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Hello everyone,

Wanted to keep you up to date with what we’ve been up to with WSO during Lockdown, and where we are heading.

Covid-19 has thrown us a LOT of challenges as a movement, but our first worry was keeping Pauline Town afloat. Without regular gigs there was no income to keep a roof over her head or to fund those 90 daily packed lunches and the incredible work she does getting people off the streets.

We secured that on Easter Saturday when WSO ISOLATION FESTIVAL- SAT APRIL 11th 2020 raised more than £26,000 plus another £2000 from Steve Nevard and his AMAZING merch campaign running alongside. You can catch all the festival performances by clicking here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/isolationfest/

and you can bag #WSO2020 merch from Steve here:

https://www.ecwid.com/store/we-shall-overcome-t-shirts/

Since then WSO Nottingham have been running regular events online, and the team there deserve massive credit for their innovation and ingenuity as well as the amazing sums they have made.

Janine Booth has compiled a book of poetry ‘Coronaverses’ which is being sold for WSO causes here:

https://www.janinebooth.com/shop/coronaverses-poems-pandemic-0

with a live performance this Friday.

Matt Hill has continued his brilliant Defiance Sessions online with the next event featuring one of THE stars of lockdown Jess Silk, so make sure you don’t miss either event!

Some regular WSO artists have been consistently active for their local food banks and outreach services. Skinner & T’witch’s Pick n’ Mix Social Club has been brilliant, as has Lewis Pugh with his regular Monday live streams. If you get chance to support them, please do.

Personally, I’ve been running regular ‘Live From T’Shed’ shows with GoFundMe pages running alongside; and for the last 11 weeks my #LockdownSolidarity campaign has been donating all merch money to a different cause each week.

I’ve also teamed up with Hull and District Trades Council to work on a proposed Trade Union Solidarity Food Bank in the city. We’re looking to establish roots in communities up and down the UK and involve the TU movement in the struggle at street level.

And current news is the INCREDIBLE single released on Sunday. Naomi Bedford and Paul Simmonds have pulled off something very special indeed and put together a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Lily, Rosemary and The Jack Of Hearts’ featuring 12 singers and 6 musicians all recorded in isolation during lockdown. The result is absolutely brilliant and you can download it here:

https://rollingramshacklereview.bandcamp.com/releases

with all money going to frontline WSO causes wherever need is greatest.

You can also enjoy the fantastic video here:

So what about the future?

Well, I think we all know tough times are coming, and on top of that we have no clue what the live music scene will look like on the other side, so it’s very difficult to book anything with any certainty; but we will continue to find ways to raise whatever help we can in whatever way it takes.

Anything you can bring to the party please do. As ever, We Shall Overcome is only as strong as those willing to stand up and support it.

Just wanted to update you all with where we are.

We have fought hard for the last five years and we will fight on for as long as it takes.

Hang on in there.

Joe x