A charity album showcasing Basingstoke’s young musicians will be launched on Friday, October 1, in support of a local hero who is rowing around the world for charity.
Dave Holby has spent the last two years attempting to set a new world record by rowing 40,075 kilometres around the world’s equator for the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
So far, Dave has travelled 36,100 kilometres on his static rowing machine in The Malls shopping centre.
Now, Dave and co-producer Stuart Diamond have made an album to support the cause, featuring 15 bands and solo artists from the Basingstoke area.
Dave said: “We shot off emails to the 15 really cool local bands and musicians that we knew we would love to have on the album. It was amazing. All 15 just said yes.”
The actor, who was inspired to raise money for the cause by his grandmother’s death through breast cancer when he was just a boy, will start selling hard copies of the charity album in The Malls tomorrow.
The album is simply titled The Breakthrough Album, after the charity which will benefit from Dave’s efforts. Dave has so far raised more than £14,000.
The 18-track album covers genres from RnB and rap to love ballads, acoustic tracks and heavy metal.
“The album’s great because it’s such a mix, and they’re all such talented musicians,”Dave said. “I can’t say I’m musical. I like a bit of Duran Duran and that’s as far as I go. But this album has really opened my eyes to different kinds of music.”
Dave the Rower, as he is affectionately known, has 3,975 kilometres to go before he completes his marathon row on December 18.
“The row’s going to be over in a couple of months,” he said. “But now we will have this amazing album that will carry on after the end, and also be something that will help these musicians get heard locally, and maybe even globally.”
The Breakthrough Album is currently available through Itunes and Amazon.
For more information, visit thebreakthroughalbum.co.uk. To follow David’s journey, go to break through.org.uk/challenge.
