Look To The Stars News: Mencap

Colplay's Chris Martin To Play Charity Show Tonight

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland will be headlining a special charity show on Thursday 24 November, completing the line up for Little Noise Sessions 2011.

Manchester band Elbow last night kicked off this year’s Little Noise Sessions – a series of gigs in aid of Mencap.

The gig was the last of this year for the Mercury Prize-winning band. Frontman Guy Garvey said that it was the 20th year that the band had been performing together and led the audience in a sing-along of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Elbow.

Spell Better Than Stephen Fry For Charity

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Stephen Fry is to take part in a live reverse spellathon for charity.

The British broadcaster has thrown his support behind a new spelling app created by Mencap that allows users to raise money for the charity while playing a fantastic game that asks players to spell words backwards.

The online event will be split into three live games – Stephen vs. Primary/Elementary children, Stephen vs. Secondary/Middle/High School students and Stephen vs. Adults – and will consist of players from each category spell backwards as many words as they can in 15 minutes. Anyone who beats Stephen’s score will receive a certificate.

Tom Jones To Make A Little Noise For Charity

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000

To celebrate their 5th birthday, Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions have enlisted superstar Tom Jones, multi-platinum selling Paolo Nutini and band of the moment Hurts to perform at the legendary series of acoustic gigs taking place from 15th – 20th November at Islington’s Union Chapel.

Curated by Mencap Ambassador Jo Whiley, once again Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions will bring some of the hottest names in music, over six very special nights, to perform acoustically in the exquisite surroundings of the Union Chapel. The stripped back music mixed with the intimate venue gives the audience the chance to see something truly unique each night.

Kicking off Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions birthday celebrations in style on Monday 15th November is Welsh legend Tom Jones who will be performing a special set from his latest album Praise & Blame, enlisting support on the night from some special guests! The night will be opened by hot, new, soul songstress, Lauren Pritchard.

Coldplay To Rock For Mencap

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Coldplay have confirmed that they will play a charity concert benefiting Mencap on December 19 as part of the charity’s Big Noise Sessions.

“We’re proud to support Mencap and, for me, it’s exciting to play my hometown,” said singer Chris Martin. “We haven’t played there since 2000. It’s going to be really, really special.”

The show – which will also feature Lily Allen – will take place at Exeter Castle in the UK, with tickets costing £50. Tickets will be made available in three batches: the first batch will be offered to subscribers on the Little Noise Sessions website on December 8, with the second batch being sold at HMV Exeter on December 10. The final batch will go on general sale through HMV on December 11.

U2's Guitarist Becomes Charity Ambassador

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

U2 guitarist The Edge has been made a Mencap ambassador.

The rocker has been a longtime supporter of the charity, which works with people who suffer from learning disabilities. In 2007, he played a surprise acoustic gig with Bono at the charity’s annual Little Noise Sessions, and he joins stars such as comedian Mathew Horne, Christopher Eccleston, investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre, actress Kellie Shirley, Newcastle-born actress and TV presenter Donna Air, Paula Sage – who became an ambassador after she won a Bafta award for her role in the film Afterlife – actor and singer Will Young, and Lisa Scott Lee as an ambassador.

“Not many people know what a learning disability is, or the challenges people with a learning disability face,” said The Edge. “I’ve seen how much work goes into Mencap and want to continue to see it flourish.”

Mencap Gains New Celebrity Ambassador

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:00 +0000

UK charity Mencap – which works with people with learning disabilities – has just acquired a new ambassador, the English comedian and actor Mathew Horne, who will help promote awareness of learning disabilities.

30 year-old Horne was nominated for Best Male Comedy Newcomer at the 2007 British Comedy Awards and is best known for playing the role of Gavin Shipman in the BBC Sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

Horne revealed that he would be supporting the charity during the Little Noise Sessions at The Union Chapel of Union in London.

The Killers Play Surprise Charity Gig

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:30:00 +0000

The Killers played an unannounced acoustic set at the first of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions in London on Saturday night.

The British rockers made their surprise appearance at a show that also featured Glasvegas, White Lies and Cage The Elephant. They played 3 songs, including Human, Smile Like You Mean It, and an inspired performance of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Surprise acoustic performances are a traditional part of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions. Last year, Bono and The Edge from U2 took to the stage unannounced and played four acoustic songs.

British Rockers To Go Acoustic For Mencap

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Kasabian, Stereophonics, Keane, and Razorlight have all signed up to perform at this year’s Mencap Little Noise Sessions which take place across eleven days in November.

The acoustic shows will take place at Islington’s Union Chapel to raise money for the charity, which works with people who suffer from learning disabilities.

“We are really looking forward to playing the show for the Little Noise Sessions on behalf of Mencap,” said Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics. “To be able to do an acoustic show in such an intimate venue and be able to support such a worthy cause will be a really special thing to do and something we rarely get the chance to do. It will be beautiful.”

U2 Plays Surprise Charity Gig

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:00:52 +0000

Over 250 people were glad they braved the freezing London weather last week to attend one of the Mencap Little Noise Sessions charity concerts. Those who traipsed through the drizzle on Friday, November 23, were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime show when two members of U2 played unannounced as a warm up act at the gig.

Bono and The Edge played a set of four songs when they surprised concert-goers at the Union Chapel in North London, including “Stay (Faraway So Close)”, “Desire”, “Angel of Harlem”, and “Wave of Sorrow”, a song originally written in 1987 for the Joshua Tree album, but never released or played live before.

“Don’t tell Larry (Mullen Jr) and Adam (Clayton) we’ve done this,” joked Bono, referring to his absent band mates.