Preston folk band Mobius Loop finish tour in honour of baby son with homecoming gig

Mobius LoopMobius Loop
Mobius Loop
A Preston folk band will bare their soul with songs dedicated to their baby son who died last year by holding a special homecoming gig and aftershow party on Saturday.

Following the death of their son, 10-month-old Gemi, Mobius Loop members Katie Ryan, 28, and Alex O’Hara, 31, began writing songs in dedication of him. After securing funding from a 40-day Crowdfunder, they were able to produce an album with fellow bandmate Sean O’Hara and showcase it across the country with a very personal and emotive tour.Their most precious date yet will be Saturday’s gig, at 53 Degrees, in the city where the couple met and where Gemi sadly died.The show also includes two support acts, singer songwriter Mica Sinclair and flamenco guitarist Tom Metcalfe, with dancer Allie Hermann.Guests are then invited to an aftershow party at The Ferret, in Fylde Road, from 11.30pm, with DJs from the Audio Farm Festival playing world music, dub and reggae. Money raised during the party will go towards animal welfare charity Green Paw Project.

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Music in memory of baby son who was smiling right until the end

Alex says: “After Gemi died we ran a Crowdfunding campaign and the Arts Council gave us funding to tour the UK with an album that focuses on grief and transferring that to creativity.“The tour has been very successful all over the county but we are honoured to play in our home town. We have spent most of our lives in Preston. It is where we created Mobius Loop and it is where our families are. Although Gemi was born in our home in West Wales, he died at Royal Preston Hospital, while we were visiting family.“We needed to bring the tour home. It is very unique in that we are honouring our son but it is also about everyone’s grief. We all have to go through it but it is a very uplifting show. The audience shares tears but there is a lot of laughter, dancing and celebration. We have tried really hard to transform our grief into creativity for the benefit of others.”

Mobius LoopMobius Loop
Mobius Loop

And whilst Gemi’s memory still lives on, Katie and Alex are eagerly waiting the birth of their second child, which is due in three weeks.The Preston gig will be the band’s last event until next year.

Alex adds: “As soon as we found out Katie was pregnant, it transformed our grief and it lifted everything for us. We feel so honoured to have another go at having a child and we are praying so hard that the baby will be healthy. “We know we are performing very close to the birth, but Katie is such a dominant figure in the shows. The fact she is so heavily pregnant and is so powerful in the way she delivers the show, has a great impact on the audience.“We have had a lot of support from our audiences around the country. We take in that energy to write songs to help others feel better about their grief. The show helps us cherish the miracles of life.”

Tickets for the show, which is on Saturday November 3 from 8pm at 53 Degrees, are still available at £6 advance via http://www.mobiusloop.co.uk/tour or £8 on the door.

Photos by John Middleham

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