New event - Liverpool's Acoustic Blues Lounge

There's a brand new event starting this coming Friday 2nd October.

The Liverpool 'Acoustic Blues Lounge' is brought to you by local duo Blue C (Raphael Callaghan and Christine Purnell) and will take place on the first Friday of every month at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street.

The doors open at 8pm, music starts at 8.30pm - and it's £5 on the door to get in.

Blue C's special guest on the opening night will be the fabulous Tom Doughty, king of the lap slide guitar. You can listen to his music on his MySpace profile myspace.com/tomdoughty

Help will be needed to carry Tom up the three flights of stairs, and although those of you gallant enough to volunteer won't find your reward in heaven, there is a licensed bar at the top!

More information about this gig and future dates from myspace.com/bluecblues

Stephen Langstaff tour and interview

Academy Live has helped launch the careers of some of the most exciting acts on today's new music scene. Stephen Langstaff, Viva City, The Dukes Jetty and Murray James are all geared up to play O2 Academy stages across the UK with each artist headlining their hometown venue.

And this Tuesday 29th September the tour rolls into Liverpool, with Stephen Langstaff headlining in front of a home crowd.

Doors open at 7pm, and tickets are only £5 available from ticketweb.

More info available from stephenlangstaff.co.uk

Stephen Langstaff interview - September 2009

Ahead of the O2 Academy gig on Tuesday we thought it would be good to get a little closer to Stephen, and with a little help from our friends over at Liverpool Student Media we've done just that.

This article by Ian D. Hall is syndicated from LiverpoolStudentMedia.com, the University of Liverpool's student run newspaper, magazine, TV and radio station website. Many thanks to Ian and his team for allowing their content to be reproduced on the Liverpool Acoustic news and reviews page.

In eighteen short months the life and career of musician Stephen Langstaff has taken on almost sky rocket proportions, for a young man he was already well known as a decent support act in his own right and was able to open for the Bangles at the Academy on their tour in the summer of 2008. Stephen then got the call to support the Lightning Seeds at the Liverpool Philharmonic and then a coveted opening spot for Deacon Blue at this years Liverpool Summer Pops at the Echo Arena.

His music has been compared to the late Jeff Buckley and Tori Amos and has a legion of fans and that number is ever growing.

I was able to catch up with Stephen in Bold Street for a while and over a cup of tea discussed how much life had changed for him, his love of certain bands and how noisy it can be in a city centre coffee shop.

Hi Stephen, how are you doing today?

Hi, Noisy isn’t it, (points to Dictaphone and laughs) shall I talk directly in to that ?

If you can, not sure I picked the right place but hey! First off how did it feel being in front of such a huge crowd at the Echo during the summer and what led to you doing the gig?

A lady called, I was at the Philharmonic Hall with the Lightning Seeds and it was from that performance I think that led to the Echo Arena Show. So, it's just been brilliant and the kind of performances that I think I have been waiting for a while and building up to, because I have been doing really well since the show at the Academy and the audiences have been getting bigger and bigger at my shows.

No you are quite right, the audiences have been building up nicely and honestly it’s the old fashioned way and I quite like that!

Don’t get me wrong, I mean, two years ago, If you were opening every door for me, I wouldn’t’ have said no. I suppose on some level I’ve always known that my songs would go through some sort of organic process. Certainly for me the good thing about how I’m doing it if you go quite early on from one level to another its a big jump and if there are any setbacks, your fall can be quite great.

Its good, I’ve seen all sides of everything. I have a good understanding about the business and I‘m not flustered by it. I don’t mean to make it sound like bravado when I say that but I’m not. I know my musical limits more than two years ago, I think my confidence as a performer is a lot higher now and that just comes through consistently working and through the audiences and I’m leaning from making mistakes as well. Not every gig over the last two years has been good. Even where you’re not enjoying it, you learn something, I’d be pushing myself to make it work so I need to learn more from those gigs. The gigs where everything goes wrong. I feel I’ve been learning over the past two years to learn how to perform and I feel that I’m at a point where I know I can work out a way of doing things on stage.

The lads who are in the band have been with you a while now and seem to be well versed with your style of music.

Its been two and a half years now, its been good yes. We’re quite tight now and they were impressed with my songs and they appreciate that and just believe in them. I’ve been in different bands across the years that didn’t work and I’ve always felt a bit constrained, which is why I set out on my own and then I’ve kind of built everything around me now and I think that’s where the future lies and the problem I’ve found is that in a lot bands there’s no space and that’s where tensions arise so first of all I wanted to avoid that and I wanted to do exactly what I wanted and that’s what I did.

How did you go about that?

I just jumped in the car and do solo gigs here, there and everywhere. When it came obvious at a certain point when I needed a band to fill out these song, there was no point in asking musicians to collaborate with you and to tell him or her how to play them, I think it’s a bit offensive, as a singer you shouldn’t be telling a bass player or a drummer how to play note for note.

Why not get a session musician in?

Sharing ideas is one thing, sometimes I can hear a beat and an idea, not an exact sort of beat but I can describe how I feel, its full of energy, that’s the level that I work on, if I invite someone into the songs to play, then I can feed into them what I want. If everything is so open and if something does not work, then I’ll say. There’s a lot of mutual respect, I’ve never had one argument with anyone about this, it’s a collaboration, it's a labour of love. It's joyous music, I’d hate to take that out of it. I’m quite proud of that actually.

