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A quirky UK band loved by a young surfer left paralysed after he was hit by a car three-and-a-half years ago will play their first gig of the summer in Jersey in his honour.
Bouncy hip-hop group ‘Gypsy Unit’ will be headlining the weekend-long ‘Permanent Ollyday’ in May – an annual festival fundraiser for islander Olly Newman, who has been living in a specialist facility in the UK since losing the use of his limbs and torso.
They said they were moved by Olly’s story, adding that they were “really excited” to make what will be their first ever trip to the island.
“On behalf of Gypsy Unit, going out to Olly and indeed everyone who’s been affected by similar circumstances, it’s a great honour to be playing it as our first gig of our 2018 summer tour… If you’ve got the sun shining down, that would be ideal. It’s amazing that he likes our music, and that’s really touched us,” band member James told Express.
The group are known for their ‘gyp-hop’ sound and songs such as ‘No, No, No’, ‘Sorry Mr Policeman’ and ‘Treasure Island’, which are among Olly’s favourites.
Video: 'Sorry Mr Policeman' is one of Olly's favourite songs by Gypsy Unit.
They’ll be playing those on Saturday 19 May, as well as treating islanders to other boogie-inducing tunes.
“There’ll be bassy, heavy sounds, hitting with those magicky violin riffs, and it’s going to be for such a great cause,” James added.
“We’ll pick up the pace as the set goes on, so expect high energy, lots of singalong, audience integration and involvement.”
The festival itself is the result of months of work and “sleepless nights” from Olly’s close friend, Matt Daly, supported by other members of Olly’s charity ‘Peas and Glove’.
Pictured: A selection of other fundraisers by Peas and Glove.
This year is the first time the festival will be spread over two days – the result, Matt said, of the number of musicians requesting to play “because of its great cause.”
“I’ve had so many bands and musicians contacting me, saying how much they want to be involved in helping the cause of helping Olly get better and potentially come back home one day.”
Islanders will also be able to get involved in other beach games, including a tug-of-war and a sack race, as well as enjoying a bouncy castle, kiddy digger rides, fancy dress surfing, and even live vehicle spray painting.
There’s also a nod to one of Olly’s other passions. “We’re going to have a skatepark built, as there is such a huge skating scene in Jersey, but nowhere for them to skate, so we are building ramps for all ages to have a go on,” Matt explained.
Pictured: Olly's friends hope that they will be able to bring him back to the beach one day.
All the proceeds will go towards continuing Olly’s treatment and state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment, which costs thousands.
Last year’s efforts secured him a new powered wheelchair, and access to advanced ‘eye-gaze’ technology, which involves using his retinas to move an on-screen cursor to help rebuild his communication skills.
Matt visits Olly frequently, and says that, while the music-lover remains in a critical state, he is “slowly but surely progressing” towards the ultimate goal of having the sand between his toes again.
“I think the sooner he can come home, the better. I think we will see massive progress just from being back home and surrounded by loved ones.”
Find out more about Peas and Glove's fundraising efforts here.
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