Sophie Lancaster was a 20 year old girl who lived in Bacup, Rossendale in Lancashire. She was a small sensitive girl who was a gap year student with dreams of doing an English degree working with children like her. She along with her boyfriend Robert Maltby an art student in Manchester were followers of the gothic subculture.

On Saturday the 11th August 2007 she and her boyfriend were walking through a skate park on their way home. A group of teenage youths were binge drinking there and were heavily drunk when they decided to attack Robert apparently based on how he looked. Sophie rushed in to defend her boyfriend after he was knocked unconscious, trying to cradle him in her arms. The youths turned on her and attacked her. Both Sophie and Robert were put into comas and were hospitalized. Maltby's injuries left him with bleeding on the brain but he recovered over the next two weeks. However it became clear Sophie would not recover from her injuries and on the 24th of August her family agreed to switch of her life support and she died.

In memory of Sophie the charity Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere (S.O.P.H.I.E) was set up. The charity aims to educate young people about subcultures in order for something like this to never happen again. Sophie's own mother was a youth worker and believes this cause is important even representing it at a government level.

S.O.P.H.I.E benefit Dublin is an independently organized memorial for Sophie Lancaster with the profits going to the S.O.P.H.I.E charity. Bands who are playing at this event include an eclectic range of genres representing all the alternative subcultures this case affects. From the heavy sounds of metal band Ascension and underground heroes Estel to the punk influenced sounds of Controlfreak and the atmospheric dark wave of Belfast based A THUOC (previously support for fields of the Nephilim side project NFD).

The event is being run in the intimate surroundings of the Cavern Radio City downstairs beneath the Isaac Butt bar in association with the Dominion club night.

Dominion will be playing its usual of mix of gothic, industrial and EBM with guest DJs including Laura Lee Conboy of Phantom FM's dark alternative show Spiral Stares. (archive copy/site gone)

I set up this benefit as I feel that this is an issue that everyone who has suffered abuse for their alternative lifestyle choice can relate to but also however it is an issue that affects all society as crime is on the rise and the streets are a more dangerous place for our youth. I am not by any means saying that we can solve all the problems but maybe we can to create a sense of unity amongst the alternative subcultures and take something positive from this horrible crime. So please support this benefit and the charity so we can make a small but important difference.