Who inspired you to start playing music?

It was literally Nirvana. I went round to see my best friend who lived two doors away and he had long hair and he put 'Come as You Are' and 'Teen Spirit' on from Nevermind. I was into pop music before then, like just chart music. I’m a big fan, its just that side of me. There’s room for everything I think. That was Nirvana and I progressed to Pearl Jam and the The Beatles! Its weird, I’ve got this weird mix of rock and pop and I listen to Offspring and Green Day as well. The Beatles came along and they fitted in with my outlook, they are more accessible kind of stuff and from there The Levellers to Oasis.

The atmosphere and that approach by the Levellers makes their gigs feel like one big party!

I try and bring some of that to my gigs but there’s another side to my gigs which comes from other acts like Tracy Chapman and Tori Amos, Jeff Buckley, to see how high we can get spiritually, how much I can reach the audience, I’m interested in that.

We must talk about Tori Amos!

(Laughs out loud) I’m a little bit obsessed by her. One thing I like about Tori Amos is that she’s got an image and I like how much connected she is to her fans, I felt that I just hadn’t just written songs just to share with people, that’s all that matters to me. I’ just couldn’t write anything without trying to create something that’s worth listening to. When you do your job right, you’ve written the song in the way it wants to be written and then that’s going to resonate with people and it was only until I’d discovered Tori Amos that things really started to change for me about six years ago. That’s when I left the band I was in and I kind of realised that I wanted to do.

I realised what I was, a songwriter with good songs and I could sing them rather than joining a band. I remember I was just sat in a bar somewhere and I was talking to my best friend about who satisfied I was about going solo. It was around that time I’d started to get interested in Tori Amos and Tracy Chapman and realising the power that their music generates in each song. I’ve not looked back since then, honest. The most satisfying thing for me at the moment is seeing the reactions from the people at the gigs and the emails I get. I know what I’m putting out there is great and I’m in a really good place.

I just play for everyone, I find it a bit cynical myself, music has become a big business like everything else

though with targeting audiences and everything. It not what I’m about and it never will be I don’t think.

Are you looking forward to the tour?

This will be the first real bit of touring I’ve ever done. Potentially five may be seven dates, I might also come back to Liverpool. Its an Academy tour. I like them, they do a good job. I’ve done some big shows, ~The Bangles show at the Academy show there was 650 at the gig. I can play anywhere now in Liverpool I can bring an audience with me to different venues. I’ve done the Barfly a few times.

Anywhere left in Liverpool you would like to play?

I’d love to play the Stanley Theatre at the University I’ve not done there.

Stephen starts his first of four night on tour on the 28th September in Newcastle and plays the Liverpool 02 Academy on the 29th September.

Ian D. Hall © 2009

See the original article here.

EP review: Southbound Attic Band

EP REVIEW

Artist: The Southbound Attic Band

EP: Southbound Train

MySpace: myspace.com/southboundatticband

One of the aspects that makes the vibrant acoustic music scene in Liverpool and the surrounding area so exciting is the variety. Folk, singer-songwriter, pop, Irish, jazz, blues, and rock – there’s something for everyone. Americana also plays a significant role with events such as The Company Store, the Family Folk-up, and the Loose Moose String Band sessions. The Southbound Attic Band fit nicely into the Americana mould, and add a bit of an English twist to the genre.

The Southbound Attic Band are Barry Jones on vocals and guitar, and Ronnie Clark on bass and slide guitar, and they’re joined on their debut Southbound Train EP by piano player Geoff Hall. The SAB guys describe their music as ‘Americana-tinged folk rock’ and the American influences are there for all to hear.

The EP kicks off with the title track, Southbound Train, a song which typifies Barry’s ability to write songs in an Americana style which sound traditional and authentic. On first listen (without the aid of the publicity bumph, I might add) I assumed this song, and others such as Last Man Standing, were originally from the American folk tradition. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the former was written by Mr Jones, while the latter has lyrics by poet and lyricist Geoff Parry. Southbound Train contains some typical American folk elements, such as a jilted lover, a train journey to Memphis (Tennessee, of course), and a happy reunion.

Howling At The Moon starts with great blues harp just to add to the feel of the Deep South. It’s another relationship song, this time the man would prefer to wander round in the vein hope of selling his songs rather than settle down and get a job like his true love wants.

To Be A Father (track 3) and Valparaiso Bound (track 5) were written soley by Barry Jones, and are influenced by the English folk tradition, the latter reminding me of my time singing sea shanties in The Shellback Chorus. Both of these songs are part of The Willow Suite, which was written by Barry and recently recorded by the band (advance copies available now!), and is based on the Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

Last Man Standing (track 4) is my favourite song. It tells the tale of the last living survivor from the epic Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, the conflict with the highest casualty count, and the battle considered by many to be the turning point in the American Civil War.

The Southbound Attic Band can often be seen playing at Cafe D'Art in Formby. Why not go along and listen for yourself? You can bother them for a copy of the EP at the same time!

They can also be seen playing live this coming Friday 25th September 2009 at the Liverpool Acoustic Live event taking place at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. Doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm. Entrance is £4 on the door, or £3 in advance from contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk

Graham Holland © 2009

Liverpool Acoustic – liverpoolacoustic.co.uk


Southbound Train EP can be bought from the band at their gigs, and the following places:-

News From Nowhere, Bold Street, Liverpool www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk
Quicksilver Music, Market Street, Southport
Cafe D’Art, Chapel Street, Formby www.myspace.com/cafedart

Acoustic artist required this Saturday

A gig opportunity has come up for Saturday 26th at Vinea Wine Bar at the Albert Dock. Vinea is a nice, laid back and relaxed venue.

