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Placebo are helping stage crew charity Stagehand’s #ILoveLive initiative by donating one of frontman Brian Molko’s guitars to a prize draw.
A single entry costs £5, and participants can enter the draw multiple times from today (December 4) until December 17. The lucky winner will get their hands on Molko’s signed 1972 Fender Disgustang guitar.
Stagehand’s fundraising campaign comes as many freelance sound engineers, lighting technicians and tour managers continue to fall through the cracks in receive financial aid from the UK government.
A survey by the charity conducted during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic revealed that 35 per cent of live crew are surviving on savings or debt and 20 per cent have been left with no government support, including universal credit.
Dozens of other artists have donated their instruments and other memorabilia to the cause. Signed guitars by Nile Rogers, Liam Gallagher, Eric Clapton, Elbow, and Nick Cave have been provided. FKA Twigs donated one of her stage masks and, among others, Florence+The Machine provided handwritten lyrics.
See pics of Molko’s guitar below:
In October the government rolled out a limited Culture Recovery rescue package. As many as 290,000 grassroots spaces shared £41m from the fund, but more than 600 missed out.
With full-capacity gigs currently expected to return safely in April, the cash injection will help to mothball live spaces until COVID-19 restrictions subside. While the Cultural Recovery Fund news is welcomed, many fear that workers and road crew are being “ignored” by the chancellor’s new Job Support Scheme.
Meanwhile, many industry spokespeople representing musicians, crew workers and other freelancers and self-employed continue to call for a tailored sector-specific support package to help them survive until full capacity live music can return – including a ‘Seat Out To Help Out’ scheme.
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