Loserpalooza is the festival for Tauranga's underground punk lovers – and its back for a third year.

Twenty five bands across two stages will grace Totara Street for the event, which kicks off on Saturday, from 12pm to 1am.

For the organisers and musicians, Loserpalooza is about much more than just the music. It's no accident that profits made from the $40 per person ticket sales are donated to mental health support service, Lifeline.

'We're sick of losing our friends,” says Threat Meet Protocol band member and event organiser Austin Cunningham.

'Too many of us in the punk scene have lost people to suicide and we want to do our best to change that.

'We have 25 bands from throughout the country coming together, donating their time and in many respects travelling great distances to play, for free, for the cause. It means a lot to us.”

A tragedy within the tight-knit punk scene changed the directory of the festival.

Three days prior to the first Loserpalooza on June 9, 2018, the frontwoman of several nationally known punk bands, Anna Bouwmeester, took her own life at age 29. She was Austin's partner.

Showing determination through tragedy, Loserpalooza still went ahead.

'Both those who knew her and those who didn't rallied together to make sure it went ahead.

'My bandmates ran the event in my absence and gave all of the money to Lifeline.”

The first festival raised more than $1600, and more than $5000 the following year.

'Loserpalooza doesn't feel like a sad thing, it feels like a remembrance. Friends of Anna's come together and play punk music – it feels like she's there.”

The name of the festival is no accident either – it's for the ‘losers'.

'Now more than ever the world is full of losers,” Austin explains in the event's promo.

'We are losing our jobs. We are losing our health. We are losing our freedom. We are losing our love for our fellow man. We are losing our future.

'And while we as such a small group cannot pretend to be able to fix all of these societal ills we can certainly look out for our own little populace - the losers.

'If you're feeling depressed or suicidal please turn to a more experienced loser, preferably one you know and trust but even an unknown loser. They will know what to do.

'All losers welcome… for Anna and everyone else lost before their time.”

The Loserpalooza 2020 line-up features Abysum, Threat Meet Protocol and more. For more information and COVID-19 updates, search Loserpalooza 2020 - Lifeline Fundraiser on Facebook.

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