A local musician is today setting off on an epic charitable busking tour of Jersey, which will culminate in an 12-hour “marathon” session in town.
By the end of August, musician Colin Lever will have busked in every parish in Jersey.
He came up with the idea of the island tour to promote his podcast sitcom ‘Open-Mic’ and raise money for Jersey Hospice Care at the same time.
He said: “When we finished recording Open-Mic, I was asked: ‘What are we going to do with it?’
“And so we decided to use it in order to raise money for a local charity.
“The idea was that people would download the podcast – it’s free on Spotify, Apple, etc. – and then make a donation to Jersey Hospice Care.
“There is no pressure to do so, but to date, the numbers listening to the podcast have ticked along very nicely, and some cash has been very kindly donated.”
The podcast follows Daph, an elderly woman who discovers the joys of open-mic stages and finds her voice in the process.
Colin added that he “always enjoyed” busking.
“I like the freedom it gives me as a performer,” he added.
“I like meeting people as I’m playing, and maybe bringing a little joy as folks pass by.”
If Colin gets permission, he will finish the tour with a 12-hour set in St Helier.
He said: “Someone pointed out to me that playing a single hour, once a week, wasn’t much of a marathon!
“As such, the last performance will be a 12-hour session around St Helier.
“I am hoping that other artists will join me on the tour, especially for the last session in town.”
Town could do with more live music, he said: “Just imagine the Central Market, alive with live music, like Covent Garden, in London.”
UPCOMING DATES…
Colin started his tour in St Brelade on Saturday 14 June, and has the following dates left. Each are from 11:00 to 12:00:
- Today: Co-op, St Peter
- Saturday 12 July: Gorey Pier, Grouville
- Saturday 19 July: Hungry Man, St Martin
- Saturday 2 August: Grève de Lecq, St Mary
- Saturday 9 August: by the Watersplash, St Ouen
- Saturday 16 August: Scoop, St Lawrence
- Saturday 23 August: Howard Davis Park, St Saviour
- Saturday 30 August: King Street “plus”, St Helier (12-hour marathon busk)