Mersey stars unite for World AIDS Day fundraiser
Established legends and rising stars of Liverpool’s music scene are coming together at The Philharmonic Hall ahead of World AIDS Day 2016 for a spectacular fundraising event, set to celebrate the lives and ongoing legacies of the many people living with HIV.
They will be joined by Paul Hemmings from The LA’s and The Lightning Seeds, up-and-coming LIPA singer songwriter Satin Beige, and Martin Smith from Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band. Also on the bill are the award-winning Sense of Sound Singers. Rising soul star Mersey Wylie will be performing, and the bluesy Connie Lush will be bringing her gritty, powerful vocals to the packed hall.
The event will also raise awareness of National HIV Testing week, encouraging everybody to overcome the outdated stigma surrounding HIV and take prevention into their own hands. This ties in with the theme for World AIDS Day 2016: ‘HIV stigma: Not retro, just wrong.’
Serena Cavanagh, Health Awareness lead at Sahir House, said:
“In the 32 years that Sahir House has been running in Liverpool, support and treatments available to those living with HIV have improved dramatically. Unfortunately, however, the attitude towards it remains largely the same. People view it as something that we don’t have to worry about anymore, or perhapssomething too frightening to think about.“The reality is that HIV is still very much around, but that it’s not all doom and gloom; treatments have improved to the point where a diagnosis is by no means a death sentence. What we want people to recognise is that they need to take the matter into their own hands by not being afraid to get tested, and by taking precautions toprevent HIV spreading further.“The Celebration of Life concert is a wonderful way of remembering everything worth living for, and a reminder to take the necessary steps to ensure that we can keep on living. It’s also a heartfelt ode to those who have passed away, and a celebration of the long-lasting legacies they left behind.”
The Celebration of Life concert will take place at The Philharmonic Hall Music Room, Thursday 3rd
November, 7.30pm. Tickets are available at www.liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/celebration-of-life-2016. To find out more about Sahir House and the life-changing work they carry out, visit www.sahir.org.uk.