Look To The Stars News: Jarvis Cocker

Give Landmines The Boot With Charity Auction

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:00 -0000

A British charity for victims of landmines has launched their annual online celebrity shoe auction.

The Mines Advisory Group has gathered footwear from over 50 celebrities for the auction, which will raise vital funds for their projects and draw attention to the part of the body most vulnerable to landmines.

The auction was launched by model Kelly Knox, the glamorous winner of BBC 3’s best disabled model competition, at Merchant Taylor’s Hall in London.

“We are extremely honored to have Kelly launch our shoe auction this year,” said MAG’s Chief Executive Lou McGrath OBE. “Despite being born without a left forearm, Kelly has proven disability is not a deterrent to success. She should be an inspiration to the many thousands of people who have been cruelly maimed by the thousands of landmines still threatening lives and communities worldwide.”

Celebrities who have donated their soles to the cause include Judi Dench, Geri Halliwell, Chrissie Hynde, Beverley Knight, Ian McKellen, Shirley Bassey, Russell Brand, Jarvis Cocker, Heather Mills, Joanna Lumley, Susan Sarandon, Pete Townshend, KT Tunstall, Chris Martin, Rolf Harris, and many others.

The auction ends on December 4 and can be accessed via the MAG eBay site.

British charity auction site Buy Once Give Twice also currently has some exciting opportunities for philanthropic bargain hunters.

Rays of Sunshine – a charity that grants wishes to seriously and terminally ill children in the UK – have a whole bunch of VIP tickets up for grabs on the site right now, including concert experiences with Coldplay, Madness, and the Kaiser Cheifs. There is also a Fender guitar signed by Sting up for grabs, as well as a Chelsea football shirt signed by the whole team, and the chance to hang out with Emma Thompson on the set of the new Nanny McPhee movie.

But you better be quick, this auction ends tomorrow, November 26.

Oxfam's Month Of Musical Magic

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

October is Rocktober for Oxfam, with the annual Oxjam festival kicking off and also a new TV advert from Annie Lennox hitting the airwaves.

Oxjam is a UK wide music event organised by the charity Oxfam which took place for the first time in October 2006. Throughout October, hundreds of musical events will be taking place across Great Britain to raise money for Oxfam’s work to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice around the world. To raise awareness of the events, Jarvis Cocker, The Kooks, Fatboy Slim and several other British musicians have created a PSA to encourage music fans to attend gigs or even organize a show for themselves.

Last year’s Oxjam was extremely popular and featured over 3000 gigs across the UK, as well as a special series of shows held in an Oxfam shop in London that featured Jamelia, Fatboy Slim, and The Kooks. Concerts featuring every type of musical genre imaginable were staged, encompassing rock, classical, dance, pop, R&B, rap, techno, and more. Some of the more bazaar events last year included a 12 hour “buskathon”, featuring buskers in 12 British cities, and a “guitar relay”, in which a guitar was taken from one end of the British mainland to the other, and was played at a different Oxjam concert each day on the way.

“Oxjam is all about thousands of small events adding up to something much bigger,” said The Kooks singer, Luke Pritchard. “So it’s great to join in by playing a small acoustic show. Even better, music fans can get involved by coming along to this show or going to a local Oxjam night.”

Also on a musical theme, a new T.V advert – featuring a voiceover by Annie Lennox and music from Muse – has been created by Oxfam for the campaign “Be Humankind.“

The ad has been created to encourage people to take their sense of injustice about the state of the world and do something about it. Oxfam is asking people to tap into their self conscious – that part of them that won’t stand by and watch people suffer – and join their campaign to end poverty. And with nearly half the world living in poverty, Oxfam needs everybody to join them in the fight for a better human race.

To find out more about Oxjam – including where and where events are being held – visit their website. To view this year’s PSA, click here. Annie Lennox’s new TV ad can be found at YouTube.

Musicians Band Together To Make Signs

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Michael Stipe, Jarvis Cocker, Death Cab for Cutie and OK Go are some of the musicians who have banded together for a new charity auction sponsored by Under The Radar Magazine.

The bands have created signs and banners using black paint on white card to raise money for War Child. Most of the signs display the musicians’ political commentary and slogans – such as OK Go’s They Bank on Your Apathy, Chuck D’s Fight the Power ‘Of Course’, and Michael Stipe’s Things I Hate: Gutless Puff Adder Journalists. However, others display more a individual style – such as Supergrass’ Dolphins Are Not Just Sex Objects and Peter Morén’s Down With Whistling.

