Sophie Lloyd has announced that her debut U.S. show at Los Angeles' iconic Whisky a Go Go will go ahead as planned, despite many artists and venues canceling shows due to the devastating L.A. wildfires.
In a statement shared on social media, Lloyd writes: “Like most of the world, I have watched, with horror, the fires ravaging LA over the last week. We have witnessed unprecedented destruction across a city so beloved by so many.
“It feels very strange to be discussing our gig when people are experiencing so much loss and pain right now. But I have had a lot of people asking about the status of our show on Thursday, January 16th, at The Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood.
“Things are changing very quickly, but at this time, we have decided to go forward with the show. Everything will go ahead as planned including all the VIP experiences. Safety is our first priority so we will continue to monitor the situation and update you if there are any changes.”
Lloyd also mentions how, “if nothing else,” the show going ahead recognizes “the resilience of the people of L.A. and maybe provides a small distraction to the pain people may be feeling.”
She and her team will also donate a portion of the proceeds from the merchandise sold at the show, alongside $5 from each remaining ticket sold, to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. Moreover, she will auction the signature Kiesel guitar she'll be using at the show to Pasadena Humane – a non-profit that has taken in over 400 animals since the fires started.
“To the people of Los Angeles - my heart is with you, my soul is with you, and I am with you, and I look forward to rocking out with you guys,” she concludes.
Many artists have made the difficult decision to cancel their upcoming shows in the L.A. area, including Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel at the Smothers Theatre and both Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group's Grammy-related events, to name a few.
The Machine Gun Kelly guitarist's show will serve as her full-circle moment after she recently shared with Guitar World that she once met her childhood guitar hero, Joe Bonamassa, backstage at the Whisky a Go Go – the very venue she'll be playing at in two days' time.
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