A local singer hosted a charity livestream on Facebook to raise money for NHS Charities Together.
JJ Darby/Mann Slaughter, lead singer of The Bloodshake Chorus - a rumbustious band unearthing the classics of the fifties and sixties with a horrific twist - held the stream on April 5 to raise money to help the fight against coronavirus.
“I know that we have such a great following and such loyal and generous fans. I wanted to see if we, together, could raise some money for a really amazing cause,” said Darby.
“I don’t have money, but I have a voice, so I figured that was the best way I could give back. As someone who is self isolating, the sooner we get shot of this virus, the better.”
Darby kicked off the event with a make-up tutorial on how to do a classic zombie look, something the band are well-known for.
This was proceeded by a karaoke segment in which he took requests and read donations, singing songs from Aqua and Elvis to Pearl Jam and many more - as well as holding a Q&A session.
“I feel the afternoon went amazingly. I would have been happy with £200 but the total kept going up and up. I decided to finally stop at £1000, (with the grand total, including Gift Aid, now exceeding £1250) as 6 hours was taking a strain on my voice, plus I wanted pizza...”
Generous donations were made from both fans and businesses including The Brickmakers, Bar One and iWarehouse.
“In such troubling times, we must all stick together and help each other,” adds JJ Darby.
“In those six hours I learnt how much care, compassion and generosity we have to share. I couldn’t be more proud of our fans, who are now our friends. We may do another one at some point, so please follow The Bloodshake Chorus on Facebook, to keep up to date.”
- If you would like to donate, you can do so by searching NHS Charities Together or via The BloodShake Chorus’ PayPal collection
- For more local music check out our dedicated page every Thursday in the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News, our podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other streaming platforms and follow Enjoy Music More on Facebook and Twitter
- Subscribe to our daily Coronavirus newsletter, with all the latest from where you live
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here