My name is Tom, and I play music as Francis Lung.

'Everybody Cares' - an Elliott Smith Stay Away Show is a tribute concert raising money for LGBTQ+ charities in association with Blogotheque and My Favourite Elliott Smith Song Podcast.

The idea was conceived just last week, born out of a combination of outrage at the US and UK governments yet again trying to limit LGBTQ+ rights and my recent obsession with the My Favourite Elliott Smith Song podcast. I wondered if it would be possible to try and recruit artists who were fans of Elliott to play a tribute concert to raise money and awareness for this very prescient cause.

Of course, concerts are impossible right now, but Ondine and Maxime at the amazing Blogotheque were kind enough to team up with me and put forward their Instagram as a platform for us to livestream the concert, making it possible for artists from all over the UK and the US to participate. With help from Maxime, Ben from Blaenavon and Rob & Elizabeth from My Favourite Elliott Smith Song, we've been able to secure an amazing lineup almost overnight, including Marissa Nadler, Marika Hackman, Penelope Isles, Martin Courtney (Real Estate), Palehound, Lionlimb, Max Bloom (Yuck), Kevin Devine, Ben Langford Biss (As It Is) as well as performances from myself and Ben.

The concert will take place on Monday 29th June live on Blogotheque's Instagram at 6pm UK / 7pm Paris / 1pm NY / 10am LA. The fundraiser will be the closing event of Blogotheque’s amazing, lockdown-themed ‘Stay Away Show ’ series.

We are raising money for AKT (rehousing and rehabilitating LGBTQ+ youths in the UK), GIRES (Gender Identity Research and Education Society, UK) and the Audre Lorde Project (Community Organizing Center for LGBTQ+, US). I chose these charities because they are a cross section of scientific, practical and civil rights organisations dedicated to improving the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in the UK & US. However these organisations are just the tip of the iceberg. For instance, in the UK alone there are over 20 organisations dedicated to supporting BAME Trans people. This pamphlet by GIRES helps UK residents find groups in their local area - click here.

The main goal of our project is to raise money and awareness for LGBTQ+ charities/support networks, and to hopefully ignite a spark in younger music fans to start their own activism & fundraising activity in their local areas.

Thanks in advance for donating, please follow Blogotheque (@blogotheque) and everyone featured here and we hope you enjoy 'Everybody Cares - An Elliott Smith Stay Away Show'

love tom, max, rob, elizabeth and ben xxx