Stars perform gigs in charity shop to launch Oxjam Festival
Next week, stars including Fatboy Slim, The Kooks, Jarvis Cocker and Jamelia will launch the month-long Oxjam music festival with a series of exclusive performances in a specially-converted Oxfam shop in east London. The charity shop gigs have become the hottest tickets in town, with Oxfam receiving almost 10,000 applications for tickets to the tiny 200-capacity venue, which will host some of the most intimate gigs ever played by stars like Fatboy Slim.
The lineup for the launch shows is:
- Monday 1 October: The Kooks (acoustic) + Jarvis Cocker (DJ set) + Remi Nicole
- Tuesday 2 October: Jamelia + Killa Kela + Mattafix. Compered by Ras Kwame (BBC 1Xtra)
- Wednesday 3 October: Hot Chip (full live set) Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (solo) + Bobby Friction (DJ set). Compered by Huw Stephens (Radio 1)
- Thursday 4 October: Fatboy Slim + Emmanuel Jal. Compered by Nihal (Radio 1)
As part of the Oxjam launch, Jarvis Cocker, Kaiser Chiefs, Chemical Brothers, Hard-Fi and The Pigeon Detectives have also designed exclusive badges for the festival. The limited-edition items, sporting artwork created by the bands themselves, will only be available from Oxjam events around the country during October.
Jarvis Cocker, who will be performing a DJ set using records from charity shops on 1 October, said: “I’ve been a regular visitor to this Oxfam shop myself in the past, so I’ve decided to play a set using records I’ve bought at charity shops over the years. October used to mean the end of the festival season, but these shows mark the beginning of Oxjam: a month of music where every note played takes a step towards fighting poverty.”
Fatboy Slim, who will bring the launch events to a climax on 4 October, said: “I have always donated my unwanted records to my local Oxfam shop, but performing in one will be a first for me, so I’m really looking forward to it. It also shows that all you need to make an Oxjam event happen is a set of decks, a few choice tunes and a place to play them, so there’s really no excuse not to get involved.”
The Oxfam shop in Dalston, east London will become an Oxjam shop for the week, selling the best second-hand music in London during the day, as well as celebrity memorabilia from the likes of Elton John, Corinne Bailey Rae and Goldfrapp. During the evening, it will be converted into a gig venue, playing host to these intimate performances in front of a select audience of competition winners.
Kooks singer Luke Pritchard, who performs on the opening night, said: “Oxjam is all about thousands of small events adding up to something much bigger, so it’s great to join in by playing a small acoustic show. Music fans can get involved throughout October by going along to a local Oxjam night.”
The charity shop gigs officially launch the Oxjam month of music, in which around 40,000 musicians and an audience of 300,000 are expected to take part, making it the biggest music festival ever in the UK. The unique celebrity badges will also raise money to help fight poverty. Available for a suggested donation of
