This concert was part of the "Passport: Back To The Bars" concert series
During March 1-6 2004 some of the biggest artists from the UK and abroad will play small 200-500 capacity shows in Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and York.
Who is playing?
David Gray, Travis, Elbow, Craig David, Damien Rice, Ash, The Coral, Starsailor, Atomic Kitten, Sugababes, So Solid Crew, Polyphonic Spree, Gabrielle, Big Brovaz, Floetry, The Cure, Badly Drawn Boy, Supergrass are confirmed for Passport shows as of today with many other major acts now looking at their schedules for March 1-6 2004. These shows will generate significant sums of money for the Shelter and War Child charities utilising a remarkable and unique fundraising platform. Passport: Back To The Bars also aims to demonstrate the ability of the music community to make a genuine difference to the wider world.
Who are we doing this for ?
Shelter estimates that more than 100,000 children in the UK are experiencing homelessness right now, while 800,000 households are officially unfit for human habitation. The children subjected to these conditions do not know the safety or security that a decent home brings. War Child estimates that in Iraq more than 6,000 schools now need rebuilding. Meanwhile in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Africa, a seven-year long war has claimed the lives of up to three million people and has devastated the lives of millions of children. The education system is non-existent and there is a desperate need to train school teachers. Education is needed to give the children in these two devastated countries the opportunity to transform their lives and to help to rebuild a sense of normality. Passport: Back to the Bars aims to help these charities to make a significant difference to their lives.
How can such small shows make big money?
The public will pay £1.50 to send a text or make a call to a premium rate number in order to enter a 'draw' to win a pair of 'tickets' to that artist's show. Virgin Mobile are co-ordinating the mobile / telecoms partners. With the list of numbers promoted via a national newspaper partner, the participating mobile network and provider, a national newspaper partner, MTV's 8 channels, the artists' own websites, popex.com, Music Week and The Fly magazine approximately one month before the shows, we are expecting to generate hundreds of thousands of calls.
Txt 2 win
The public can enter the draw for as many shows in the series as they want - and we hope they will be sending multiple texts. Substantial commercial sponsorship for the events is being garnered and five pairs of the 'tickets' for each show will be retained and auctioned online to the highest bidder over a two-month period. This auction will also serve as a publicity generator for the project as well as well as raising additional large sums for War Child and Shelter.
How will people get into the shows?
There will be no physical tickets issued in order to prevent touts and scalpers profiteering.
Entry winners will be notified that they will only be able to get in using their passport - hence the name of the project. For entry winners with no passport, a birth certificate and visual ID will be required for entry.
Privilege
The entry mechanism also serves to remind us how privileged we are to have such a thing as a passport and the ability to travel. Passport will raise consciousness that the children we aim to serve via this project have no such 'ticket out' of their problems.
Conclusion
Passport: Back To The Bars, an initiative of Channelfly Group, is a project that can affect many children's lives for the better in the places where it's really needed. It is also an opportunity for the music community in the UK to remind itself that it can make a significant difference both to its own local community and the wider world.
We want you and your artists to get involved. Please contact us now to find out more about what you can do.
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