Northern Irish rock band Ash is back on the road for a new tour – and supporting the Alzheimer’s Society at several gigs along the way. On 3rd December the band, who have supported charity for several years, performed at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, where fans enjoyed songs from their new album Kablammo! A team of volunteers from the charity held bucket collections, raising £200.
Ash formed in the early 90s and the band has enjoyed commercial and critical success ever since. Their debut breakthrough album, 1977 – which includes the iconic songs Girl From Mars, Oh Yeah, Kung Fu and Angel Interceptor – established the band as one of the biggest rock bands of recent years.
Ash frontman, singer-songwriter Tim Wheeler, has had a personal experience of dementia as his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 and sadly passed away in January 2011. Tim said: “We’re thrilled with the amount of money raised at our gigs and we want to thank our fans for their generosity. Dementia is a growing worldwide problem and as yet there is no cure. When Dad’s condition deteriorated I felt very helpless as there was nothing I could do except visit him as much as possible. The main hope seems to be in prevention and a lot of funding for research is needed.”
The band has been supporting the Alzheimer’s Society’s initiative to change people’s perception of dementia since 2014, when Tim co-produced the music for the Dementia Friends TV advertisement which featured a host of celebrities including Lily Allen and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Claire Thorpe, Alzheimer’s Society Community Fundraiser for Greater London, said: “This performance was special for a whole host of reasons, but with much stigma still surrounding dementia, the gig was a really fantastic way of raising awareness and vital funds. We’re full of admiration for Tim Wheeler for supporting us and talking so openly about how he has been affected by dementia. We also want to thank music fans for generously donating money to Alzheimer’s Society during the evening. The funds raised will help us support people to live well with dementia today and fund vital research to find a cure for tomorrow.”
•The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia support and research charity. The charity champions the rights of people living with dementia and supports the millions of people who care for them. You can donate now by calling 0330-333 0804 or by going to: www.alzheimers.org.uk
[Adverts]