When the teenage frontman of Townsville band Nexxius announced a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma last week, the local music scene moved fast to rally around one of its own.
The young thrash metal outfit had been slated to support Adelaide touring act Hidden Intent at a ticketed 18+ show at The Warehouse this Friday, July 4th.
But after Nexxius broke the news on social media that frontman and guitarist Izac Atkinson was in Brisbane receiving treatment following his shock diagnosis, the team behind the event quickly reshaped the entire night into a licensed all-ages benefit gig.
“When I saw the news come from the Nexxius camp, I jumped on a call to the venue manager with the idea of turning what was a Hidden Intent headline show with three local acts into a fundraiser,” said The Warehouse booker Tim Pellegrino. “I had their full support within 20 seconds.”
Previously purchased tickets were refunded via OzTix, and the event is now entry by donation, with 100% of the door takings going to a charity of Izac’s choice. Meanwhile, the venue is covering all production and artist fees, ensuring none of the performers miss out on income.
“All of the bands involved were 100% behind the updated format,” Pellegrino said. “Licensed all ages means Nexxius can have their school-aged friends and families there to show support.”
“To update the format, we just needed to bring the show forward, to finish before 10.00pm,” he added. “Overall, I think that there’s such a community spirit within the local music industry right now that this just felt like the right thing to do, and the fact that it fell in place so quickly is testament to that spirit.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Formed by students at Kirwan State High School, Nexxius has quickly earned a reputation as one of North Queensland’s most promising heavy acts, landing recent support slots with Native Tongue and performing at The Warehouse’s monthly all-ages local original music showcase, The Loading Dock.
Despite the diagnosis, the band is determined to keep going.
“It’s Izac’s wish that the band functions as we are as we wait for him to rejoin us after this brief hiatus,” Nexxius shared. “We are going to stay strong, not only for our bandmate but for our friend and give him all the support he needs. Stay strong brother. Fuck cancer.”
The reworked lineup for Friday, July 4th includes Hidden Intent, Nexxius, deathcore locals Varrim, and instrumental progressive outfit Alone@Last. The show now runs from 6.00pm until 10.00pm to allow punters of all ages to attend and contribute. Entry will be by donation.
For more information, visit warehousetownsville.com.au.
