A BASSIST who played on Lou Reed’s 1972 hit Walk On The Wild Side will perform at a village hall to raise money for a boy with a rare cancer.

Ditchling resident Herbie Flowers will host two benefit concerts in the village for eight-year-old Magnus Dixon, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma two years ago.

After going through surgery, chemotherapy, and immunology, Magnus has finished his treatment. But his family hopes to raise enough money to continue his gene therapy in New York to stop the cancer returning.

Otherwise, the eight-year-old, who also lives in Ditchling, only has a 30 per cent chance of surviving the next five years.

Fundraiser Sylvia Bain said the cutting-edge therapy available in America would be life-changing for Magnus.

“Magnus’s parents are both nurses and the high cost of treatment in the US is beyond their financial reach, hence the efforts of their family and friends to raise money to give Magnus the best possible chance of life,” she said.

“He has already undergone his first gene therapy treatments in New York and will have a real chance of survival if he’s able to continue to benefit from these cutting-edge treatments.

Mr Flowers will perform twice at Ditchling village hall on January 5, where he will be joined by musicians from Ditchling and around the world. The 3pm performance is sold out but his 6.30pm show still has tickets left.

As well as his crucial role on Walk On The Wild Side, Mr Flowers has performed with the likes of Elton John, David Bowie and George Harrison. He was also a founding member of pop group Blue Mink, whose 1969 single Melting Pot reached number three in the charts that year.

Anyone interested in attending Mr Flowers’s concert can buy tickets for £12 from Ditchling Post Office or by calling Ms Bain on 01273 845361. To donate to Magnus’s gene therapy fund, pay into Bank of Scotland, Magnus’s Fund, sort code 80-22-60, account number 17458563.