Lydia Spencer-Elliott
GLOBAL music project Rock The Lockdown have released a charity cover of Queen’s The Show Must Go On in a bid to boost funds and morale for performers during the pandemic.
Featuring 24 different artists, the single was recorded during Spain’s full lockdown and edited together to create an inspiring video.
Inspired by Live Aid, the project was founded by Costa del Sol’s musical duo ‘Rock of the Ages’ Lucy Pardoe and Ollie Hughes.
Rock The Lockdown has drawn in a massive 874,000 members to its Facebook page since March.
With covers and unreleased original music by unsigned artists from all over the world, the group became a source of comfort and joy for many expats across the globe during lockdown.
“Life has been tough for many of us and this page has opened my eyes to a lot of wonderful singers, artists and just generally nice people,” said member Michael Hastie.
All proceeds from the single will go towards supporting the well being and mental health of artists that have been struggling during the pandemic, with a percentage also going towards cancer aid in the UK.
It comes after Britain’s musicians took to Parliament Square in Westminster to protest the struggle of the music industry and lack of government support during the pandemic.
Staggeringly, a third musicians in Britain are considering giving up their careers in music because of the pandemic, according to a survey by the Musicians’ Union.
While Pardoe and Hughes have far from given up their careers in music on the Costa del Sol, they have adapted by taking their trade online and encouraged other performers globally to join them.
Musicians from Spain, the UK, America, Singapore, France, Germany, New Zealand and Australia were all keen to perform.
The page has since developed into a nurturing and entertaining community for performers and audience members alike.
“It is important to us that we reach as many people as possible to download the single to raise much needed charitable funds for causes close to our hearts,” said founder Pardoe.
The Show Must Go On can be downloaded on iTunes now.