A performer has pulled out at short notice, so Harriet from the venue is looking for an acoustic musician or act who can do a 2 hour slot from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

The set should be mostly covers, although you could slip in the odd original song if you wish. The fee is £70 and you'd need to provide your own PA.

These details came to us via Peter Cunningham, who was offered the slot but can't make it. If you're interested then give Pete a call on [number removed].

STOP PRESS - The gig is now taken and will be performed by Mark Dennis.

Squared Circle launch party Wednesday 23rd

There's a party at Leaf Tea Shop & Bar on Wednesday 23rd September, and you're all invited. It starts at 9pm, and it's free entry.

Mellowtone presents the Squared Circle Launch Party.

Squared Circle is a Liverpool based management company borne from a love of grass roots music, with a policy of working only with artists they love, developing them and helping to give them the platform they deserve.

Performing on the night will be:-

Dead Cities
www.myspace.com/deadcitiesband

Ragz
www.myspace.com/ragzmusic

plus Beaten Tracks DJs
www.myspace.com/mellowtonenight

After the launch, more information will be available on their website at www.squaredcircle.co.uk

or you can get it via email from info@squaredcircle.co.uk

Leaf Tea Shop & Bar is on Parliament Street, in the Elevator Studio side of the NOVAS CUC building.

Gremlins

No, not the ones from the movie. These gremlins are the ones sitting inside the server room at Google's blogger/feedburner HQ and which are responsible for one post getting sent out on Friday/Saturday (the gig review) when it wasn't supposed to go out until Sunday and for a post from the end of July (!) being re-sent for absolutely no reason other than that's what Gremlins do!

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Review: Amsterdam @ The New Picket

Review: Amsterdam's Working Class Music Festival gig
Tuesday 15th September 2009 @ The New Picket, Jordan Street

Standing on The Picket line….

A cracking if eclectic line-up at Tuesday night’s Working Class Music Festival gig at The Picket. The second year of this festival of radical song, set up in the Capital of Culture year to promote songs of struggle, protest and social justice, was supported by Culturepool tonight, who had arranged for a few of us to meet the performers before the gig, which was a great introduction to the Merseyside live music scene for a newbie like myself.

Kicking off the bill was rapper Kof, with a beat-pumping mix of Calvin Harris, Bonkers and Bros. Gauging his audience wisely, he delivered a soulful balled halfway through his set, proving that he can sing as well as he can rap. I’m no rap aficionado but his material was witty and original. My mum would’ve liked him too, as you could hear every word! kofmusic.com

Next up, local favourite (despite being from Manchester!) Claire Mooney. Claire used to study at John Moore’s and told the audience that Liverpool had taught her everything she knew. Well, she learnt her craft well and despite being one woman and her guitar, she filled the venue, both with her voice and her personality. As Darius would’ve said, you could ‘feel the love in the room’. Even though it’s not a style of music I would usually listen too she was spellbinding. ‘I write political songs’, she said and by god she does. Describing one song as ‘a rant’, she covers topics from Clause 28, to corporate malpractice, to the wearing of a fleece. But she tempers the politics with a warm humour which really engaged the crew at the Picket, revving everyone up to a rousing bout of audience-participation singalong – getting the entire room to shout; ‘Dead dead good, Boss, Bostin’ and tonight, she was just that. Check out her sound at www.clairemooney.co.uk

The tempo changed with Phil Hare. A guitarist and singer of near-legendary status in Liverpool, Phil brought a quiet, intense mood to the venue. Down at the front, fans hung on every word while at the back the mayhem settled for a while. Political songs, acoustic magic, in a style reminiscent of Roger Whittaker at his best. Though next time I’d really prefer to hear Phil in a more intimate setting, as the excitement at the bar for the upcoming, more rocky-style, bands drowned out the passion just a bit too much. The man in the hat deserved more than that. There’s a wide range of Phil’s acoustic material on YouTube or go straight to the man at www.philhare.co.uk

Last up (for me, as I missed The Trestles) was John Peel’s ‘second- favourite band’, Amsterdam; (this ‘fact’ hotly disputed by the Birkenhead born ‘n’ bred singer Ian Prowse, who insists that Peel was known to have ‘sobbed along’ to their hit song ‘Does this train stop on Merseyside?’). The audience were ready and waiting and Amsterdam filled the bill with a rocky, punky wall of sound. It felt like the Picket should have been a stadium, for all the energy that echoed off the walls and reverberated back through the songs and hearts of this passionate band. Ian Prowse’s big, poppy, Wylie-esque voice soared above guitar crunching pop-rock with a real Celtic edge, with a lighter layer on top provided by the flute and the fiddle.

