Guitar Hero marathon

June 22, 2010

- Single player Guitar Hero Marathon

- Saturday June 26th, 10am – til next day

- Stars bar and Café, Aylesbury

- Record attempt by Zeke Iddon, local copywriter

- Raising funds for the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital

An Aylesbury man is set to play the popular video game Guitar Hero for over 24 hours in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record, as well as raise funds for the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The record attempt will begin at 10am on June 26, with members of the public staying overnight at the Stars Bar (Market Square, Aylesbury) to witness the proceedings which will go on until at least noon on the 27th.

There is no official record for a single player marathon as of yet, but Guinness have set the initial bar at a minimum of 24 hours. Zeke Iddon, 26, the man attempting the feat, has his own optimistic target in mind.

“I’d love to try and push it beyond the 30 hour mark. But whether I can physically cope with staring constantly at a screen filled with moving dots for even 24 hours, let alone longer, remains to be seen. In saying that the whole town has been supportive of the fundraiser even before we’ve started… without that kind of encouragement, I wouldn’t ” he says.

Amongst the challenges of sleep deprivation, other challenges await him. Since the game involves a plastic controller simulating a guitar, repetitive strain injury is a large worry, as is boredom – Guinness have ruled that only one game from the series can be used for the duration of the attempt.

“I’m not nearly as fanatical about the Guitar Hero series as people initially suppose on hearing about the record, nor am I particularly any good. I do enjoy it but prefer playing the actual guitar much more… in fact, I’ve avoided playing the game recently, since the last thing I want to do is get sick of it in advance!”

And as for what his family think about the task ahead: “Ironically, my father has just had surgery for carpal tunnel on both wrists and my girlfriend has recently had surgery for severe tendonitis, brought on by excessive violin playing. Needless to say, neither of them think I’m being very clever.”

The event has been organized by Dan Blasor, an Aylesbury DJ and co-manager of the Stars Bar. Attendance is free up until 3am, at which point only those with pre-booked tickets can stay and watch the final stretch of the marathon.

“It’ll be an entertaining couple of days, if not for me but everyone who pops in. We’ve figured out a way for people to play the game alongside me without interrupting the record, which is cool,” adds Zeke. “More importantly, with the money raised through ticket sales and donations on the night and through the website, we hope to make a sizeable donation to the National Spinal Injuries Centre. Amazing work goes on there helping patients rebuilding their lives after a spinal cord injury.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

For more information or to schedule an interview with Zeke Iddon, please call +07926100257 or email zeke@smashingworkshop.com. More information and media concerning the event can be found at www.stars-power.com

More information about the National Spinal Injuries Centre can be found at: http://www.buckinghamshirehospitals.nhs.uk/spinal

Donations to the marathon Guitar Hero appeal can be made at:

http://www.justgiving.com/Zeke-Iddon