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Artist News
All-star auction led by Dave Rowntree raising money for Syrian refugee support
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 3 December 2015
A charity auction set up by Dave Rowntree from Blur is currently in full swing raising money for the International Rescue Committee to support its work with refugees affected by the civil war in Syria. The musician was motivated to launch the fundraiser by recent headline-grabbing events linked to the Syrian conflict, including the ISIS-inspired attacks on Paris, and especially the city’s Bataclan theatre, last month.
Says Rowntree: “The Bataclan is part of the DNA of the European music industry. I’ve played there, as have most of the musicians I know. Now, more than ever, we must show our support for the men, women and children who are fleeing terror in Syria because, in Paris last month, we all saw what that terror looks like”.
The IRC is headed up by David Miliband, who added: “Horrific attacks like those in Paris and Beirut must not blind us from helping the victims of the world’s conflicts. These are innocent people fleeing a protracted conflict which has been characterised by unimaginable acts of violence, including those perpetrated by ISIS, the architects of the Paris atrocities”.
Numerous artists have donated merchandise and memorabilia to the auction, with a wide assortment of things on sale – some small, some large – opening the bidding up to a wide audience. Among the bigger things you can bid for are the jacket Arctic Monkey Alex Turner wore at the 2014 BRITs, a signed guitar from Coldplay and Blur’s working ice cream van, as seen on stage at Hyde Park this summer.
Talking more about the auction, Rowntree says: “After nearly five years of conflict in Syria, four million people have fled their homes and are seeking safety in neighbouring countries in the Middle East. With winter approaching the crisis will become even more desperate. We want to raise money to buy winter kits for refugees, containing warm clothes, blankets and bedding. All proceeds will go directly to those in need”.
There is more information about the venture at starbootsale.com, while you can check out and bid for the stuff here.