Many people are asking why Amsterdam aren’t bigger, and on this showing, its hard to see why not, especially as the band can name-drop fans including Elvis Costello and folk legend Christy Moore. Amsterdam’s lyrics are personal and political (with songs describing Irish Famine victims, Liverpool’s history of Slavery and a last one dedicated to Michael Shields), though layered in a pop sensibility; they reminded me of Stiff Little Fingers, Bruce Springsteen and Deacon Blue, with a big dollop of Wylie’s pop years. See if you agree…www.amsterdam-music.com

© 2009 Gill Newsham - gill[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
Liverpool Acoustic - liverpoolacoustic.co.uk

The Trestles finished the night on a blistering high and lead singer Al O’Hare performed with real passion. Even though the crowd thinned out after the headliners Amsterdam had finished their set The Trestles' high energy set continued to build a fervour in the intimate space of The New Picket. O’Hare also affirmed his political credentials when referring to the No To Tesco On Hope Street campaign, which raised a large cheer from the crowd.

© 2009 Vinny Lawrenson-Woods - vinny[at]culturepool.org.uk
Culturepool - culturepool.org.uk

Thanks to Vinny from Culturepool for finishing the review for us. Check out the engaging programme of events that Culturepool introduces its members to. Culture is everywhere, and it's not exclusive! So why not discover something new in the company of other like-minded people?

Hope Street Feast this Sunday

The small but perfectly formed Hope Street Feast (aka the Hope Street Festival) is back for its fourth year, and we've got all the details just for you.

But instead of picking out just the acoustic happenings, we thought we'd give you the whole caboodle, with the acoustic bits highlighted in red . Enjoy :-)

The 4th HOPE STREET FEAST

SUNDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2009, 10.30am – 5.00pm

Hope Street Quarter, Liverpool

Hope Street Feast 2009, sponsored by Paramount Stewarding and Security, is the 4th blissful family-friendly Sunday street party in Liverpool's Hope Street Quarter with music, theatre, dance, great food, drink and produce.

It's CAR FREE DAY! Come by BUS (74, 75 80 80A, 180, 86) or come by BIKE - we hope to have some extra bicycle parking on site at Mount Street.

This year there are 3 music stages on the streets ~ Myrtle Street, Blackburne Place (LIPA stage), and Hardman Street (Guinness Liverpool Irish Festival Stage including the Ceili)

With open air dining areas and bars, free open days at the Unity and Everyman Theatres, the whole event is brilliantly animated by Hope Street Ltd’s theatrical antics: following on from last year's "Market of Optimism," this year’s theme is "The Big Nosh ..."

Central to the event is the Open Day at the Phil. Vasily Petrenko will be conducting the RLPO in 3 free concerts, with other performances as part of the Liverpool Philharmonic open day including Seth Paris's "West African music meets Lancashire Brass Band" extravaganza, and the West Everton Children’s Orchestra ...

The farmers' market with hot food stalls runs the length of Hope Street from LIPA to the Everyman, and expect some spectacular gastronomic delights from the finest eateries on the street ~ No 60, The Quarter, Host, Everyman Bistro, Rubato and the Side Door, to name a few.

Open air bar / dining areas are at Myrtle Street, outside the Everyman Bistro on Hope Street, and outside The Quarter on Falkner Street.

Liverpool Cathedral is open throughout the day, hosting the final day of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, whilst the Metropolitan Cathedral piazza hosts an art market.

Everything is free to enter, you just pay for what you choose to eat and drink …

PROGRAMME


BLACKBURNE HOUSE

11am-5pm Art, Design &Craft Fair

The local artists and designer-makers’ work for sale includes jewellery, photography, textiles, ceramics and glass. Thirty-five stalls offering you quality, handmade or limited edition work.

Blackburne House Theatre - Hope Street Conversations

Four talks to annotate aspects of Hope Street Feast 2009

1pm Ian Brownbill in conversation with Seth Paris

Ian Brownbill, Director of Metal, discusses the Brass Band Transatlantic, the ambitious West African/Lancashire musical exchange project masterminded by Seth Paris, Metal artist in residence. Performances arising from the project take place both at Philharmonic Hall and the Myrtle Street stage during the day.

2pm John Dempsey (tbc)

John Dempsey contributed the Daily Post Country Matters column, is the author of Wild Merseyside a new book packed full of stuff on birds, insects, plants, mammals, and writes an infamous Birdblog. To complement the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, John will talk about the wildlife of Hope Street and the city, aimed at everyone from beginners to grown-up birders.

3pm Andrew Cornall in conversation with Vasily Petrenko

Andrew Cornall, Executive Director of Orchestra & Ensembles at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, discusses and the extension until 2015 of Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko ‘s Liverpool contract.

4pm Darren Henley in conversation with Vincent McKernan

Darren Henley is Managing Director of Classic FM and Vincent McKernan is the former County Archivist for Greater Manchester Record Office who managed a two year project cataloguing the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s archive. Henley and McKernan are joint authors of the new book The Original Sound: The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Story.

MYRTLE STREET STAGE

Bar & Picnic Area with seating and Stage

12noon The Grapes Band

Taking their name from the renowned Sunday residency at the nearby pub of the same name, The Grapes Band play an energetic, infectious mix of Latin jazz grooves.

1pm The Grande

Feel good band, Priory Falls' former lead singer Ben Sherwen and drummer Phil Stevens return with a new project.

2pm Xander and the Peace Pirates

XATPP have a bluesy and soulful sound. This Liverpool band play a thought-provoking, happy and inspiring mix of sixties and seventies influenced music.

3pm Seth Paris with Felix Ngindu and friends

Metal’s artist in residence Seth Paris on saxophone and Kanda Bongo Man percussionist Felix Ngindu with a host of guests.

4pm Ian Prowse

Back by popular demand the Amsterdam, and former Pele, frontman returns to the Feast.

LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL

‘OPEN DAY AT THE PHIL’

10.30am–5pm

A chance to see an insider’s view of the Phil as we celebrate the opening of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s season and the range of music, film, comedy and events at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Packed with music for all ages, drop in throughout the day and enjoy free music and films that demonstrate the range of activity and give a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the UK’s premier arts and entertainment venues works.

Doors 10.30am

Main Auditorium Stage

10..45am

Watch the cinema screen rise from the stage and settle down to see four short family matinees.

12pm PeterPan

Enjoy Disney’s classic feature-length animation of the fairy story Peter Pan.


1pm, 1.40pm and 2.20pm

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Three free short concerts of twenty thrilling minutes with Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko.

1.20pm and 2pm

Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir

One of the North West’s finest youth choirs, offering young singers from the region exceptional choral training and performance experience.

3pm West Everton Children’s Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Liverpool’s newest orchestra, formed through the national pilot In Harmony project which brings children and staff from Faith Primary School together with a team of highly skilled musicians led by Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra violinist Sally Anne Anderson. They performed for the first time in July this year alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Julian Lloyd Webber.

3.50pm Liverpool Allstars

Allstars Casting TV Film & Theatre are based on Hope Street. They are Liverpool’s most contemporary casting agency for children, teenagers and adults. Here, they perform extracts from their recent hit show Our Day Out.

4.30pm Brass Band Transatlantic

Featuring Seth Paris (New York), Congolese percussionist, Felix Ngindu and The Liverpool Youth and Formby Brass Bands, this is West African music meets Lancashire Brass Band, and is the culmination of a project led by Seth Paris, an outstanding Jazz Saxophonist, who recently completed a residency at Metal gallery in Liverpool and spent a year in Ghana.

Rodewald Suite

(Entrance in Sugnall Street)

12.10pm Alistair Savage

Alistair is the guitar player/singer from Liverpool recording duo Cavemen That Get Sad, a full on mix of electric guitars and programming. He also plays occasional acoustic sets.

12.50pm Charlie Keeling

Charlie Keeling from Gothenburg is a songwriter, singer-guitarist influenced by Bert Jansch/John Renbourn and Nick Drake.

1.40pm None of the Above

Eclectic acoustic music, from Cajun to sea shanties.

2.30pm Ogo Nzeakor

This singer/songwriter plays a folky acoustic soul sound and has worked with artists such as Sense of Sound Choir and Sandi Thom.

3.20pm Modjango

This duo play breathtaking Jazz Manouche (Gypsy Jazz) guitar in the style of the great Django Reinhardt. Taking influences not only from Django, but also from modern day Gypsy Jazz guitarists, Spanish music, Rock Country and Classical music.

4.20pm Terry Coyne and Skirm

Two top Irish entertainers in their own right come together with flutes, whistles, guitar and vocals to produce a sound that includes vibrant tunes and stirring songs..

Rubato Café Bar

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall’s café bar will be open all day for a hassle free lunch or a coffee and cake stop. Check out the live feed from the Phil stage, so you don’t miss a thing while you refuel.


Grand Foyer Bar from 12.30pm

Join us in the bar upstairs in the Grand Foyer for a host of activities with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s Learning & Engagement team. These taster sessions are suitable for Children aged 1 to 11 years and their parents, the workshops involve creative music making and the opportunity to have a go on a range of musical instruments. In addition, children can pop up throughout the day and have a go at creating their own t-shirt.

EVERYMAN BISTRO

Providing food and live music throughout the day. Enjoy regional dishes or choose from range of Merseyside beers or a selection of the Bistro’s renowned salads and savouries..

Live music line up:

12pm Modjango

12.50pm Helen Maher

1.40pm Charlie Keeling

2.30pm The Grapes Band

3.20pm Terry & Skirm

HARDMAN STREET STAGE

12pm Mike Neary

Mike Neary has probably played in every venue on Hope Street including both cathedrals. This, his first outdoor venue, completes a very enviable set!


1pm-3pm Hope Street Ceili

The Guinness Liverpool Irish Festival 2009 present their famous Ceili. Join in the fun with the cream of Merseyside's Ceili musicians and callers led by ex Garva maestro Terry Coyne, with dance demonstrations by The Liverpool School of Irish Dancing and of course, YOU ~ ceili dancing is about joining in - you'll be 'Dancin' in the Street!

3.20pm The Trestles

With nods to The Waterboys, Springsteen, The Clash and Van Morrison, this four-piece have supported Mull Historical Society, Amsterdam and Ian McNabb.

4.10 pm Barry Sutton

The irrepressible Fabian Rothschilde, sometime of The La’s and Mirrorball, is a Hope Street coffee-drinking legend, sharp-witted songsmith and a fine showman.

LIVERPOOL EVERYMAN & PLAYHOUSE

Open 11am to 4pm

11.30am, 12 noon, 12.30pm, 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm Tours

12.30pm Family Quiz

1.30pm Storytelling

3pm Everyman 45th Birthday Quiz

Visit for a sneaky back stage tour and find out more about our exciting re-development plans or test your knowledge of the Everyman in our 45th Birthday Quiz. You can pick up a bargain with our ‘Script Sale’ or re-cycle your holiday reading with our bookswap. There’s plenty of fun for all the family too with storytelling with actress Eithne Brown enthralling the children with stories including The BFG. Alternatively, just sit and enjoy some refreshment and watch the world go by…

HoSt

East meets West taste of the Orient. Oodles of Noodles!

