Musicians host free gig for supporters after fire

Mt. Yonder's equipment was destroyed during a fire at an industrial park in Birmingham

A group of musicians whose equipment was destroyed during a fire in Birmingham are hosting a gig which will be free for their supporters.

The band Mt. Yonder and singer S.T. Manville had thousands of pounds of equipment destroyed after a fire at the Hastingwood Industrial Park, near Fort Dunlop, in July.

A fundraiser for the musicians to buy new equipment has now reached more than £13,600.

Anyone who donated to the fundraiser or supported the musicians after the fire can attend the gig at The Flapper in Birmingham, on Thursday 12 September, for free.

More than 100 firefighters were sent to Hastingwood Industrial Park at the height of the blaze

Members of the public can attend for £5 and doors open at 19.30 BST.

Gavin Filmer, one of the four members of Mt. Yonder, said the performance was a "tiny gesture" to give back to the people who had helped them.

Mr Filmer told the BBC: "359 people have donated to the fundraiser. It's astonishing."

"To say we're overwhelmed is an understatement. Just to see the goodness in so many people."

The concert was originally organised to be a fundraising gig, but after their online fundraiser became successful, they took a different approach.

"We decided to change the narrative, not to fundraise for us, but to give something back to anyone who helped us," Mr Filmer said.

The band is made up of Gavin Filmer on bass, Robert Wisely on drums, Howard Kenny doing vocals and guitar, and Steve Bachelor on guitar

Several companies also helped the musicians with getting new equipment or instruments, including Marshall, which invited them to their headquarters in Milton Keynes.

"They really looked after us, as a small unsigned band, they didn't need to go the extra mile, but they did," Mr Filmer said, who hopes people from Marshall will attend their gig.

Other companies that helped out were Fair Deal Music and Headstock Distribution.

Mt. Yonder guitarist Steve Bachelor, pictured at the Marshall headquarters, said the firm "really looked after us"

The musician said the blaze had been "nothing short of devastating" for the musicians, who kept "everything we own" there.

"It's not just a financial loss but emotional. Me and the guitarist have been rehearsing in that room for 18 years.

"It's where we've written our music. The instruments, we've had them for years, they had stories to tell."