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The Chats have urged fans to take care of each other in a statement about the importance of mental health, following the recent death of one of their fans.
The Sunshine Coast band took to Instagram with a message on April 27 after receiving news that a young fan of theirs by the name of Louie had passed away over the weekend.
“He was a massive music fan and would often travel long distances to see his favourite bands,” The Chats said. “We first met Louie at an underage show in Camden, just south of Sydney, and we were blown away and touched when he told us he’d driven all the way from Melbourne to see us.”
The band noted that in Australia, roughly 10 people take their own lives every day. “This number is made up of mostly young men, and even more so in our Indigenous communities,” they wrote.
They stressed “depression is no joke” and emphasised the importance of checking in with your friends, especially during this time of “self-isolation and economic hardship”.
“It’s okay to talk about it, lend your mate an ear, have a chat, you may just save a life.”
The band ended off with phone numbers to the mental health charities Lifeline and Beyond Blue. Read their full message below.
One fan commented “louie loved ya’s” on the Instagram post, to which The Chats replied, “our hearts are with all of his friends.”
FOR HELP AND ADVICE ON MENTAL HEALTH:
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- MIND – For mental health support, advice and awareness
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
- Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day
- SANE Australia – National mental health charity supporting Australians affected by complex mental illness
- Black Dog Institute – Putting health in mind
- Mental Health Australia – Mentally healthy people, mentally healthy communities
- Headspace Australia – National Youth Mental Health Foundation
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