'We are not afraid to play under the bombs': Kyiv rock band-turned-soldiers asks Ed Sheeran to let them remotely play UK benefit concert

• "We are not afraid to play under the bombs," a member of the Ukraine rock band Antytila said in a message to Ed Sheeran.
• Antytila would perform remotely at ITV's "Concert for Ukraine" fundraiser on March 29 in the UK.
• "We will fight and sing for victory," says one singer-turned soldier in a TikTok message to Sheeran.

In an impassioned and defiant TikTok post, members of the Kyiv-based rock band Antytilan are asking to perform at an upcoming benefit concert for Ukraine, saying they would play remotely "under the bombs" of their besieged city.

The post shows band members standing under a wrecked apartment building in their combat gear.

The members, in English, addressed UK singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who will be performing at the two-hour benefit show "Concert for Ukraine" in Birmingham on March 29.

"Hello Ed! Greetings from Kyiv!" one of the performers-turned-soldiers, lead singer Taras Topolia, said to the band's 116,000 TikTok followers.

"We are Ukrainian musicians of the Ukrainian band Antytila — one of the most popular Ukrainian bands with a lot of fans in Ukraine and all over the world. In peacetime, our concerts gather at stadiums."

He added, "Today we learned about your charity concert for Ukraine, which will take place in Birmingham. And we offer to make a live broadcast between Kyiv and Birmingham with Antytila temporarily joining the gig remotely."

Topolia, a father of three, told Euronews on Monday that band members began volunteering for the Ukrainian army in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.

Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city and home to nearly 3 million people, has been under targeted attack by Russian forces, including shelling and bombings, as the Ukrainian military continues to resist their advancement. 

Topolia said he wants the band to play the benefit to highlight that resistance. 

"The war has changed our lives and now we are fighting with weapons against the Russian occupiers. We thank you, and all of the British people for their support. Believe me, we are grateful, and we always — we will always remember this," he said. "Our band will play our music in Kyiv, a city that has not surrendered and will never surrender to the Russian occupiers. You will play in Birmingham."

He added, "We are not afraid to play under the bombs. Through music, we want to show the world that Ukraine is strong and unconquered. We will fight and sing for victory in front of the whole world that supports us. So, on March 29, we are ready."

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee and its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Performers will also include singer Camila Cabello and Irish–Scottish rock band Snow Patrol, according to Billboard.