A West Lothian band has kicked off 2019 by raising over £700 for a local charity.
Highly-tipped Whitburn outfit Mark Sharp and the Bicycle Thieves hosted a sell-out headline show at Bathgate’s Dreadnought Rock on January 25 and donated all their profits to the West Lothian Foodbank.
The band – who have recently enjoyed supporting the likes of Kyle Falconer (The View), Gerry Cinnamon and Lewis Capaldi have had a mammoth 12 months sell-out of headline shows across the country.
They have performed at top venues including the famous King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and the city’s Garage’s G2 venue.
Lead singer Mark Sharp said the band were keen to help a local charity which does work in the West Lothian community.
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He added: “The foodbank does a lot of fantastic work in the area, and it’s especially important at this time of year.
“It was brilliant for the local music scene to come together and raise money for such a cause.
“The support acts Pyro, Ocean Velvets, Gary Ovens and Adam Glen all put on a brilliant show and were also a huge part of this”.
Band manager, Ross Coutts, said: “The band continue to grow in popularity and when the Dreadnought approached us about the possibility of a headline show we thought it was the perfect opportunity to give something back to the community, whilst also having a fantastic night.”
Foodbank manager Kathleen Neilly said she was hugely grateful to everyone involved in the effort and said the funds willbe put to good use.
She said: “A massive thank you must go to all the bands involved in the fundraiser gig.
“It really was an incredible amount raised for those most vulnerable in our community.”
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The band are getting set for a busy year with a host of festival slots planned across the country.
They also have a headline show in Glasgow on April 5, as part of the Tenement TV Showcase tour. You can follow them @marksharpmusic on social media for latest updates.
