Conventions
UK Journey Conventions
Every year a growing number of Journey fans gather to talk music and raise funds for charity on behalf of their beloved band.
We are currently planning the next convention if you have any ideas you want to pass on to us please mail mike@journeyrock.co.uk
The money donated to Claire House from this years UK Journey Fans Convention was used to fund their 'Sing Out for the Children' event in Liverpool’s Christ the King Cathedral. By utilizing your donation for sponsorship even more money was raised, the net figure being £11,200 after expenses. Well Done everybody!
The Fabulous 4th UK Journey Fan Convention. February 24th 2007, The Corporation, Sheffield, England
Every year for the last four years, Journey fans in the UK have held an annual convention to celebrate the music of Journey while raising money for charity, organised by the unofficial UK fan club www.journeyrock.co.uk.
The 2007 convention was timed to be a week before the UK tour as interest in the band has been running high and every year seen an increased turn out in numbers. The conventions have grown from 13 people in 2003 to the hundreds and this year has to have been the best convention yet. In previous years the band, management and USA fans have been extremely generous in donating autographed and rare items for the charity auction. This year saw the unbelievable offer from JT, Journey’s Tour Manager and the band themselves, of a ‘Journey with Journey’.
The prize was to be an afternoon spent with the band before the concert in Hammersmith, including sound check, dinner with the band and crew and other surprises before taking their guest seats for the show itself. For non UK fans, the Hammersmith Apollo is probably the most well known and best rock venue in the UK. It might be small, but there are no bad seats and the acoustics are great. The UK Fan Club will never be able to express there gratitude at this awesome prize.
Steve Toomey (Mr Journeyswag) had arranged to ship us some great goodies and our special guest Richard Mace (JSS’s promotions manager in the UK) donated the original artwork for Generations as well as original artwork for Deen’s drumskins. Marty Moffatt donated some of his unique concert photos of the band. Needless to say with this, the ‘Journey’ and all of the other generous donations, it looked like being a pretty good day.
The fans were all very enthusiastic and had a good browse and made their purchases of swag, watched dvd footage of the band from different eras, listened to some great AOR music before reknown AOR DJ, Stevie E, the master of ceremonies called everyone together for the charity auction. You can read all about Babs and Simon Trott’s experiences on their Journey with Journey, they took no prisoners in their bidding, finally seeing there opposition cave in when the number reached £2500, around $4800. Still reeling from the shock of the total raised, the UK Journey tribute band Essential Journey who were headlining the convention for the third year took to the stage and whetted everyone’s appetites for the forthcoming shows with the real thing
In total the day raised almost £3800 or $7400 for charity. As in previous years the money was donated to two charities, Claire House Hospice for terminally ill children in the UK and Callie Shaffer in the USA, a very deserving cause sponsored by the band on many occasions.
The Band Presenting the Cheque to Claire House
Neal, Ross, Jonathan, Deen and Jeff took time out after the Manchester show to meet with John Maddox and his wife Barbara the fund raising team from Claire House Hospice and together with Cathy and Sue from the UK fan club, presented a cheque for £2600 to Claire House and John in return presented a certificate for the band from the team at Claire House, thanking them for their continued support of the hospice. Every year Claire House arrange a fundraising week at Liverpool Cathedral brining together school choirs from all over Liverpool to sing Christmas carols. Last year, two of the nights were funded by a donation of £1000 from the 2006 convention and the ticket sales and raffles associated with the events enabled £12,000 to be raised. The 2007 donation will enable Claire House to fund the entire weeks concerts without having to get into debt so that all of the money raised will be pure profit that can be invested in bringing comfort and support to terminally ill children and their families.
2006 Convention Barnsley
2006 Convention check out the photos in the Gallery
We gathered in the Birdwell Club in Barnsley.
As usual for these events it was all for charity, last year the charity we donated to was Derian House Children’s Hospice, each year we let the fans at the convention choose. All that the band, Journey, ask is that we choose a children's charity.
2006 was a really big event we had two bands playing, raffles, auctions and a quiz. There were so many fantastic prizes on offer from a signed drumhead to two tickets for the Manchester concert.
It was a very successful event and £2000 was raised for charity. This year's main UK charity was Claire House Hospice.
Claire House is a childrens hopspice who need to raise £1.8 million per year to keep running. They have recently finished buidling a new wing, soon to be opened, ready to take their young adults in to a more adapted atmosphere suitable for their age group. The wing had been a big fundraising endeavour for them they had to raise £4 million to build and equip it.
Claire House is in the Wirral.
An offer was put forward by Claire House in the Wirral regarding the sponsorship of an event. Basically we give them £1000 and they use it to fund 2 nights of a musical event in Liverpool Cathedral in June 2006 where many children’s singing groups take part and perform over 5 nights to raise more money. They hope to raise over £12,000 across the whole event so your donation of £1000 converts to nearly £5000. The bands name would be on the posters as sponsors advertising this and it would be in the press and on local radio over the North West of England.
How many little organisations like theirs can brag to have the support of a major US rock band like Journey.
2005 Convention - Stourbridge - events photos in the Gallery
Last year as interest grew, we had a bigger venue in Stourbridge in the Midlands and the venue put on a Tribute band, once again we had raffles, an auction, quizzes and a DJ. Unfortunately the weekend of Glastonbury and the Wimbledon final but we weren't to know when we organised it so we had competition.
This time there were over a hundred fans attended. All proceed were again for charity. We drew up a short list of three Children’s Hospices and gave the details to the crowd of fans at the convention.
They made their choice and we donated a cheque for £400 to Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley Lancashire.
Derian House is a childrens hospice in Lancashire.
The Hospice is situated in a leafy area just beyond the local hospital if you’d like to check out their website you will see more about the work there. www.derianhouse.org.uk/
They care for around 8 to 12 children at any one time and all their children are terminally ill. The atmosphere was one of calm and peace but the communal rooms were well equipped with children in mind. From babies to teenagers they have activities for all, a therapy pool, sensory room and computer room. They also have accommodation for parents so they can stay close to their children.
The band is called Essential Journey and they were fantastic they played for an hour and a half treated us to many Journey classics.
In the begining -
It all started 2 years ago when only 13 fans, from all over the country, met under the Neal Schon (of Journey) guitar at the Hard Rock Café in Leeds. Items were raffled and auctioned, that first year we raised £270 and donated to the Callie Shaffer charity fund.
Attendees at the party
Photographs by Marty Moffatt