A group of local musicians are preparing to again take to a Footscray stage to celebrate the life of a friend lost to suicide.
The fourth annual Music for Max gig is taking place on 20 December at Mama Chen’s in honour of Max Lee-Ack, a talented guitarist who took his own life in 2021.
What began as a one off gig to commemorate Lee-Ack has since become an annual concert that organiser Karla Livingstone-Pardy said was aimed at supporting other young musicians.
“Max died by suicide and while this event celebrates his life, it also aims to raise awareness about the significance of direct community support for young people,” Livingstone Pardy said.
“We firmly believe encouraging and supporting young people’s passions, and showing them their creativity matters is a form of mental health support.”
To help achieve this, all proceeds from ticket and raffle sales will go directly to supporting young people across Melbourne to access music lessons and purchase instruments.
Scholarships and grants will be also provided through Artists for Kids Culture (AKC), a registered charity that Music for Max is held in conjunction with.
Over the last four years, the gigs have raised $30,000 which AKC has used to support 45 young people, some for multiple years.
This year’s line-up features local western suburbs rock bands Mid Evening, Milk After Sex and Resenter, many of whose members were friends and school mates with Lee-Ack.
To see them in action and contribute to a worthy cause, book tickets at: https://events.humanitix.com/music-for-max-westside
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