The Irish, West London-based artist, (real name Jessica Smyth), took to socials this week to unveil the benefit gig, stating: “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one of the most horrific I’ve seen in my lifetime. There have been so many lives destroyed and dreams taken from innocent people. I wanted to hold an event to raise money to support the people that have been affected and to spread awareness to what’s happening in real time.”

The Cork native gave thanks to her friends and artists participating in the night of music; a stellar lineup of acoustic performances and DJ sets from the likes of Kojaque, Maverick Sabre, Lava La Rue, Mac Wetha, Jelani Blackman, and Yunè Pinku. She went on to also thank the venue for hosting and Choose Love for their extended humanitarian efforts around the world.

In 2016, Choose Love, formerly known as Help Refugees, became the largest grassroots organisation and distributor of aid in Europe, and has gone on to support refugees and displaced people across the globe for nearly a decade.

Emma Stevenson, Deputy CEO of Choose Love, commented: “We’re so grateful to Biig Piig choosing love and helping us get essential aid to the 2+million people trapped inside Gaza. It’s unbearable to witness the devastation and suffering of so many people. But by Choosing Love there is always something we can do when we come together. Biig Piig and everyone who attends the event on February 4th will be making a huge difference.”

The singer confirmed that 100% of all profits raised from ticket sales and merchandise will go towards the non-governmental organisation and will directly support emergency response work in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Since the conflict reached its boiling point in October 2023, other artists across the industry have banded together to express their concern, most recently with Dua Lipa calling for a ceasefire and urging for world leaders to take a stand.

Tickets for the sold out show are still available here at £25, with an opportunity to join a waiting list. Doors are expected to open at 6:30pm, with the event starting at 7pm, plus appearances from special surprise guests.

2 years ago I made a documentary with FOREVER FILMS about growing up around West London free party culture – in light of official #NottingHillCarnival being cancelled we decided to put it out to the world@NOWNESS just put it as their pick of the week https://t.co/8NSSLDmqdT pic.twitter.com/jQ33Y0ez4O

— LAVA LA RUE (@lavalarue) August 28, 2020

In the video, Lava La Rue talks about the DIY rave culture in West London in the 90s. The Windrush movement that started in the 1950s brought an influx of Caribbean people to Notting Hill and Portobello.  At this time, ‘Caribbean people weren’t welcome in the clubs‘ so ‘had to move the party elsewhere‘. Elsewhere was the ‘crumbling West London terraces‘ that now cost around £4 million. At these ‘blues parties‘, Stranger Cole and Patsy Todd would blast out of the sound-system.

In West Born, La Rue tells us her parents arrived in England in the 1990s. Gone were the ‘blues parties‘ and in their place was an evolving rave scene based on a DIY community ethos. Lava La Rue talks about these days fondly, though she experienced them through the lens of childhood. ‘I was around sound-systems and thumping booming music from a very young age… [I was] the little kid running around barefoot while everyones on a trippy one‘.

It was an unorthodox childhood, but one she enjoyed thoroughly. So much so that she wanted to start putting on similar parties in her teens, desiring to ‘curate a space‘ that felt safe and shared the community values of the ones her parents went to.

In the documentary, she and musician Louis Culture discuss East v. West in terms of nightlife. Louis contends that East is ‘kind of winning’ at the moment, and Lava agrees ‘there’s been an attack on the arts in West… for some reason securing a venue in West is difficult to obtain… it’s the prices, they’ve not made it accessible to locals.’

Toward the end of the video, Lava La Rue stands on Tavistock Road talking listening intently to Leslie Palmer, Trinidadian community activist and one of the pioneers of Notting Hill Carnival back in the mid 1960s. Palmer’s vision was that people from different Afro-Caribbean communities would come together to make Carnival bigger and better. This was certainly achieved as Carnival is now a festival of  thousands from all different cultures.

Lava La Rue holds Carnival close to her heart, saying in Vogue that her first carnival was ‘in the womb‘. This intimate connection makes her documentary both authentic and inspiring to watch.