TEEN cancer patient Eli Stewart has put aside his troubles to make sweet music for underprivileged youngsters.
Eli, 18, of Drumchapel, Glasgow, is just one of the young performers who will be helping to raise funds for the Clutha Trust at a gig tomorrow at the city’s Barrowland.
The free Next Generation gig will help the trust fund projects for young people.
Eli, who is studying for a music HNC at Motherwell college, says it’s the ideal way to spread positivity among his peers.
He said: “The organisers were looking for young performers so I emailed them and they invited me to the gig to check it out.
“I played a couple of songs and the response I got from the audience was lovely. I got a following.”
He added: “It was really scary when the Clutha disaster happened because I was in town and, when I got home and saw what had happened, I realised it could have happened to me or people I knew.
“Getting involved in something that is going to help those families feels great. I want to cry about playing the Barrowland because it is such a big venue. I’m also playing a gig with mates to raise money for sarcoma patients.”
Eli, who has released debut album Mismatched Jigsaw, says music has helped him since being diagnosed with cancer – which he thought was a sports injury – in March.
He added: “I do karate and ended up with a sore knee but I thought it was a sport-related thing.”
Eli’s condition was diagnosed following a scan of his knee and a further biopsy revealed that the cancer was also present in his lungs and stomach.
He said: “I was given chemotherapy straight away – so it’s been full on for eight months.
“Some songs on the album were written at times I was really unwell.”
Those going to the free gig – from 4pm-8pm – will be able to donate money to the Clutha Trust.
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