HOPE STREET HOTEL

12pm-4pm

The London Carriage Works will be an oasis of calm for the partaking of Afternoon Tea! Delectable sandwiches, nursery rhyme sponge cakes and lashings of clotted cream will be the perfect accompaniment to watch the crowds go by. There will be a stall of scones and jam to lure you into the peace and quiet! Music is served below stairs at The Residents Lounge, to whet a different kind of appetite!

MARYLAND STREET FAIRGROUND RIDES

Come for some good old fashioned family fun on the fairground rides tucked away in the car park!

LIVERPOOL’S ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL

12noon–4.30pm (last ticket 4pm)

Catch the final day of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the end of its successful 5 week run with live owls and hawks in the Well of the Cathedral from 12 noon until 2.30pm, or take a trip up the Tower for the best views in town!

BLACKBURNE PLACE STAGE

Produced by LIPA

12pm Dan Croll

singer/songwriter based in Liverpool and studying at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, combines his acoustic style with both Parisian and Spanish influences to make cultured and memorable music.

12.30pm Natalie McCool

As a singer and acoustic guitarist, McCool has a timeless acoustic sound. She’s been inspired by an eclectic mix of artists including SuzanneVega, Damian Rice, Gomez, Coldplay and KT Tunstall.

1pm Richard O’Flynn

O’Flynn writes simple but provocative songs which he delivers through soaring vocals and catchy melodies. His powerful and emotive voice, coupled with his searching lyrics, give him a very distinctive sound.

1.30pm Shane Beales

Musician and songwriter Beales is a LIPA graduate renowned for launching a revolutionary website – Project 52 – on which he undertook to write and upload one song a week for a year.

2pm Lee Broderick

The 20 year old singer-songwriter has accomplished a lot already in the infancy of his live career, supporting Willy Mason, Paolo Nutini, KT Tunstall and Daniel Powter. He has toured extensively across the UK performing and crafting songs with passion, subtlety and an endearing honesty.

2.30pm The cast of 'Six Ways'

The cast will be performing some songs from this new musical that was voted the number one musical to watch at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009 - "Six ways will touch your heart in a number of ways ..." - Broadway Baby

3pm Kaya

As a member of the Sense of Sound choir Kaya has performed at the Royal Variety Show, with Ringo Starr at the Capital of Culture 2008 opening ceremony and as a finalist of BBC’s Last Choir Standing. With her own music, Kaya released a critically acclaimed album earlier this year, and has played alongside Brett Anderson (Suede), Cherry Ghost, and Noah and the Whale.

3.30pm Mark Murphy

An acoustic set from the Crocodile God frontman.

4pm Deaf School

"In the whole history of Liverpool music, two bands matter most; one is The Beatles and the other is Deaf School... their impact on the city is with us to this day. Deaf School were (and still are) an inspired, chaotic live act..They play a wild amalgam of cabaret and pop; they are camp and theatrical but rock like crazy too”. Paul Du Noyer.

Triple-header this Saturday night

This coming Saturday 19th September you've got not one, not two, but three fabulous acoustic events to choose from. You could, of course, visit them all in a mad frenzy of Saturday night acousticness... But if you want to pick just one then here are your options.

The Family Folk-Up presents @ St Bride's Church

Don'tcha just love a good ole album launch, eh? This time it's the turn of folky rockers Sparkwood & 21, who'll be celebrating By The Water's Edge (that's the name of the cd, not the location of the gig!). Joining them on the night will be Charnock and Russell, Hallelujah Trail, and hosts The Random Family.

Doors open at 7pm, and music is from 8pm to 11pm. It's a 'bring your own drinks' venue, and tickets are £5 on the door. More information from myspace.com/therandomfamily1

The Songbook Sessions @ The Zanzibar

This event continues its tradition of booking only the finest singer-songwriters in the city. Neil Campbell, Sam Sallon, Rosie Jones, Bobhowla, Misery Guts, Ragz, Ste (Cecil), and Marc Sunderland (Peter & the Wolf) are all together on the same bill. Bloomin' fantastic! Doors open at 7.30pm and it's £5 to get in. Details from myspace.com/thesongbooksessions

Under the Influence @ Studio 2 at Parr Street

This event got a brief plug on the News and Reviews page earlier in the week, and only a few hours later was promptly pushed off the top spot by the Working Class Music Festival's special £1 ticket offer. C'est la vie! However, we've now got a full run-down of the artists appearing at this event, so that's a valid enough reason for mentioning it again.

Under The Influence VOL 11 - Northern Lights - ties in with Kaya’s celebration of 10 years in Liverpool. She's now officially a Scousewegian, and will be hosting a Nordic special with original songs and creative covers inspird by the likes of Sigur Ros, A-ha, ABBA, Royksopp, and Bjork. One NOT to be missed! Joining in the celebrations will be Jo Bywater, James Munro, Grethe Borsum, Kaya & friends. There's even a rumour that there might be waffles there, making it a waffly good night (sorry!). The merriment starts at 8pm and it's free to get in.

Exclusive WCMF £1 ticket offer for Liverpool Acoustic supporters

STOP PRESS - MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER

We've just received the following email from Alun Parry at the Liverpool Working Class Music Festival office containing an incredible offer for Liverpool Acoustic followers. We'll let Al explain!

