advise those who see friends, band members or colleagues suffering. As Ashworth states, ‘With the music industry on its knees and many people having lost their livelihoods, it [Tonic Rider] is needed now more than ever.”
If you would like to hold a fundraiser for Tonic, request a choir performanceor have a Tonic stand at your event, or sponsor a programme of work, head to the Tonic Water website and click ‘Get Involved’ and then ‘Support and Sponsorship’.
