Imagine your favourite band is coming to a town near you and it’s been a year or two since you last saw them. You book your tickets, perhaps a day or two off work, a hotel, the train.
Now imagine that life is not quite so straightforward. That your disability, lifelong health condition or personal circumstances prevent you from accessing a computer, public transport or crowds. Perhaps you need a support worker or a companion to go with you. Perhaps you are a carer who struggles to leave a dependent or you live in a refuge. In which case, you are one of thousands of music lovers across the UK who, every year, due to no fault of their own, miss out on the chance to see their favourite bands live.
In an effort to remedy this situation, Foo Fighters tribute band, UK Foo Fighters, fronted by Dave Grohl lookalike, Jay Apperley, recently headed to the Blues Bar in Harrogate, North Yorkshire to record their version of Foo track ‘In the Clear’, taken from the Foos’ 2014 ‘Sonic Highways’ album. In an unusual move for a tribute band, the UK Foo's will be releasing the song on iTunes, with proceeds going to Bristol-based charity Given to Live and Leeds Music Trust (a music charity based in the Old Chapel Music Studios in Leeds) supported by Ricky Wilson and his Kaiser Chiefs. The aim of both of these projects is to break down social barriers and offer disadvantaged youngsters access to live music and musical skills.
Jay, who recently had a dream come true when he was given the chance to sing with the real Foo's at Brighton Concorde, says, "When Dave Grohl invited me to front his band last September, in front of the world’s press, he changed everything. He didn’t have to do what he did, it wasn’t about him (it never is with Dave), he knew he was making my dream come true. Foo Fighters recorded ‘In the Clear’ at Preservation Hall, New Orleans in 2014. Dave’s inspiration for the song was the music history of the region and the people of New Orleans, their community spirit and their recovery since the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This project is my way of celebrating our local music scene but more importantly, of helping others to access live music and, perhaps, if they get the chance to meet their idols, make their dreams come true. Just like Dave did for me."
Tom Pugh, founder of Given To Live, thinks what the UK Foo's are doing is amazing, saying, "For the charity to be recognized in this way shows me how important what we do is. I have so much respect for Jay and this project means that we can really move the charity up a level, going from helping one or two vulnerable people a year to enjoy live music to, perhaps, helping two or three a month."
UK Foo Fighters cover of ‘In the Clear’ will be available on iTunes April 18th.
By Jacqueline Grima - April 1st, 2015
Fact File
Featuring world renowned saxophonist Snake Davis.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Davis
Snake’s most famous collaboration was on Take That’s – Million Love Songs
Music video produced by: Ontsofa Limited
Edited by: Declan Creffield
Audio recorded in the 'Kaiser Room' (Kaiser Chiefs rehearsal room) by: Adrian Burch & David Whitaker of Czar Street Studios (at Old Chapel Leeds).
Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs is a patron of Leeds Music Trust