By Marty Fluker aka ‘Yarraville IGA busker guy’
You may have heard the folksy sounds of the Gone Westerly duo on the streets of Yarraville and surrounds.
The couple (Marty and V) first started coming up with their own original tunes during the COVID lockdown as a way of passing away the hours in isolation.
Music also became therapy for Marty as he suffers debilitating migraines on a regular basis and the guitar practice helps him focus his mind away from the pain. Once restrictions lifted, they both wanted to share their music with others and came up with the idea that busking would also be a great way to raise money for charities to support those less fortunate.
In 2021 they successfully raised over $5,000 for Sleepbus. Then in 2022 they set a target of $10,000 for Foodbank Victoria, which they successfully achieved when they handed over their final donation of $932 on 23 December.
They were absolutely delighted to be invited to play for the Christmas Carols in the Yarraville Gardens, where an additional $1,000 was donated on their behalf. They were subsequently invited to perform at the Rotary Club of Victoria Inclusion Day on 26 January.
So what’s in store for 2023?
Gone Westerly aim to raise ANOTHER $10,000 for Foodbank, which will equate to another 20,000 meals to those in need.
V has started taking singing lessons with the amazingly talented vocal coach and singer Elissa Rodgers with the aim to introduce female harmonies into the songs. V’s key philosophy is ‘give it a go! If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
Gone Westerly would like to thank the generosity of everyone who has contributed to these worthwhile causes, and for the lovely feedback they sometimes receive from their audiences.
