The high fashion British brand AllSaints Spitalfields and the international non-profit Not For Sale got together this past Monday to help bring awareness and raise money to fight human trafficking across the globe. The Hollywood event took place at the legendary Henry Fonda Music Box on October, 24th. Bringing together young Hollywood actors, world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, supermodel Agyness Deyn, and garage rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC), the event was first class and all positive. Learn more about this fantastic partnership and the outstanding performance by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club after the jump.
When David Batstone, President of Not For Sale, took the mic to address the crowd, the clamoring of BRMC fans, activists, and young Hollywood up and comers, stopped their conversations to listen to Batstone’s speech. Shockingly, Batstone informed the crowd that over 30 million people today are victim to human trafficking and their lives have been lost in webs of cruelty, slavery, and deceit. Many of these 30 million are sold and kept trapped in the major metropolitan areas of the United States. It’s hard to believe that modern day slavery occurs in our hometowns across this country, but it does, and it does at an alarming rate. AllSaints Spitalfields and Not For Sale, with support from individuals and entities across the world, are setting out to do their part to make a difference.
The event witnessed the launch of a new capsule of t-shirts from AllSaints Spitalfields that directly benefits the Not For Sale non-profit and their fight against human trafficking. The clothing line is available now, and you can check out some of the awesome designs below. When you see them in stores feel good that your cash is going to help people around the world. You can learn more about the clothing line here.
There’s nothing like looking good and supporting a good cause. We can’t deny that, and we are happy to say the event felt genuine. While many charity events and clothing line launches can feel stale and more about the crowd than the charity, Monday night did not feel like that. David Batstone is clearly a man on a mission, who feels passionate about this cause and has the ability to rally people around him. While Batstone had the power of speech and charisma, AllSaints Spitalfields had the brand and fashion, and Not For Sale had the vision and goal, it was Black Rebel Motorcycle club who had the reverb and rock that made the night special. Opening with “Beat The Devils Tattoo”, BRMC quickly enveloped the crowd with a wall of sound that was unmistakeable.
We’ve seen BRMC at a few charitable events in Los Angeles over the past year, and we applaud the band for taking part in these events. With over three high profile performances to benefit charities, it’s clear that the band has a greater good aspect to them. Their performance the other night was fantastic, and they held nothing back even though they were playing to an audience that was not necessarily huge fans. BRMC has the attitude and sound though, that makes anyone stop in their tracks and pay attention. While the railing was easily accessible for the first two songs, that quickly changed as the band sucked in new fans with their powering sound, vocals and melodies. BRMC hit a few classics that we loved lived. “Red Eyes And Tears” tore through the smoky air into the souls and ears of listeners. Is there a more deafeningly dark and sexy rock song that you can think of? “Six Barrel Shotgun” raced from the start, with both Peter Hayes and Robert Been sharing vocals on the track. Leah Shapiro doesn’t get enough credit for what she does live, because she absolutely kills it on drums during songs like this. When Leah joined the band in 2008, fans held their breath to see how she would hold her own with the dynamic guitarists and singers. Well, we can all stop doing that now, because she’s the backbone to the BRMC sound, and she’s not going anywhere!
We love to see bands who can use their art and performance to make a difference, and BRMC is doing that. They are also making news fans around the world. Known for putting on almost 3 hour headlining sets, the band is one of the hardest working and most delivering to their fan base. Their performance of “Shadow’s Keeper” proved that the other night, as they held the song for almost 8 minutes, with sweat dripping from their guitars, Shapiro endlessly banging away, and the sounds of Been and Hayes’ voices fading into reverb and sonic bliss. Ya, that’s what a BRMC show will do to you!
If Hollywood knows how to do one thing right, that’s throw a good party. On Monday night a good party did happen, but an even greater cause was benefited. The work of Not For Sale and their partnership with AllSaints Spitalfields will hopefully benefit the world for years to come, and the performance by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club no doubt left a lasting mark on a night that will not be forgotten.
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