A 55-year-old man who lost his mum to cancer is appealing for musicians in west London to help him break a world record to raise money to fund vital research.
David Pile, originally from Hayes but now lives in Aylesbury, is hoping to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest electric guitar ensemble in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
The challenge will be taking place at the Ealing Blues Festival on July 22 and is hoping to beat the previous world record set in India in 2013 of 368 guitarists.
Mr Pile hopes 450 guitarists will turn up on Sunday morning to play David Bowie's 'Heroes' simultaneously to kick start the day of the festival in Ealing.
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Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Pile, who lost his mum to a brain tumour in 2013, appealed for any musicians who play electric guitar to take part.
He said: "I lost my mum in 2013 to a brain tumour, a rather aggressive stage four glioblastoma. I've been raising money ever since she died really.
"I've been doing as much as I can, when you read stories about brain tumours you can tell this form of cancer is horrid. It takes young children as well as adults, there's no discrimination.
"We have 130 people signed up for the world record attempt but we have a huge push going on at the moment, trying to get more people to take part.
"I'm targeting all electric guitarists, I've had a few signed up who are directly affected. I've even had one sign up who has a stage four glioblastoma.
"He's just recently put his wedding forward and he's managed to have a short honeymoon in between chemo treatments. As I said, it doesn't discriminate."
Tickets to the world record attempt cost £40 ahead of the day, with the ticket including a new Blackstar Fly 3 micro amplifier, a t-shirt and free day entry to the festival.
Mr Pile, who has played guitar for 42 years, added: "I know David Bowie's Heroes was not written about [cancer], but I just thought all these people paying to do this, they are the heroes.
"I have a David Bowie tribute band lined up to play the song for everyone to play along to, they're called Thin White Duke, based in south London."
Michael Thelwall, from Brain Tumour Research, added: “Dave’s world record attempt is going to be spectacular and I hope it will raise awareness of how underfunded research into the disease is.
“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer – and less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers.
"Yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
“We are extremely grateful to Dave for fundraising and we wish him, and everyone else involved, the best of luck for the world record attempt.”
To sign up to the world record attempt or to find out more, click here .
