Rock legends bang the drum for suffering colleagues!
Rock drummers Ian Paice (founder of Deep Purple) and Jon Farris (INXS) long time admirers of one another, have joined forces to help promote a cause very dear to their hearts…and drum kits!
ISO-Nation is the brainchild of Kat Rallis, long time servant of the music industry, and until the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, VIP Operations Manager for Live Nation (Australia), the world’s largest live entertainment promoter.
The live music industry was one of the first and most adversely impacted sectors. It will probably be one of the last to recover and the toll it is taking on the hardworking men and women who make up the road crews and venue staff globally is terrible!
“Almost overnight, the pandemic has forced the cancellation of thousands of events big and small right across the globe, and there’s no sign that things will be restored any time soon. As a consequence, there is a huge number of people unable to find work who don’t have the financial cushion the artists they support do. This is why I felt something had to be done to fiscally recognise and assist these people who are vital to the music industry” Rallis added.
Her initiative, which doesn’t simply call upon donations but rather, offers branded merchandise for sale, donates all of the profits into a pot which is distributed equally amongst all the supporting groups and artists, to pass on to their respective crew members.
Highly regarded by artists and peers alike, Rallis has been supported in her quest to help crew members by legendary rock drummer Ian Paice, who took time to record a message of support for ISO-Nation in which he acknowledges that there is a real need to financially aid those men and women employed in the live music industry.
“The ones that are in real need are the guys that make every concert possible. That’s the road crew, the stagehands, the lighting guys, the sound guys, the riggers. Every one of them needs help Paice explains.”
“They don’t have a royalty base to fall back on. ISO-Nation is a very innovative idea that allows you to purchase merchandise with all profits going to help road crews who have no way of providing their own livelihood.”
Fellow rock drummer Jon Farris, a longtime admirer of Ian Paice and friend of Kat Rallis, likewise jumped aboard to support the cause as soon as he became aware of it.
“Whilst there are a number of groups purporting to help the men and women of our industry I personally know ISO-Nation founder Kat Rallis who I have worked with over many years and I take great comfort from the fact that she works in the industry and has a genuine concern for her colleagues who are in many cases, financially destitute as a result of Covid-19” said Farris, adding; “I’m honoured to play a humble role along with the great Ian Paice in making some noise for an industry that is seen as very glamorous when operational but almost forgotten during the pandemic.”
Rallis, who has been retrenched as a consequence of the ‘shut down’ of the live music industry feels that whilst many people are financially distressed during the pandemic, the multitude will recognise the importance of this sector to the general happiness of the community at large, and accordingly, she hopes people will show their support by buying ISO-Nation’s branded merchandise (t-shirts, caps, hoodies and masks) via the website as a sign of solidarity for the besieged industry and its workers.
“People can donate by all means, but I’d much rather they buy merchandise and proudly wear it to show that the music industry isn’t forgotten and won’t die!”
“ISO-Nation is a call to action for those people who love live music and don’t want the lights to be switched off permanently. The fact that two rock legends in Ian Paice and Jon Farris have supported my initiative is very humbling, but more importantly, it demonstrates just how dire the consequences will be if we lose our road crews and venue staff. The silence really will be deafening” she warns.
For more information please visit www.iso-nation.com
