As bands begin to slowly trickle back out on tour and venues cautiously reopen their doors, thousands of gig workers across the country remain in financial peril. In an effort to support the behind-the-scenes heroes of live music, an all-star lineup of musicians has come together to create one-of-a-kind, custom Brompton bikes to auction off in order to benefit Crew Nation.
Among the artists who designed custom bikes are Radiohead art director Stanley Donwood, Khruangbin, LCD Soundsystem, Foo Fighters, Phoebe Bridgers, Enrique Iglesias, Dinosaur Jr., Rise Against, Underworld, Neko Case, Oh Wonder, Nathan East, and Sub Pop.
Each artist put a unique spin on the iconic Brompton folding bike and will sell it through Greenhouse Auctions, with live bidding beginning on May 28th and running through June 12th. All of the money raised will benefit Crew Nation, a non-profit created by Live Nation that provides grants to crew workers facing financial hardships as a result of the pandemic.
Related: NIVA Raises $200,000 For Independent Venues With NFT Auction, Announces Second Drop
While most of the bikes were hand-designed by the musicians themselves, the Radiohead bike was crafted by Stanley Donwood, who has designed album artwork for the band dating back to 1994’s “My Iron Lung” single. Along with the auction announcement, organizers have rolled out a preview of the Radiohead bike, adorned with lyrics from In Rainbows as well as the band’s familiar bear logo.
“I’m ridiculously happy to have been asked to design a Brompton bike that’ll be auctioned to raise money and awareness for Crew Nation,” said Donwood in a statement.
In the weeks leading up to the auction, Brompton will preview a few bikes at a time. So far, the British bicycle manufacturer has shared images of the designs from Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr., Oh Wonder, and Rise Against, available in the gallery below. Live bidding begins on May 28th via Greenhouse’s website.
[H/T Consequence of Sound]
