Saturday’s music showdown at Camp and Furnace will raise thousands for Whitechapel Centre

A music showdown at Camp and Furnace will hopefully raise around £10,000 for Liverpool’s homeless charity The Whitechapel Centre.

Twenty-five acts from across the city will face each other at the interactive Primal Live event at Camp and Furnace this Saturday.

And organiser Andy Sampson says it will raise vital funds for the charity which does ‘amazing work’, as well as show off the incredible talent in Merseyside.

Andy, owner of Premier White Collar Combat, says:

“It’s going to be a great night and it will raise money that’s really needed for The Whitechapel Centre.

“The centre is under a lot of pressure at the moment, having to deal with around 50,000 homeless people in very different situations. It’s hard.”

He adds: “Liverpool is a community, and doing this is about giving something back.

“We want to make the event a big success and make it an annual event, always raising money for the same charity.”

Andy, a fight promoter who’s normally putting on fight shows around the country, came up with the idea for the music showdown in 2019 but it was shelved due to Covid.

“We picked it up again about six months ago,” explains the 52-year-old from Huyton. “It came about because around seven or eight years ago we put a series of dance events on for charity, and a couple of comedy shows. We have raised around £1m for various charities over the last five years but if I ever choose to fundraise personally I will do it for the homeless.

“We do a lot for The Belvedere Centre that houses displaced families, people who are homeless through no fault of their own or because they’ve come out of abusive relationships, families with children, and they are attached to The Whitechapel Centre.

“I do it because, growing up in Liverpool, you see people on the streets and the government doesn’t seem to do enough about it and it always falls to charities.

“I have no personal experience behind it, it’s just something I have always felt strongly about.”

Raising that money though will mean people will have an entertaining night and bands and solo singers and musicians will have the chance of performing live to an appreciative audience.

“We have got around 25 artists from around the city, bands, duos, solo singers and guitarists from different musical genres from jazz to rap, and they are facing a battle of the bands if you like.

“It’s interactive, so we’ll have five sets of five and the audience can download an app on their phones and vote. We have also got two celebrity guests and judges, Jake O’Neill, the country artist and ‘Voice UK’ semi-finalist, and Lauren McQueen, former Hollyoaks actor who’s just starred in a film, Strictly Confidential, with Liz Hurley, who will comment on each of the acts as they perform.

“The winner from each set will go through to the final, with the overall winner getting recording time in a studio worth £1,000.”

Andy says:

“All of the acts are unsigned with the youngest person aged 15 and the oldest 71. We’ve been watching them rehearse for the last four weeks and been blown away by the talent that’s on offer.

“You can go to any city in England and watch live music and when you come to Liverpool it’s totally different. There’s a massive pool of talent here – and some of these acts are phenomenal.”

As well as music on the night, there’ll be raffles and auctions.

“Whether you’re a music lover or just looking for a fun night out, it promises to deliver top-notch entertainment and unforgettable moments,” smiles Andy.

“It’s a chance to celebrate local talent and show your support for the community as we come together to make a positive impact.”

Primal Live is at Camp and Furnace this Saturday, July 20, from 5pm to 11pm.