Muso to hit high note for charity

Oz Bayldon on Mt Everest.

Contributed

MOST people don't get the chance to climb partway up Mt Everest.

Even fewer stop to play a gig almost 6km above sea level.

In fact, former Noosa man Oz Bayldon was the only one to have done it when he set a world record in 2005.

That record has since been broken and Mr Bayldon is planning to return to the world's highest mountain to reclaim the honour.

But it's not all about glory.

Mr Bayldon has spent the past 15 years in London building up a volunteer-based charity, Music4Children, to help improve the lives of orphaned and homeless children in Nepal and to offer free creative education to children in the UK.

"We aim to break the negative cycles of homelessness, poverty, crime and abuse through music and extreme events," he said.

"When I first travelled through Nepal as a musician and saw a young disabled boy, I picked him up and walked with him for 50 metres to buy him food.

"I then saw many more kids there starving and it cost me less than $50 to feed them all.

"That was when I decided this was what I wanted to do with my life."

Mr Bayldon's gig at an altitude of 5534 metres raised enough money to begin construction of an orphanage in Nepal.

His attempt to reclaim the record should raise enough money to sustain the orphanage for another two years.

"We are heading over in May to break the world record again.

"It will take 16 days to climb up.

"It's going to be hard to play at such a high altitude after everyone is carrying their own equipment up, including a PA and the batteries to power it and an inverter to supply electricity."

Along with his mission in Nepal, Mr Bayldon owns his own venue in London called The White Lion.

His charity took over the derelict building and it was renovated by volunteers on no budget with donated and recycled materials.

Mr Bayldon is enjoying a break back home on the Coast and plans to return here permanently within the next couple of years.

On Saturday and February 29 he will be performing at the Bistro, Sunshine Beach - formerly known as XO - to not only entertain but also inform people about Music4Children.

For information go to music4children.org or to book a seat for the fundraising dinner contact the Bistro before February 29.