The Big Guitar-In Fundraiser is back this Christmas in Liverpool and is just a month away. The unique event brings together 100s of guitarists for a wonderful evening of live music and fundraising, with last year’s record of 602 guitarists set to be broken on Thursday 11th December at Mountford Hall, with 603 uniting to strum their way to a new record.
Many of the guitarists are amateurs and share a passion for all things 6 and 4-stringed, and a great deal have honed their craft at The Florrie’s weekly guitar classes. These classes have been running for almost a decade, helmed by The Tea Street Band’s Timo Tierney, who is The Florrie’s Community Hub Co-ordinator and Organiser.
Timo’s passion has helped bring this incredible event back to Liverpool for the 5th time, with sublimely talented youngsters like Olga Fitz taking centre stage, who this year will be the youngest performer on stage at The Big Guitar In. She will join some of Liverpool’s best young talent, including Louis Gibney, Credits and The Sway, with established favourites Space, Crowded Scouse and Brian Nash (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) , all joining in, and more special guests are still to be announced.
Olga has been a valued part of The Florrie’s community since she first performed there when she was 12 years old. Her family brought Olga to an open mic night at Mill Street and the audience were wowed by her precocious talent back then which has bloomed ever since. The Florrie and Olga and her family stayed in touch as she continued to practise and perform, which later led to last summer when Olga’s work experience took place at The Florrie, learning what goes on behind the scenes to help keep the community activities alive.
Timo says:
“This year we’re especially proud to give lots of young Liverpool artists the chance to shine on a stage with so much history at Mountford Hall. Olga is one of them, and she’s an unbelievably talented young artist who just keeps getting better. Everyone at The Florrie is so proud of her and it’s heartening to see how she has developed since first coming to The Florrie when she was 12. She’s from a local family who are really supportive of her, and it’s exactly how music should be – developing her craft with her peers and being able to showcase her immense talent too, including at The Big Guitar In which is going to be a very special moment for her. She’s doing her GSSEs this year and has the world at her feet, and for us it’s a privilege to be a part of Olga’s development – she’s going to go far in music.”
The Big Guitar In’s goal is to raise urgent funds to save The Florrie’s free Community Classes and provide the opportunity for 100s of amazing guitarists to perform together in Mountford Hall, including many young stars of the future. The unique and record-breaking event once more brings everyone together for one incredible night of music, community and celebration and fund-raising.
Leading into the Big Guitar-In, The Florrie faces rising utility costs, fewer grants, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and a rapidly growing number of people needing social support has pushed the Community Classes’ availability to the limit. The Florrie’s Community Classes are a vital lifeline for the people of their community and wider region, helping them to learn essential skills, get active, fight social isolation and build new friendships. They also connect people of all backgrounds with wider support from their community.
This year for the first time The Big Guitar-In Fundraiser is taking over Liverpool’s famous Mountford Hall. The venue has hosted some of the world’s biggest names including Queen, The Who and local lad Elvis Costello. Now hundreds of aspiring guitarists will get the chance to tick off their bucket list by saying they’ve performed on the same stage as their idols.
Chord sheets are available on The Florrie website for all 603 Guitarists to practice for their big night.
The Big Guitar-In Fundraiser is for everyone an inclusive not exclusive event in true Florrie spirit. Whether you’re a seasoned musician or just learning your first few chords, you are welcome to be part of this unforgettable event. The Florrie Guitar Group meets every Tuesday at 6pm and new members of all abilities are encouraged to join and learn in time for December.
Tickets are available now for both guitarists bringing their acoustic guitar to take part and for a very limited number of spectators who want to experience the atmosphere from the audience. Early bird tickets have already sold out and the rest are going quickly – if you want to be part of it, make sure to grab yours soon.
Tickets are available via Skiddle here.
If you’re unable to attend, please Donate what you can to Save The Florrie’s Community Classes here.
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