Music Bender

Rod Stewart is planning to attend attend a special busking show on board the HMS Belfast to launch this year’s Busking Cancer event (now, for our statesiders who don’t know, busking is a term meaning “entertaining in a public place for donations”).

The HMS Belfast is permanently moored on the banks of the River Thames near Tower Bridge in London. In the concert, Madness frontman Suggs will be just one of the performers on stage in support of the cause, which will have street performers from all over Britain donating their takings to Cancer Research UK.

“When it comes to busking, I’m your man,” said Stewart, who, as most fans remember, survived thyroid cancer.
“That’s how I started in the early 60s on the streets of Paris. So the idea of Busking Cancer has my support. It’s what music is all about just getting out there and singing or playing for the sheer joy of it. And if you can earn a few quid for Cancer Research UK – a few quid that might just help to save someone’s life – what could be better?”

Stewart has contributed his time, voice and/or money to many charities over the years, but it seems that, lately, the requests have been staggering. It obviously reflects the shape of the socioeconomic world in the last years of this decade, and it’s to Rod’s credit that he’s put himself on the “front lines” in the quest to help others.

Besides that, he has a remarkable performance style — both on record and in live venues — that shows a rare ability to cross genres.

The HMS Belfast concert will take place on June 20, and Busking Cancer will run until June 27. For all my UK and Euro readers who’d like to go, click here.