News

Young Music Fans Get Chance To Create Dream Gig

• 27th May 2010

Young music fans and aspiring artists are being given the chance to win and curate their very own exclusive gig – complete with the chance to pick its line-up and location – as part of skindividual, the bold online music initiative from Cancer Research UK.

The skindividual competition from SunSmart, the charity’s skin cancer awareness programme, will task music lovers with dreaming up the most creative gig idea that links live music with a message to young people about not getting caught out by sunburn.

The best idea will be turned into reality this summer.. Electropop, indie, hip hop or RnB – it’s completely your call. Not only will the winner get the chance to create and host their own event, but they could also find themselves performing at it too.

The winner will be assigned their own team of live music experts – including artist booking agents, gig promoters and web designers – to help them turn their vision into reality. They will also be given access to some of the best brains in the music industry, such as NME editor Krissi Murison, Radio 1 Xtra presenter Max Akhtar, Bestival director Ben Turner, Jason Legg, Head of Live music at HMV, Rockness festival director Jim King, Ben Fender, MD of top event producers Drive Productions, and Sophie Epstone, founder of music and fashion youth cancer charity Trekstock.

The skindividual initiative aims to encourage young people to protect their skin from sunburn this summer. The competition has been launched in response to rising rates of malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, among young people in the UK. Rates of malignant melanoma have more than doubled among young people in the past 20 years, and it is now the most common form of cancer in Britain among 15-34 year olds.

This year’s skindividual competition will build on last year’s success, when budding teen musician Kate McGill won a chance to share the stage with her idols Ladyhawke, New Young Pony Club and Bombay Bicycle Club during a private gig for her social network at Relentless Garage in Islington, skindividual 2009 helped spread the messages about the dangers of sunburn and too much UV. The competition evaluation showed positive trends in awareness of skin cancer and the importance of sun protection among young people.

Kate McGill said: “Last year’s event was awesome. I got to play alongside my music heroes and raise awareness of a really important issue that people our age tend to wash over.”

Jason Legg, Head of HMV Live added: “skindividual is a brilliant opportunity for breakthrough bands and budding festival organisers to show off their talent, passion and determination. So this is your time to show off and get involved.”

Young hopefuls will be given until 11th June to spell out in roughly 100 words their vision for the ultimate gig, including their ideas on how to make the skindividual concept a central theme, via a dedicated website link.

A high profile panel of top music industry experts will shortlist the ten best gig creators, who will then be tasked with making a short youtube film to promote their gig. The film that gets the greatest number of views will win the top prize.