Fans Raise Over $60,000 for Shoegaze Guitarist Douglas Dulgarian's Cancer Fight

By Elena Vasquez

A GoFundMe for Douglas Dulgarian, vocalist-guitarist of the shoegaze band They Are Gutting a Body of Water, surpassed its $60,000 goal within roughly a day of launching. More than 1,300 donations carried the fundraiser past its target, according to the campaign page at the time of publication.

The campaign went live one day after Dulgarian announced his cancer diagnosis on Instagram. Friends organized the fundraiser to cover his treatment costs and the wages lost from canceled tour dates.

Why did the band cancel its tour?

Dulgarian announced the diagnosis on Tuesday. He revealed he learned of it last Friday — the same day the band released Kool Faith, a compilation mixtape.

"I was diagnosed with cancer last Friday, same day we put out Kool Faith," Dulgarian wrote. "Crazy day, every possible emotion lmao. We obviously can't do the tour, as I need to get this figured out. I have treatment in a couple weeks."

He struck a resilient tone about the road ahead. "I have a feeling it will all work out," he wrote. "Been thru a lot of things in my crazy and (atp) relatively long existence and I'm no stranger to putting my best foot forward and facing some difficult shit."

Dulgarian said he shared the news to inform friends and fans, not to seek sympathy. "There are many people with much worse problems and my life has been so infinitely blessed and privileged and I never lose sight of that," he wrote.

What does the fundraiser cover?

The GoFundMe posting lays out the band's finances in plain terms. Dulgarian has already paid thousands of dollars in medical bills out of pocket to obtain the diagnosis. Upfront tour costs cannot be reimbursed. Tour profits were supposed to serve as the band's income for the rest of the year.

"This has left Douglas and the band in a financially precarious spot," the posting states.

The organizers hope for a recovery in time for scheduled December shows in New York City and Philadelphia, though nothing is confirmed. "The hope is that Douglas will be recovered by their NYC and Philly shows in December, but everything is up in the air right now," the posting says. "We are praying for a speedy recovery and asking for donations at this time to cover medical bills and living expenses while he navigates cancer treatment and recovery."

In short: the band's annual income and its December dates both now hinge on Dulgarian's treatment.

How is the band regarded?

They Are Gutting a Body of Water earned a strong critical reception for its latest album, Lotto. Rolling Stone awarded the record four out of five stars.

Critic Rob Sheffield praised Dulgarian directly in his review. "Dulgarian, the son of a dirt-track racer, epitomizes the restlessly innovative spirit that keeps shoegaze so vital," Sheffield wrote.

The outpouring of more than 1,300 donations in a single day suggests that assessment resonates with listeners. Whether Dulgarian recovers in time for the December shows in New York and Philadelphia will determine the band's plans for the rest of the year.