Punk band The Molotovs stun Christmas shoppers with on-street show to back Big Issue

Up-and-coming punk rockers The Molotovs put on a spectacular show for shoppers in London on the biggest Christmas shopping weekend, urging people to back the Big Issue.

Siblings Matt, 17, and Issey Cartlidge, 19, played songs from the band’s forthcoming debut album Wasted on Youth on Berwick Street in Soho and belted out Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody to a crowd of hundreds of shoppers on Saturday (20 December).

The pair called on fans to support Big Issue vendors at Christmas, including Oxford Circus and St Paul’s Cathedral sellers Paul and Terry, who were both in attendance.

Big Issue has been Brits to back our vendors this Christmas through our ‘Stop, Talk and Support’ campaign. Our research found a decline in casual social interaction, with fewer people stopping for a chat with vendors.

Fresh from the gig, Matt Cartlidge said: “One of the tragedies of the struggles facing society today is that so many people get left behind. The Big Issue does an amazing job at helping people but it’s down to the rest of us to make sure vendors, just like everyone else, are true parts of the community.

“It takes so little time to stop and have a chat with someone but too often we all just walk past with our eyes fixed on our phone or the street ahead. We all need, more often, to ‘stop, talk and support’.”

The Molotovs have been championed by the likes of Sex Pistols and Green Day and their on-street performance thrilled the crowd.

The impromptu gig had shoppers dancing and pogoing in the street, made famous for its depiction on the record sleeve for classic Oasis record (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?.

Issey Cartlidge said: “There is so much division being created in society today but we can choose to respond humanely, treating people as people, with understanding and empathy. 

“Our lives can be fragile and all our circumstances can change in an instant. Everyone selling the Big Issue has a story to tell and deserves our support.”

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40% of Brits say they have no ‘meaningful interactions’ with someone they don’t know on the average week, according to a national survey from global insights agency Kokoro, commissioned by Big Issue.

Vendor Paul Logan, who sells the magazine at Oxford Circus, said: “It makes all the difference in the world when people stop and chat. Some people do, and some people don’t. It reminds people you’re human when you can have a conversation, rather than making you feel invisible.”

Russell Blackman, managing director of Big Issue, added: “We’re super grateful to The Molotovs for drumming up support for our vendors on their most important weekend of the year for sales. There’s nothing like a guerrilla gig to get people to stop, start a conversation and take time out of their busy shopping schedules to engage with the vendors in the vicinity. 

“Please support your local Big Issue vendor this winter as they brave the elements to sell and earn a hugely important income.”

There is still time to grab a copy of Big Issue’s legendary Christmas special magazine, on sale now from vendors. Find your local vendor here or, if you can’t get a copy in-person, order a magazine from the Big Issue Shop or subscribe online.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life this Christmas.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – or support online with a vendor support kit or a subscription – and help people work their way out of poverty with dignity.