I'm offering your readers something a bit bonkers.

Last night's festival opener was stunning, so now I want to reach out to as many people as possible to ensure that the message of the Working Class Music Festival reaches as many people as I can.


So here's the offer.

Contact the box office at The Phil on 0151 709 3789 and say "Liverpool Acoustic" and tickets for any of the remaining nights of the festival will be just £1 (yes ONE).

Likewise, pay on the door and say "Liverpool Acoustic" on the door and only pay £1 to get in.


Madness or what?


Monday 14 Sep is a 2 hour Bob Marley stageshow supported by the music of The Clash (usually £12.50, but now just £1)

Tuesday 15 Sep is Amsterdam, The Trestles, Kof, Claire Mooney, Phil Hare (usually £11, but now just £1)

Wednesday 16 Sep is Chumbawamba, Atilla The Stockbroker, Alun Parry and Tracey Curtis (usually £14 but now just £1)

All nights take place at The Picket, Jordan St, Liverpool, L1 0BW

Doors open each night at 7.30pm, and music starts promptly at 8pm each night.

Please circulate asap so as many of your readers benefit from this offer.

Al

Eclectic Collective & Under The Influence VOL 11

The Eclectic Collective is a brand new monthly concept where three fantastic artists play two sets of three songs each, giving us a great variety of top notch music. The idea is the brainchild of local musician and event host Kaya, who adds Eclectic Collective to her other events, namely the monthly Acoustica at 3345 Parr Street, and Under The Influence at Studio Two, Parr Street (more about that below).

The event is completely free, and takes place in the lovely Leaf Tea Shop & Bar in the NOVAS CUC building (the same entrance as Elevator studios).

The launch night is taking place on Wednesday 16th September, starting at 8.00pm, and will feature sets from Thomas-Joseph & Murphy, Stuart Anthony, and Rosie Jones. Kaya hosts, and will probably give a few songs too.

Sticking with Kaya, the next Under The Influence is Vol 11, and is taking place on Saturday 19th September in Studio 2 at Parr Street, starting at 8.00pm.

And it's a Nordic theme this month with "Northern Lights" - celebrating Kaya's ten years in Liverpool. We're promised Norwegian Waffles and other Nordic treats, along with creative covers and Nordic-inspired original songs from a selection of talented singers, songwriters, and musicians.

More information from myspace.com/kayaherstad

Liverpool Working Class Music Festival starts this weekend

It's this weekend!!!! Yes it's finally here!!

The Liverpool Working Class Music Festival is starting THIS weekend.

Have you bought your tickets yet?

If not, follow the link to their website to book online.

Or contact The Liverpool Philharmonic Box Office on 0151 709 3789 or in person on Hope St, Liverpool


And we've just heard about a 2-for-1 offer for Bob Marley night on Monday!! More details below.


SUNDAY: Leon Rosselson and Roy Bailey headline this fabulous night of political folk. It's Leon's 50th year of singing out the truth so expect something a bit different. Also with songstress Frankie Armstrong and David Ferrard. In conjunction with War On Want

This show has only a handful of tickets left so don't miss out.

Book now

MONDAY: What a spectacular show this is. Legend Live is a TWO HOUR stage show of the music of Bob Marley by the greatest Marley band in Europe. Even The Wailers are fans!!!! Supported by The Clash band Rebel Truce. In conjunction with Love Music Hate Racism / Unite Against Fascism

AMAZING VALUE OFFER: Get 2 tickets for the price of 1 for this night when you buy tickets in advance!!

EVEN BETTER: Already bought a ticket at full price? Phone the Phil and get your second FREE ticket!!

Book now


TUESDAY: Liverpool favourites AMSTERDAM will be rocking the Picket to its foundations. Supported by The Trestles, Liverpool rapper Kof (fresh from this year's appearance at Glastonbury!), Claire Mooney, and guitar virtuoso Phil Hare.

Book now


WEDNESDAY: What better way to finish the festival than with the amazing CHUMBAWAMBA. Also supported by punk poet Attila The Stockbroker, Liverpool's own Alun Parry, and the spellbinding Tracey Curtis. In conjunction with the Royal College of Nursing

Book now

The Liverpool Working Class Music Festival is the ONLY annual festival of its kind in the whole of Europe. It's well worth supporting, and it's taking place right here in the centre of Liverpool.

Full details about the festival can be found at www.workingclassmusic.org.uk

Liverpool Twestival this Thursday 10th

Come and join the Liverpool Twestival. A Twestival is a festival for tweeters (see what they've done there?) that's people who use Twitter. Once a year Twitter users in a particular region or city get together to meet each other in person and to raise money for good causes.

It's taking place on Thursday 10th September at Leaf Tea Shop and Bar, in the NOVAS CUC building (Elevator Studio entrance on Parliament Street). The doors open at 6pm, and everyone (including non-tweeters!) is welcome.

