For Immediate Release: 12 September, 2012
FREE PUSSY RIOT LONDON FUNDRAISER CONCERT IS OVERWHELMING SUCCESS
On Sunday 9 September, London’s Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen saw its busiest Sunday for some time. The event, which drew in the bustling Hoxton crowds, was a fundraiser concert hosted by SHATTERJAPAN, POPULAR COMPANY and WHITE ON WHITE, in support of the three jailed Russian Pussy Riot members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich – AKA Nadya, Masha and Katya.
For six solid hours, this unique free-of-charge, awareness-raising event brought together several areas of the international cultural, political and arts communities under one roof. The event boasted a standout lineup, including live bands Neurotic Mass Movement, Skinny Girl Diet, Gaggle and Peggy Sue, along with celebrity DJs Karin Park, New Young Pony Club, Esben and the Witch, Novella, Night Works, Vuvuvultures and Zoetrope.
Special guest speakers included Labour member for Bristol East Kerry McCarthy MP, who travelled to the recent Pussy Riot trial; filmmaker Pratibha Parmar, who is currently working on a feature documentary about Alice Walker; and local filmmaker and artist Lisa Gornick – all three women gave powerful and moving speeches, appealing to the crowds not only to support the release of the three Pussy Riot members but also to fight for freedom in art and political expression.
Highlights included personal letters especially written for the event by the three jailed women, which were read out in the original Russian by former editor and producer for the BBC Russian Service and now freelance journalist Masha Karp. The English translations were read out by Nicole Bettencourt Coelho of Vuvuvultures, filmmaker Pratibha Parmar, and Yin Ly of Neurotic Mass Movement, each representing one of the imprisoned women. Moving subtitled video messages from the women’s defence lawyers were also screened.
As well as donations, visitors handwrote personalised messages to be sent to the three women. Swedish electro diva Karin Park finished off the high-energy night with a blistering DJ set. Young London band Skinny Girl Diet’s handmade posters proved to be a big hit, with attendees taking them home as souvenirs at the end of the night.
Donations collected amounted to GBP525.35.
Due to the overwhelming success of the event, SHATTERJAPAN is planning to organise more events in the future.
This press release is presented to you by SHATTERJAPAN
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