Aerosmith stars Steven Tyler and Joe Perry helped raise a small fortune for a children's charity by performing a shopfront gig on Sunday afternoon (10Mar13).

Alice Cooper, Eddie Van Halen, Billy Idol and Hollywood couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were among the audience members who watched the duo rock out at celebrity designer John Varvatos' 10th annual Stuart House benefit.

The organisation offers help, advice and therapy to children who have been sexually abused.

Tyler told RollingStone.com he and his bandmate jumped at the chance to perform a Sunday afternoon gig: "It's about John's passion for children and this endeavour he's doing. It's about the swept-under-the-rug thing with kids where they're so young, they don't know what's going on, they've been abused sexually and they think it's their fault, which is a travesty beyond travesties."

Perry added, "We have kids. We're parents ourselves. We read about kids that don't have the good fortune, and John's the kind of guy that when he hears about that stuff, he gets out there and does whatever he can to help them."

Slash joined Tyler and Perry for the gig.