Lewis Capaldi Launches ‘Livelive’ Mental Health Initiative
The new scheme provides an email support service fans can use to find out about on-site facilities before a show, while at the gigs there will be a help desk.
Lewis Capaldi has launched ‘Livelive’, a new mental health scheme designed to help fans attending his shows with panic attacks and social anxiety.
The initiative was set up after the Scottish star received messages from fans thanking him for speaking candidly about his own experience of panic attacks in interviews.
Ahead of his latest UK tour, which kicked off at Manchester’s O2 Apollo on Monday, 2 March, the star and his team founded ‘Livelive’ as a way to give support to those attending the shows who might need it.
The ‘Livelive’ scheme provides an email support service fans can use to find out about on-site facilities before a show, while at the gigs there will be a help desk with information on resources to help in the longer-term, a quiet space for those experiencing anxiety and panic attacks to regather themselves, and medical staff and trained mental health professionals available to give extra care.
Capaldi will also post meeting points for attendees to find gig buddies on his Instagram an hour before doors open. Speaking to The Guardian, co-founder Jack Williamson said: “People were saying, ‘Thank you – I feel less alone.’ Or, ‘I have social anxiety and that’s stopped me from coming to your shows.’ One in 10 people have anxiety, and we saw that there was an opportunity for us to provide that support for people.”
He added that the ‘Livelive’ team hoped mental health support at gigs would become the norm in the future.
Volunteers from mental health organisations local to each show are brought in to help run the ‘Livelive’ scheme each night, while 50p has been added to the cost of each ticket to raise funds. Any additional funding required is provided by the new initiative.
Williamson said talks were being held with venues, promoters, and other musicians in the UK and US about adopting similar initiatives for their tours and shows. “Ultimately I don’t care who does it as long as it gets done,” he said. “In an ideal world this support would be available at any venue. Even if it only helps one person, it’s worth it.”
Lewis Capaldi’s remaining tour dates are as follows:
8 – Dublin, 3Arena
9 – Dublin, 3Arena
11 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
12 – London, SSE Arena Wembley
13 – London, SSE Arena Wembley
15 – Aberdeen, P&J Live.
Listen to the Best of Lewis Capaldi on Apple Music and Spotify.
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