80s unplugged gig gets Absolute support

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Absolute Radio has teamed up with learning disability charity Mencap to support its exclusive gig that celebrates the sound of the 80s unplugged - Our Friends Acoustic. Music lovers can join their favourite 80s artists - including Nik Kershaw, Andy Bell and Jimmy Somerville - as they rework some of their biggest hits acoustically at London's indigO₂ at The O₂ on 13 May 2010.

Our Friends Acoustic offers the sound of the 80s, stripped back and intimate; a unique chance to spend time with the singers and the songs that have played such an integral part in creating the soundtrack of our lives. Celebrations continue after the live show for VIP ticket holders, when the venue is transformed into a massive club night with a host of guest DJs spinning the best of the 80s until late.

Carol Decker, T'Pau said: "With so much talent coming together to raise money for the learning disability charity Mencap, you know you can't afford to miss out."

Fans can also tune in to Absolute Radio 80s and listen to the 80s Happy Hour hosted by Carol Decker and Andy Bell and get the opportunity to win some coveted VIP tickets and other fabulous prizes.

Nik Kershaw, hosting the event, said: "Our Friends Acoustic promises to be an exiting reunion with friends and fans. And we'll be helping raise money for Mencap, which we all know is a great cause. It's a one-off concert so everyone who loves music should get their ticket before they sell out."

Tickets are priced at £25 and £50 VIP (concessions available) and are available from Ticketmaster. All proceeds raised will help Mencap support the 1.5 million people with a learning disability, their families and carers. For more information about Our Friends Acoustic, please visit the website http://www.mencap.org.uk/.

-ENDS-

For further information, photographs or to arrange an interview contact Jenny Brannan on 020 7696 6017 email jenny.brannan@mencap.org.uk or 07770 656 659 if calling out of hours.

Notes to editors

• About Mencap

Mencap supports the 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK and their families and carers. Mencap fights to change laws and improve services and access to education, employment and leisure facilities, supporting thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.

We are also one of the largest service providers of services, information and advice for people with a learning disability across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. See http://www.mencap.org.uk/ for more information.

• About learning disability

A learning disability is caused by the way the brain develops before, during or shortly after birth. It is always lifelong and affects someone's intellectual and social development. It used to be called mental handicap but this term is outdated and offensive. Learning disability is NOT a mental illness.

The term learning difficulty is often incorrectly used interchangeably with learning disability.

• About Absolute Radio

In 2009, Absolute Radio became the UK's most engaging and ambitious radio station and the first in the UK to achieve the Government's objective of 50% of its national listening via digital platforms.

Our audience are individuals who share a particular mindset: love of music and attitude to life. They're roughly aged 29-45 and we call them ‘reluctant adults'. We aim to reflect their passions within our programming, providing the best ‘real' music from the last 4 decades including everything from Queen to Kings of Leon to Oasis and The Beatles. We are also the only commercial radio station to focus our programming around comedy.

This summer Absolute Radio is reuniting Baddiel & Skinner for a series of exclusive World Cup podcasts and you can already hear Frank presenting the station's Saturday morning breakfast show. Dave Gorman takes over on Sunday and for the rest of the week it's Christian O'Connell who entertains the nation at Breakfast. Tune into Geoff Lloyd for irreverent Hometime fun and night owls can hear Iain Lee's crazy phone-in show but whatever time of day it is, there will always be good music, originality and a no repeat guarantee.

• Confirmed artists include

Andy Bell (Erasure)

Jimmy Sommerville

Nik Kershaw

Howard Jones

Steve Strange (Visage)

Carol Decker (T'Pau)

China Crisis