Once again Absolute Radio is teaming up with the Teenage Cancer Trust to help promote a series of gigs at the Royal Albert Hall. This morning the ten artists and concerts were announced on the Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show. All profits from these concerts of course go to straight to the Teenage Cancer Trust supporting the fantastic work it does.

The brainchild of The Who’s Roger Daltrey CBE, the now-famed gigs raise money to help the charity provide the best possible care and support for young people with cancer. Since they began in 2000, the concerts have raised over £8.7million for young people with cancer, opening 9 units across the UK for teenagers with cancer.

Teenage Cancer Trust builds specialist units in NHS hospitals where teenagers can be treated with others their own age in an environment suited to their needs. Usually placed on a children’s ward or with elderly patients, young people are often left feeling extremely isolated when facing a cancer diagnosis. Currently only half of teenagers diagnosed with cancer have access to the specialist support provided by Teenage Cancer Trust’s units. The charity aims to build enough units so that, by 2012, every single teenager will be treated on one.

This our seventh year of supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Here’s the full line-up:

• Wednesday 17 February – Depeche Mode [Sold Out]
• Monday 22 March – Them Crooked Vultures
• Tuesday 23 March – Comedy night: Jimmy Carr, Noel Fielding and Rhod Gilbert
• Wednesday 24 March – Suede
• Thursday 25 March – Noel Gallagher
• Friday 26 March – Noel Gallagher
• Saturday 27 March – Arctic Monkeys
• Sunday 28 March – JLS
• Monday 29 March – The Specials
• Tuesday 30 March – The Who (performing Quadrophenia)

Tickets go on sale this Friday, 5 February, at 9am. Tickets will be available from the Absolute Radio Ticket office.

As ever, there’ll be full coverage of these gigs here on Absolute Radio with more details in due course. And listen in this evening to Geoff Lloyd who’ll be talking to Roger Daltry about this year’s gigs on his Hometime Show this evening.

Some facts about the gig series:

• Noel Gallagher is a major supporter and has played for 3 times before in 2000, 2003, 2007.
• Noel Gallagher will perform for the first time since the Oasis split & Dave Grohl will perform as part of Them Crooked Vultures…Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zep) make up the group.
• Jimmy Carr is hosting the comedy night.
• The Specials will receive their NME Outstanding Contribution award at the Shockwaves NME Awards on Feb 24th.  In recognition of Teenage Cancer Trust’s link with the British Music Industry and work with young people with cancer, NME has renamed the award the Teenage Cancer Trust Outstanding Contribution.  Monday 29 is the Shockwaves NME Awards Big Gig.
• JLS are the first dance/urban band to play at the concerts.
• 2010 is a huge celebration year: it’s the 20th anniversary of the opening our first specialist unit for young people with cancer and the 10th anniversary of Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.
• Since they began in 2000, the concerts have raised over £8.7million for young people with cancer.
• Since the first show in 2000, Teenage Cancer Trust has opened 10 units across the UK.
• Teenage Cancer Trust has a total of 15 units across the UK, 7 of which were opened this year.