How The Everly Pregnant Brothers and many more are playing for free at charity gigs organised by cancer survivor

A cancer survivor hopes to raise £10,000 by staging concerts in Sheffield to give something back to the charities who were ‘instrumental’ to his recovery.
By Kasey Smith
Published 7th Aug 2019, 12:13 BST
Updated 22nd Aug 2019, 15:18 BST
Mike Pidgeon at The Greystones.Mike Pidgeon at The Greystones.
Mike Pidgeon at The Greystones.

Mike Pidgeon, a 64-year-old manager at Thornbridge Brewery, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2017.

He spent the next year undergoing surgery and extensive chemotherapy to treat the disease.

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Mike, of Wadsley, has teamed up with musicians to host five gigs at The Greystones pub and all proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK, Weston Park Hospital and St Luke's Hospice, who aided his recovery.

He said: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great artists and bands and I am hugely grateful therefore to all the musicians for agreeing to play the gigs for free.”

His sound engineer, Fester, is also giving his services for free at each of the concerts, which are happening in September and October.

Mike - who has been married to wife Christine for 14 years, and has a 15-year-old daughter, Rebecca – joined Thornbridge nearly ten years ago to manage the opening of The Greystones.

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He had to take a step back from his job as operations director in April while he recovered.

He said: “I lost a lot of weight and it made me a lot weaker. The chemotherapy was horrendous. It just changes your ability to be able to work as hard.

“It’s a physical thing and then also the mental challenge, as there is always the lingering possibility of, will it come back?

“I’ve had counselling for mental depressions, but at the same time I’m here. I’m fortunate enough to be able to tell my tale.”

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Tickets for the gigs go on sale on August 10 and can be bought at The Greystones. The Everly Pregnant Brothers, John Reilly and Friends, and Bright Phoebus Allstars are among the headliners.

Several other dates are ‘on hold’, and any bands who want to help out should contact [email protected] via email.

Mike is also taking part in the Great North Run on September 8. See https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/michaels-giving-page-349 to sponsor him.

Dates organised so far are:

Thursday, September 18 – Bright Phoebus Allstars (Martin Simpson, Jon Boden, Fay Hield, Andy Cutting, Nancy Kerr and Rosie Hood – MC Steve Faulkner)

Saturday, September 21 – John Reilly and Friends

Thursday, September 26 – Everly Pregnant Brothers

Saturday, October 19 – Fargo Railroad Co. plus support from Karma Sonics and Andy P Davison

Wednesday, October 23 – Dizzy Club and Friends

Related topics:SheffieldSt Luke's Hospice