Beats For Beds hits Melbourne for the first time

International music festival, Beats for Beds is hitting the recently re-opened streets of Melbourne for the first time on Friday 17 December to raise awareness and funds for people experiencing homelessness.

Established in the UK in December 2020 as an online event, Beats for Beds has become an international movement, with musicians banding together to raise money for their unhoused neighbours.

The Melbourne leg of the festival is being hosted by Tilt Shift and Revolver Upstairs. At the helm of the event is Iain Macdonald, a Melbourne DJ and producer known as Stockholm Syndrome, who is passionate about ending homelessness.

“In the early days of the pandemic, I was outside the supermarket waiting for my partner when I began to watch people, in all their toilet paper panic, charge past these two guys who were sleeping rough,” Iain Macdonald said.

“Every one of those people rushing past had somewhere to go and hide from the virus, including me. Watching this unfold made me realise just how much I’ve taken for granted over the years.

I ended up sitting and chatting with the two men for ages. After that, I would pop out each day, sit for a bit, get them some food and other bits from the shop.

As soon as I saw Beat for Beds happen in the UK I knew I wanted to get on board and do what I can. For me, I feel everyone is two bad deals away from experiencing homelessness,” he said.

Proceeds from the Australian event will go to Launch Housing, an independent Melbourne-based organisation working to end homelessness through street outreach and entry points services, crisis accommodation, transitional housing, youth foyers and other supportive housing, tenancy support, mental health and children’s services.

Launch Housing CEO, Bevan Warner said the event would help build awareness and empathy in the community, which is integral to ending to homelessness.

“The more we talk about this the more we challenge the stubborn belief that homelessness is something that can’t be fixed, when in fact there are real solutions right here and now.

Just as Iain chose not to walk past the reality of street homelessness, we all have a part to play in making Melbourne the proud truly liveable city we know it can and should be,” he said.

Beats for Beds kicks off in Melbourne on Friday night with live sets from Stockholm Syndrome, along with a host of other Melbourne DJs volunteering their time and talent, including Traxion, Eddie Example and Marsh Long.

The party continues on live stream, throwing to Manchester as Friday’s event in Melbourne finishes, London and Canada on Saturday and finally Scotland and Leeds to cap off the event on Sunday.

Iain hopes this will be the beginning of a number of regular Beats for Beds events, with musicians at the first Melbourne gig playing Dark Disco / Nu Wave / Electro / Punk sets.

“All the musicians are putting their hands in their pockets. None of us across any of the countries involved are taking performance fees, this is all being donated,” Iain said.

For more information about the event, visit the Facebook event page.

Media contact: Clare Lawson – 0447 964 899