World Hepatitis Day 2017 is looming. Last year at this time there were all manner of hopes and expectations around the new hep C treatments and a great deal of excitement.
Well, it’s a year down the track now, and a lot has been achieved. Over 30.000 Australians have been treated, and the health sector has geared itself up to maintain a high rate of new treatments. As for myself (as you’d know if you’ve been reading this blog) I’m clear of the virus and facing the world with that particular health issue well and truly squared away.
Looking back, it feels as if I was living a different life. When I first began seeking treatment, a specialist told me – with brutal frankness – that if no effective treatment was forthcoming, I would be looking at several decades of hepatic deterioration and then liver cancer at, oh, about the age of sixty. I carried that gloomy forecast around with me for a good portion of my life. No matter how good thing got, they were always shaded by my apparently inevitable doom. And if they were bad, well, having the virus made them just that little bit worse.
But all that misery is in the past now, and World Hepatitis Day seems like it might be a good time to celebrate. I also suspect that I may not be the only one who feels like it’s worth having a grand night out in the name of our virus-free livers.
The reason there hasn’t been much movement at The Hepalogue lately is because, with my colleagues at HRVic (and music identities Lisa Gibbs and Rob Wellington) I’ve been organising a spectacular event going under the name of LIVER TONIC! It’s to be held at Memo Music Hall on the evening of Friday July 28th, World Hepatitis Day.
We’ve gathered together a terrific musical line-up to showcase on the night because, let’s face it, the music industry and, in particular, our world-renowned alternative scene, suffered heavily under the virus. The line-up is on the poster that’s included in this post and further details are accessible on the Memo site.
Whether you’ve been cured or whether you’ve been doing the curing, if you’re thinking about getting treated, if your friends or family have been touched by the virus, or if you just want to be there for the music – all are invited to share the love.
To book, go to the Memo Music Hall website and take it from there. Tickets are $15 (general admission/standing) and $20 (table seating). Group bookings are possible and, naturally, we’re encouraging them.
If you happen to be an HRVic member (individual not institutional) you’re eligible for a $5 ticket (!). We’ve sent out emails with a promo code you can use on the Memo site. Go through the normal booking process and in the checkout section you’ll be able to enter the code and your ticket prices will be reduced. (Unfortunately, for bureaucratic reasons, you can’t get the discount if you just rock up at the door on the night). If you haven’t received anything from us, give us a ring on 9329 1500 and we’ll sort things out. And, if you’re not a member, you might consider this a good time to become one!
To quote Saul Goodman (from Better Call Saul): When we win, we celebrate. This past year has been a win for the ages. Lives have been restored. Lives have been saved. So let’s celebrate!
Book now, and I’ll see you there on the night.
The Golden Phaeton
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