07 Mar 2026
St Albans’ leading youth venue has teamed up with a 19-year-old blood cancer survivor to host a special music event raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Gracie Pugh (pictured ) was diagnosed with blood cancer on her 16th birthday. She spent her teenage years in and out of hospitals, enduring chemotherapy treatments throughout 2022. At one point, Gracie’s condition was so critical that she spent a month in the ICU. Despite these challenges, Gracie has made a remarkable recovery and is now celebrating nearly four years in remission.
In a show of strength and determination, Gracie will be running the London Marathon this April on her 20th birthday to support the Teenage Cancer Trust.
To further her fundraising efforts, she has organised a special event at The Pioneer Club called Band Against Cancer. This one-night only gig aims to keep the local music scene alive while raising much needed funds to help others going through the same challenges she did.
Gracie will be joined by local bands BABYSTEP, Dead The Will, The Evening, and The Limestones, as well as DJs CBEE and AUTOMATIC, who will keep the music going into the early hours.
Band Against Cancer is an all ages event where everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend to help improve the quality of life for young people like Gracie who are battling cancer
Gracie recalls a time when she and her mother were in the hospital, and there was a shortage of foldout beds for parents wanting to stay overnight with their children.
“No child should be left alone at night when the dark fear of cancer looms overhead,” she says.
The funds raised through this event and the London Marathon will help ensure that no child has to face such a situation.
The Pioneer Club’s music and commercial director Jon Prayer added: When Gracie approached me and told me her story and her plans I immediately said yes.
“We are proud to support Gracie and have waived any hire fees for her so she can concentrate on raising as much money as possible for such an important cause. Gracie has created and curated the event entirely on her own with little to no input from me and I am really pleased with the outcome. It’s going to be one hell of a night!”
You can support this cause by attending the event, enjoying some live music, and having a drink with friends. Band Against Cancer will take place on Saturday, April 4 at The Pioneer Club in St Albans.
Tickets are available via the Pioneer website at https://www.pioneerclub.co.uk/pioneer-events and are priced at just £10, with all proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
