The band, siblings Matt and Issey Cartlidge, 17 and 19, played songs from forthcoming debut album Wasted On Youth as they encouraged passersby in Soho to meet Big Issue vendors Paul and Terry, who can often be found near Oxford Circus and St Paul’s Cathedral.
The set included a singalong of Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ and and the setting was Berwick Street, a UK rock landmark famous for its depiction on the record sleeve for Oasis’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?.
The band have been championed by the likes of Sex Pistols and Green Day, and dancing and pogoing broke out as crowds of onlookers celebrated the music on the final weekend before Christmas.
The Big Issue addresses poverty by enabling homeless and vulnerable people to earn money selling its weekly magazine. Its Christmas campaign highlights the decline in casual social interaction, with fewer people stopping for a chat with vendors. The campaign was launched with the single-shot video ‘Issues We Face’ in which vendors in nearby Oxford Street shared their personal and relatable stories.
Matt said: “One of the tragedies of the struggles facing society today is that so many people get left behind. The Big Issue does an amazing job at helping people but it’s down to the rest of us to make sure vendors, just like everyone else, are true parts of the community. It takes so little time to stop and have a chat with someone but too often we all just walk past with our eyes fixed on our phone or the street ahead. We all need, more often, to ‘stop, talk and support’.”
Vendor Paul said: “It makes all the difference in the world when people stop and chat. Some people do and some people don’t. It reminds people you’re human when you can have a conversation, rather than making you feel invisible.”
Issey said: “There is so much division being created in society today but we can choose to respond humanely, treating people as people, with understanding and empathy. Our lives can be fragile and all our circumstances can change in an instant. Everyone selling the Big Issue has a story to tell and deserves our support.”
Russell Blackman, Managing Director of Big Issue, said: “We’re super grateful to The Molotovs for drumming up support for our vendors on their most important weekend of the year for sales. There’s nothing like a guerilla gig to get people to stop, start a conversation and take time out of their busy shopping schedules to engage with the vendors in the vicinity. Please support your local Big Issue vendor this winter as they brave the elements to sell and earn a hugely important income.”
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