Auction Of Iconic Placebo Memorabilia Raises Money For Mental Health Charity CALM
Placebo have spoken out to thank fans after raising tens of thousands of pounds for mental health charity CALM by auctioning off iconic items and classic memorabilia. Continuing their dedication to the battle against depression and male suicide, Placebo raised over £27,500 for CALM.
Last year, the band offered fans the chance to own over 300 items in one of the biggest charity auctions of its kind. Items up for sale included frontman Brian Molko’s iconic ribbed jumper from ‘Pure Morning’ video, helping them to raise money to be split between The Mercy Centre in Bangkok, as well as CALM, which stands for The Campaign Against The Living Miserably.
Speaking to NME about the importance of CALM, frontman Brian Molko said: “They’re trying to raise awareness of male suicide among young men in the UK. The rate is really, really quite high. We need to remove the stigma surrounding depression, and one of their goals is to get more men to talk about their feelings instead of keeping it all inside and isolating one’s self – and eventually ending up with quite a tragic outcome.
“CALM is a charity that’s close to my heart because depression is a condition which I suffer from myself. There are various forms of help out there.”
He went on to say: “It’s a disease like any other. Depression and addiction are both recognised by the World Health Organisation as diseases. If someone had MS or cancer, you would listen to them. There’s still a stigma attached to depression, and a lot of men in particular feel that it’s a sign of weakness to talk about it. What we’re trying to do with CALM is remove that stigma in society.”
Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM, said: “Placebo are an iconic and forward-thinking band, and it’s with huge thanks that we receive this donation. We’re absolutely bowled over by the continued support of the band in raising crucial funds and awareness of the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. There were some incredible items up for sale that we hope will have found loving new homes and, as an organisation that has always worked closely with the music community, we’re honoured that Placebo chose CALM as one beneficiaries of the auction.”
Meanwhile, the band are set to return to London later this summer to perform at the 2018 Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre, which is to be curated by The Cure’s Robert Smith.
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