Drumathon fundraiser hits upbeat note from 14 May

LONDON, UK / AGILITYPR.NEWS / May 12, 2022 / This weekend thousands of drummers will take on a 250 hour drumming marathon that will be live-streamed around the world. DrumathonLIVE 2022, running from 14-21 May, is open to all drummers and will raise awareness and funds for charities including Variety, the Children’s Charity. Go to www.drumathon.live to drum, dance and donate!

Now in its third year, DrumathonLIVE has previously featured high profile drummers from acts including Coldplay, Depeche Mode and Kasabian - and this year the event is set to beat all records.

The 2022 line up so far includes Richard Jupp (Elbow), Jason Cooper (The Cure), Cherisse Osei (Simple Minds), Matty Brown (Stomzy), Errol Kennedy (Imagination), Derrick McKenzie (Jamiroquai) and Nick Hodgson (The Kaiser Chiefs).

Also appearing will be Aicha Djidjelli and Holly Madge (fresh from the amazing Hans Zimmer tour), Mike Malyan (Monuments), Charlie Morgan (Elton John's Live Aid drummer), Raghav Mehtrora from NYC, We.Are.Alien. and the legendary Andy Gagandeen. And there are more star performers still to be announced…

Hitting a rhythm alongside the stars will be thousands of pro and semi-pro drummers who will join livestreams to contribute to 250 hours of non-stop drumming. DrumathonLIVE has also partnered with manufacturers JoBecky and Roland to invite UK schools and youth organisations to create their own events in the biggest charity drumming marathon ever. Other partners include JHS, Vici Drum Co and Adoro Drums.

Mike Dolbear, the UK’s godfather of drumming and mastermind behind the 2012 London Olympic 1000 drummers, will be running a master class on Saturday 14 May from 6pm-8pm at The Tileyard, London for everyone to join in on drums, pots and pans, as he paradiddles and invites super drummers from all over the world to chat with him about their musical experiences.

DrumathonLIVE is the creation of drummer Errol Kennedy, of 1980s funk stars Imagination, and fellow musician Bev Sage, founder member of the Techno Twins, who started the annual event during lockdown in 2020.

To date it has raised over £160,000 for children’s and mental health charities. DrumathonLIVE also inspired and took part in the 2021 BBC Children in Need Drumathon, featuring TV weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans, which raised over £3.8million.

Bev Sage said: “It all started when Errol and myself banged waste bins from our balcony in Hackney for the NHS during the first lockdown in 2020. Then Errol decided to take it up a notch and played non-stop for 24 hours raising money for the NHS - and it’s just escalated from there!”

DrumathonLIVE will support three charities for 2022: Variety, the Children’s Charity, The Anna Freud Centre and Child Bereavement UK.

Drummers, schools and youth organisations wishing to join in the fun should visit www.drumathon.live to register and download an activity pack.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Drumathon contact: Bev Sage, Co-founder: bev@quantumtuner.com

Variety, the Children’s Charity contact: Greg Matthews, Head of Marketing and Comms: greg.matthews@variety.org.uk

Variety believes that neither disability nor disadvantage should prevent any child or young person from realising their full potential. Since October 1949 the charity has supported over one million disabled and disadvantaged children.

When statutory funding cannot adequately meet a child’s needs, Variety steps in. To ensure that it can respond specifically to the needs of each individual child, Variety provides support in the following four ways:

• Through the provision of specially adapted, accessible transport in the form of their famous Sunshine Coaches, making it possible for children and young people to get out and about so that they can learn practical life skills and enjoy trips out to places they otherwise couldn’t get to.
• Through the provision of customised wheelchair grants, helping to increase mobility and improve independence.
• Through the provision of specialist equipment grants which support a child’s development or ability to self-care. 
• Through memorable experiences in the form of the Variety Great Days Out programme which provides educational and fun day trips.

Variety launched in the United States in 1928 and now operates in 13 countries across the world (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Jersey, Republic of Ireland, France, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Barbados and Eastern Caribbean), helping children at the local community level.

Variety is a registered charity in England and Wales (209259) and Scotland (SC038505)

For more information or to donate to Variety, please visit www.variety.org.uk

Follow Variety, the Children’s Charity on twitter @VarietyGB or www.facebook.com/VarietyGB 

Variety is a registered charity in England and Wales (209259) and Scotland (SC038505)