Edinburgh performer Frankie Mack launches NHS fundraiser from Tenerife lockdown
Frankie Mack has been on lockdown for three weeks.
Edinburgh performer Frankie Mack has raised almost £1,000 for the NHS in a Facebook Live gig broadcast from lockdown in Tenerife.
The Swing and Rat Pack singer used to perform at care homes in Edinburgh, but moved to Tenerife for work in the summer of 2019.
He has now been in lockdown for more than three weeks, and has been broadcasting Facebook Live performances from his Facebook page, Frankie Mack – The Swing and Rat Pack Showman.
These virtual concerts are free, but viewers can give tips online as a way to support Mr Mack as all of his in-person performances have been cancelled.
Last week he performed a special concert in aid of the NHS back home, with viewers asked to donate to an online fundraiser for NHS Charities Together instead of giving a tip.
The performance was organised primarily for a golfing community of expats on mainland Spain, but many of Mr Mack’s frequent supporters joined in as well.
“In the previous shows I did people were really generous with their tips so I wanted to give something away,” the singer said.
“My mum and auntie work for the NHS and Aiden [who helped organise the concert] has family who work there too, so it meant a lot to me.”
“I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who donated, it was really nice.”
Mr Mack began the performance with a list of eight or nine songs already requested by the group, which people added to by commenting on the stream.
“People kept commenting, there were so many requests I couldn’t fit them all in,” he said.
The livestream was supposed to be 45 minutes long, but Mr Mack extended beyond an hour.
“I kept saying, ‘I’ll stay for another five minutes if you donate a bit more,’” he said.