A Cause for Attention
Some bands pick a platform, some tours take a stand – Here’s music news that doesn’t highlight the messenger, just the message.
This week’s focus: Mogwai and the British Heart Foundation
Finding a used pacemaker for sale under the Ebay classifications “Music > Music Memorabilia > Other Music Memorabilia? might not make too much sense at first.
But today (October 11, 2007) at 2:12 PM Chicago time, the bidding will end, and one lucky music fan will be the proud owner of a rocker’s metal heart.
There are over 200,000 deaths every year from heart related illness, most of which could be prevented. Martin Bulloch is one of the proud thousands whose life continues, thanks to pioneering research and the donation of vital equipment from health organizations.
Bulloch also happens to be the drummer of Mogwai, a British post-rock band mentioned on “influence? lists across the world. Being reliant on a pacemaker for almost a decade doesn’t seem to slow him down much. However, his health has provided a source of focus, and this is the second pacemaker he’s put on the fan market.
The proceeds of the charity auction will be given to the British Heart Foundation. The charity invests over £100 ($205) a minute on research to keep hearts healthy through pioneering research, prevention activities and quality care and support for those living with heart disease.
“Selling my old pacemakers may be seen by some as a bit of a macabre idea, but if it helps the British Heart Foundation in its aims and ultimately raises a bit of cash for their ongoing work, then I am more than happy to contribute,? says Bulloch.
Donations help the organization continue to dedicate funds to over 1,200 research projects, investigating every aspect of heart disease. The foundation also provides defibrillators and echocardiograph machines, and produces informative publications for health professionals and the public.
The auction isn’t only from Bulloch, as it also includes gifts from the band as a whole. A couple of all-access passes for a Mogwai show nearest to the winner’s location as well as “other assorted goodies? will be added to the package.
In 2003, Mogwai raised an equivalent of just over $400 in a similar auction. At the time of HEAVE publication, the current bids had reached £266 ($543).
The British Heart Foundation’s vision is of “a world in which people do not die prematurely of heart disease.? To Martin Bulloch and Mogwai, that’s personal. And there’s no better way to prove your dedication than to have a new heart on the issue. Figuratively…and perhaps, literally.
Posted by Leen Morrissey on Oct 11, 2007 @ 12:00 am
