The Hammy: Live Music Space - July 18, 2014

The Salvos have hosted yet another spectacular event. On Friday July 18, guests and volunteers gathered at The Hammy to enjoy free snacks and great musical performances from talented artists.

The amazing Thando Sikwila!

For many of us who have witnessed this event the first time, we had to ask, what is The Hammy? The Hammy is an alcohol and drug free life venue that is organized about four Fridays in a year. It is aimed towards creating an outlet to engage youth through music, while providing a fun and safe environment for all.

And the latest Hammy event did not fail to impress. The line-up included performers: pianist and fellow member of The Couch, Yu Kondo; The Voice 2014 Contestants Thando Sikwila and Candice Skjonnemand; singer/songwriter Kathryn Kelly; and an awesome all-male band that kept the blood pumping for the rest of the evening, the humorously named ‘Not Dead Yets’. I had the chance to interview our guests to get to know them all a little better.

Yu taught himself to play the piano. After seeing his skill performing, it is really hard to believe! But he proved that, with passion, everything is possible!

To aspiring singers, Thando advises that no matter how many doors close, keep reaching for your dreams. Candice likewise shares the importance to relax and to always sing with your heart. Both these girls are beautiful inside and out because, aside from their amazing voices, they are also ambassadors for the Bully Zero Foundation Australia that fights against discrimination across the nation.

Hard to photograph when not singing, she kept on laughing!

And of course we had the lovely Kathryn, who was all smiles that made me admire her all the more. Young as she is, she has already written more than 50 songs and counting. Aside from being a performer, she is also involved in community development programs and is also a dance teacher. “Do what you love and keep practicing. So when an opportunity comes, you are ready for it,” she said.

If you're wondering why the Not Dead Yets didn't get interviewed, it's because they were too busy rocking!

What an incredible night it was. Everyone got the chance to meet and greet, indulge in free food and healthy drinks and, of course, relax to some tunes at no charge! I would have to personally say kudos to The Salvation Army for always coming up with programs to engage with Melbourne’s youth and pull them away from the dangers of city streets.

If you enjoyed the performances at The Hammy, don't forget to follow your favourites through their Facebook pages below:

www.facebook.com/candicesau
www.facebook.com/thandomusic
www.facebook.com/kathrynkel

Can’t wait for the next set of exciting performances at The Hammy!

Article by: Hope Dolino Erese
Photos by: Andrew Coulter

More photos in the album.