Blur frontman Damon Albarn has donated a chewed up guitar to a new charity auction from The Stone Roses‘ Mani alongside Oasis, Foo Fighters and more.
As revealed back in August, Mani and his wife Imelda are holding a charity fundraiser following the latter’s cancer diagnosis. Imelda Mountfield, an events agent, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in November 2020. She and her husband are now aiming to raise awareness and funds for The Christie Hospital and The Stockport Charitable Trust.
An event titled This Is The One – a nod to the Stone Roses song of the same name – was held The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester last week (November 18) and featured a night of “first-class” music and entertainment curated by Mani.
An online auction also began that night, which features a host of musical memorabilia from globally renowned artists.
Included are VIP tickets to Coldplay‘s current world tour, a guitar signed by Foo Fighters and another guitar used by Albarn when writing that features a chewed up section and a handwritten note in permanent marker that reads: “I chew here when writing.”
Discussing the item, Albarn said: “Not in the best condition, but very well used for writing over the last ten years, genuine working guitar, with love Damon Albarn 2022 x.”
See the full list of items available via Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers, and place your bids before December 1.
Mani said in a statement about This Is The One: “When life deals you a pair of twos, you must get your game face on! The past two years since my wife’s diagnosis have been brutal in so many ways, but it’s also opened our eyes to so many things.
“This disease needs to be eradicated – we feel duty bound to do our bit to achieve this. So everybody, get on board, dig deep, help out, we will win!”
Imelda added: “Both charities have supported me through my journey. Cancer affects not just the person who has it, but everyone around them, and I hope that by investing in some more research, we can help alleviate some of the devastation caused to families.”