Raise a Voice, a local fundraising group, are presenting their first live music night on Saturday 24th September, at the Paget Rooms, to benefit the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) with all profits going to their East Africa Crisis Appeal.
A local team of friends are the event organisers – Greg and Amy Malone, Nic Jones, Elin Blakemore, Sian Cole – and have created the event from scratch. Thomas Boyce and Dominic Davies will be sound and stage managers on the night.
Several businesses in Penarth are already collecting donations in a number of ways, but so far this is the first concert night held in the community. This is an opportunity to collect funds to help relieve the crisis in East Africa, where across four countries (Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, New Sudan) over 60 million people are being affected by famine, drought, displacement and conflict. It is estimated that one child is dying every 6 minutes in the region, mainly due to malnutrition. A guest speaker from the DEC, will also take the Paget stage to illuminate the situation and the appeal.
Performances on the night will be a huge highlight, and some fantastic local acts are on the Raise a Voice line-up: burlesque troupe, The Angel De-Lites are gearing up to entertain guests with their blend of era-melting seductive comedy; multi-instrumentalist local trio Miss Maud’s Folly present a mix of folk gypsy jazz; and headlining are Cardiff’s premier ska/soul ten-piece outfit, Funhouse, their name begets a fun finale to a great night. (One more exciting local band is to be confirmed very soon.) Is this Live Aid on a Penarth-scale? It’s definitely the most exciting live music event to happen locally in 2011, and coincides with the reopening of the newly refurbished Paget rooms.
The Raise a Voice event would not have been possible without the help of three main local sponsors, their proprietors and employees: The Saagor-Fine Indian Cuisine will be providing a tasty curry buffet for all ticket holders, (veggie option included!); JW Basset and the Golden Lion managers are setting up a not-for-profit bar; and Beacon Printers have co-operated with us to produce all material publicity. The kindness and efforts of these sponsors have helped realise the Raise a Voice — and have therefore enabled greater giving to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal.
Tickets are now on sale at The Golden Lion, Glebe St and Arth Wines, Station Approach at the cost of £10. A raffle of wonderful prizes, to be claimed locally, will also be running at the Raise a Voice event. There is no dress-code for the event, just come prepared for an evening of great entertainment and give a little.
