Have a kickabout with Oh Mercy! Dress like the Pet Shop Boys! Play on one of Katy Perry's bouncers! All for charity!

Following the horrific occurrences in Japan recently - in which more than 8,000 people died, thousands are injured and at least 12,000 are missing - it's not surprising that people are pulling together to help. In the music world, the EMI family have been rummaging through their cupboards in search of treasures they can auction to raise some much needed cash that will help to rebuild a country in which 14,000 homes were destroyed and around 100,000 damaged.

This week, heaps of ebay auctions end on some pretty amazing items - with all proceeds going to Red Cross Japan Relief. If you've got a few bob, you might want to bid on Deadmau5's diamonte Mau5head. Or maybe you fancy a signed Bowie back catalogue. Or, if you're feeling particularly macho, you could wear this Pet Shop Boys cube jacket to your local boozer. Then of course, there is Katy Perry's cupcake trampoline. Try having a go on that without squealing like an overexcited schoolgirl. There are heaps of other items too, like hand-written Pet Sounds lyrics and one of B-52's guitars.

There's a chance though, that all of the above are slightly out of your price range. They certainly are for us. However, here's an affordable and fun one that might appeal to the Australians amongst you. Melbourne's Oh Mercy (Alexander pictured below) are offering a bit of a kickabout with the winning bidder and four of their mates, as well as some signed stuff and a few photo opportunities. Sounds like an awesome afternoon to us, and all in the name of a very, very good cause. If you feel like testing your AFL skills against Alexander, Rohan, Simon and Eliza, while simultaneously doing a good deed, you can bid here. Meanwhile, check out all of the listings here.

Words by Rob Townsend

Getting To Know... Rob Irish

In the latest in the Getting To Know... series, Rob Irish tells BobbySix.com about his favourite albums, trips to Japan and his obsession with Leonard Cohen:

I would describe my sound as being fairly 'old-fashioned' as far as the Sydney scene goes. I've always loved traditional instruments and traditional music. I'm a big believer in the 'song,' and in continuing the Australian songwriting tradition. Bands like The Drones and The Dirty Three, Nick Cave, The Go-Betweens etc have been very influential in that regard, as I think they all capture something that is uniquely ours, and theirs are the songs of our time. Just as Dylan's were the songs of America in the 60s and 70s. I guess they still are, really.

As well as being a solo artist, I'm involved in a couple of other acts - fronting Sydney band Sooners, and playing drums for A Casual End Mile. Great people who I'm happy to be working with! All my projects act as very different outlets. Collaborating is challenging and very inspiring, and it's interesting to see what you can bring to a group of musicians. I write a lot, and my solo work is a collection of poems-made-songs. It's very close to me in that way.

Music has been the corner-stone of my life since I was very little. My mother, who also sings folk, pushed me to play guitar when I was six or seven, which I hated at the time, but was grateful for when I got older. I was in a few punk-bands throughout high school (believe it or not!) but the great songwriters were played constantly around the house and in the car. I avoided them for as long as possible but I guess it all sank in after all... Cohen has been a constant obsession for a long while now.

If I could only listen to three albums for the rest of my life, they would be:

Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan,
Songs From A Room by Leonard Cohen,
No More Shall We Part by Nick Cave.

I'd hate to have to choose but I can't fault any of those records. They've lasted this long already.

It might surprise people to learn that I speak Japanese fluently, and used to go over every year. The instruments are cheap, and food is great, and the people are lovely - if a little strange. If you ever want to feel Australian I can recommend a trip to Tokyo, it's an incredible city and so different to anywhere else in the world.

Aside from music I work as a barista in a bookstore/cafe to pay the bills. It means I get cheap coffee and cheap books, as well as being able to choose the playlist when I'm on. Not sure if part-time work gets much better than that, but music is definitely the passion.

Hear some of Rob's songs at his Myspace page.