In its 25th year, Stagehand, a UK-based live event production workers charity, announced the launch of the Christmas fundraiser, #ILoveLive3. This year’s campaign recognizes the immense challenges faced by the live event production industry and aims to provide crucial support to UK-based touring and festival crews dealing with serious physical or mental ill health. #ILoveLive3 launched on Friday Dec. 1, 2023, with tickets available and on sale at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/i-love-live.
Previous I Love Live events have featured Liam Gallagher’s Les Paul guitar, Glastonbury Festival Tickets, and Dave Grohl’s signed DW ICON Snare Drum, raising over $1.14 million for stage crew impacted by the pandemic.
This year, #ILoveLive3 will see signed set lists from a star-studded lineup including Paolo Nutini, Prodigy, Nile Rodgers, Bring Me The Horizon, Duran Duran, James Bay, New Order, Natalie Imbruglia, Everything Everything, Blossoms, Wet Leg, Maisie Peters and The 1975, plus a drum skin from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Additionally, unsigned memorabilia from Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ Tour, and a piece originally owned by Pink Floyd will be included.
Jonathan Higgs, frontman of art rock band Everything Everything, emphasizes the crucial role crew members play in touring activities, stating, “Our crew are a vital part of our touring activities; we couldn’t do it without them. I’d encourage all live music fans to get involved and give back to the people behind the scenes.”
Lighting Designer Tom Campbell of MIRRAD, who has worked with an array of high-profile bands, including Bring Me The Horizon, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Skunk Anansie, highlights the critical need for supporting wellbeing amongst music stage and road crew, he says, “In a high-pressure industry that runs primarily on a skilled, freelance workforce, ensuring that we look after both our own wellbeing and that of our peers on the road is critical. Our sector has been through a lot over the last few years, and with support from charities like Stagehand, we have got through it. I hope people support this fundraiser and continue to acknowledge the backstage ecosystem that is part of every musical performance.”
*Research has found that touring professionals are 5-10 times more likely than the general population to experience mental health challenges, facing industry-specific challenges such as irregular sleep patterns, performance pressures, and demanding travel schedules: all of which contribute to the vulnerability of touring personnel to serious mental health issues.
Stagehand is at the forefront of recognizing the importance of mental health in the industry and has been actively funding Mental Health First Aid Training courses since 2017. The charity supports training and retraining activities due to illness or injury, offering bursaries for freelance workers to undertake Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training through its delivery partner, Music Support. Stagehand encourages all live event productions to have Mental Health First Aiders allocated within their crew at an ideal ratio of 1 MHFA to every 20 crew members.
#ILoveLive3 launches through Crowdfunder on Friday 1st December, with tickets priced at £5 to remain accessible to all music fans. The prize draw is scheduled for Friday 5 January 2024, when winners will be announced. Entries will close on Friday 22nd December.
More information on Stagehand can be found at www.stagehand.org.uk
For more information on what’s on offer, and to buy your tickets, please visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/i-love-live