The auction runs until October 7, and can be accessed through eBay.

Karaoke With The Stars Raises Much Needed Cash

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Gwyneth Paltrow might be about to outshine Coldplay-singing husband Chris Martin behind the microphone… but maybe not quite yet. The 35-year-old actress showed off her vocal talents at a charity karaoke show in London last Thursday, after a $90,000 bid prompted her to take to the stage.

The event, held at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, attracted a number of stars to get up on stage and sing their favorite tunes to benefit the Hoping Foundation. Hosted by veteran presenter Bruce Forsyth, the evening’s entertainment hoped to raise $1 million to help Palestinian children.

Paltrow is reported to have sung Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly”, and gained a standing ovation for her effort. Other stars to hit the stage included Jeff Beck, Jarvis Cocker, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Stella McCartney, and Lily Cole.

This is the second year that Karaoke With The Stars has been held by the Hoping Foundation, with last year’s event raising over $700,000 to go towards the community programs the Foundation runs in refugee camps.

Former Pulp Singer Donates Song To The Homeless

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:36:10 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Pulp, the innovative pop rockers of the 80s and 90s, may have drifted off into a never-ending hiatus, but former frontman Jarvis Cocker is back with a new single – and this one is for charity. A duet between Cocker and American rocker Beth Ditto has just been released on iTunes, with proceeds going to the homeless.

The pair performed a cover of Heaven 17’s Temptation at the prestigious ceremony in London last March, and decided to release the recording due to popular demand.

“It has taken a full 12 months for the world to be ready for this track – I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed performing it,” said Cocker.

Money raised from the single will go to Shelter, a charity committed to homeless people in Britain. Shelter’s vision is that everyone should have a home – somewhere decent, safe, affordable and permanent. Yet one in seven children in Britain is growing up in bad housing, and thousands of homeless households are stuck in temporary accommodation.

“We are delighted that two of the hottest names in the music business are donating the profits from this single to us,” said Shelter Chief Executive Adam Simpson. “By downloading ‘Temptation’ you’ll not only get a great track, but you’ll be raising money to help homeless and badly housed people across Britain.”

Stars Rock the Oxfam Shop

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:52:03 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A specially-converted Oxfam shop in London is to be the venue for a series of concerts in October, as part of the second annual Oxjam Music Festival.

Performers Jamelia, Fatboy Slim, and The Kooks will jam for Oxfam during the first week of the month, the exact location of the gigs being a secret until the night. The shop that hosts the event will also sell a wide range of unique music memorabilia, including items donated by Elton John, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Goldfrapp. Special badges designed by Jarvis Cocker, the Chemical Brothers, and the Kaiser Chiefs will also be available.

“I have always donated my unwanted records to my local Oxfam shop,” said British Big Beat musician, Fatboy Slim. “But performing in one will be a first for me, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

The first of the concerts takes place on October 1, when The Kooks take to the stage to play an acoustic set, followed later in the evening by former Pulp frontman, Jarvis Cocker. October 2 will see Jamelia perform her hit singles See It In A Boy’s Eye and Superstar, followed by beatbox musician, Killa Kela. Electronic pop group Hot Chip and DJ Bobby Friction will hit the stage on October 3, with Fatboy Slim and Emmanuel Jal playing the final concert on October 4.

The concerts are just some of the events in this year’s Oxjam Music Festival, an exciting month long fundraising extravaganza. Over 3000 events all over Britain are being held as part of it, with all proceeds going to Oxfam. Concerts featuring every type of musical genre imaginable are being staged, encompassing rock, classical, dance, pop, R&B, rap, techno, and more. Some of the more bazaar events this year include a 12 hour “buskathon”, featuring buskers in 12 British cities, and a “guitar relay”, in which a guitar will be taken from one end of the British mainland to the other, and being played at a different Oxjam concert each day on the way.

Last year’s festival attracted over 20,000 people to 1,100 events, and raised over $1 million. This year’s target is over $2 million, with the money going to fund clean drinking water, shelter, and medicine to over a million people worldwide.

More information on Oxjam, and the opportunity to win tickets to some of the events, can be found at www.oxfam.org/oxjam and www.myspace.com/oxjam.

Look To The Stars News: Jarvis Cocker

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