This year all proceeds will be going to Clatterbridge Cancer Research, and will be raised on the night by way of a super raffle. So far the prizes include:-

• 1 year membership of Screen Casts Online - courtesy of @donmcallister


• A free sitting and 10 x 8 photo worth £370 - courtesy of @adamyaffe


• A meal a month, for three months - courtesy of @cromwellswirral


• A meal (details tbc) - courtesy of @hopelessboss


• Tickets to see Everton Tigers - courtesy of @paversmith


• A pair of first class tickets to anywhere on the Virgin network - Courtesy of @richard_baker


• A case of wine - courtesy of purple wines


• An original artwork from @sophiegreen


• Tickets to see The Animals at the Masque - Courtesy of @panthergrrrl


• Tickets to see Brand New Heavies at the Masque - Courtesy of @panthergrrrl


• 3 x pairs of tickets for Picturehouse at FACT - courtesy of @FACT_Liverpool


• A place at a social media bootcamp - courtesy of Glow New Media

The top prize (cough, cough) is free entry for two people to all the Liverpool Acoustic Live gigs for a year - courtesy of @lpoolacoustic

Entertainment on the night includes Danny Morris, formerly of Eton Road, and Dan Burgess with some close up magic.

You can find out more information from liverpool.twestival.com and can follow them at twitter.com/lpooltwestival

And, as always, you can follow Liverpool Acoustic (even without a Twitter account) at twitter.com/lpoolacoustic

Liverpool Acoustic Live preview - September 2009

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #18
Preview of Liverpool Acoustic Live 25/9/09

1. Ben Blance - Ten Butterflies

2. Rob Clarke - September

3. The Southbound Attic Band - Southbound Train

4. Rae Clark - Stretch

Download the show for free
(right-click to download)

Or listen online below


(not available for email subscribers)

The next Liverpool Acoustic Live gig is taking place on Friday 25th September 2009 at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. The doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm.

Entrance is £4 on the door, or £3 in advance from contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk

As always, we've got four great acts for you to enjoy on the night.

Ben Blance
benblance.com
myspace.com/benblance

Ben Blance is originally from the north east of England but is moving to Liverpool on a full-time basis from this month. He is an exceptional singer-songwriter as anyone who has every seen him play live or has listened to his cds will testify to.

Ben has two solo CDs Ten Butterflies (2003) and Fragile Moon (2007) which are available to buy from his website. He's due to release a new album of solo material in the autumn, and we'll let you know once it's available.

Ben has recently completed an extensive tour of Ireland with the group The Jukebox Gypsy myspace.com/jukeboxgypsymusic and their album of the same name is available to buy via their myspace profile.

Rob Clarke
myspace.com/robclarkeunplugged

Rob Clarke cut his musical teeth as part of the Catacoustic collective, and has developed his own style of playing and songwriting. Rob is equally at home writing songs about his home town of Liverpool and the wider world. He's got a number of self-produced albums available to buy from his myspace profile, including 2008's Long Way North (read the Liverpool Acoustic review here). Rob is taking advance orders on his new album Portraits due out this autumn.

The Southbound Attic Band
myspace.com/southboundatticband

The Southbound Attic Band is a duo comprising of songwriter Barry Jones on vocals and guitar, and Ronnie Clark on bass and slide guitar. Together they play an addictive blend of Americana-tinged folk rock based around Barry's excellent original songs - modern songs with a traditional feel.

The band has a debut EP called Southbound Train, on which they're joined by piano player Geoff Hall. The EP can be bought from to following places.

Quicksilver Music in Market Street, Southport
Cafe D’Art, Chapel Street, Formby myspace.com/cafedart
News from Nowhere on Bold Street, Liverpool newsfromnowhere.org.uk

Rae Clark
myspace.com/raeclark

Rae Clark is a local singer-songwriter whose musical influences span a wide range of musicians, from Sigur Ross and Pink Floyd, to Fairport Convention and Fleet Foxes. He has an album called Wee Monkey which is currently available to buy from him at his gigs, although it will soon be in shops and online to make it easier to get hold of.

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #18

If you get the chance, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible.

The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website. It is also available on the Internet courtesy of Art In Liverpool FM (Defnet Media), and is a proud member of the Association of Music Podcasting - supported by Libsyn

The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.

It's A Frog's Life - Liverpool Special 2009

The It's A Frog's Life Acoustic Podcast is a fortnightly show playing some of the best podsafe acoustic music from across the UK and can be found at itsafrogslife.net/podcast

Why are we telling you this? Well... Show 90 is the Liverpool Special 2009 and contains eight tracks from acoustic musicians and bands on the local Liverpool scene who haven't been played on the show before - which just goes to show how much untapped musical talent there is out there.

There's also a competition to win a copy of the Liverpool Music Today CD courtesty of Ultimate Fake Records and it will be sent to the first person who emails podcast[at]itsafrogslife.net to say that they've either blogged about the show or left an iTunes review.

Click for free download (48 MB)
(Right-click and 'save target/link as')

Click below to listen online (53 minutes)


(Not available for email subscribers)

Misery Guts – Trying To Be The Sun
[MySpace] [Electric Sheep]
Buy Trying To Be The Sun EP [ iTunes]

Matt Reekie - Got Me In A Spin
[MySpace]

Dead Cities - This Killer Wave
[MySpace] [facebook] [BBC introducing] [ArtistRise]

Jamie Ibison - August Breeze
[MySpace]

James Suffield - Whisper Softly In Your Sleep
[MySpace]

Freya - William
[MySpace]

Laney Murphy – Growing Pains
[website] [MySpace]
[Canned Panther]

Christina Malley - Didn't It Rain
[website] [MySpace] [facebook]

BEDDING
Andrew Ellis - Taxes On The Farmer (feeds them all)
[website]

ALSO ON THE SHOW
[Theme tune] Andrew Ellis - Blind Mary
Association of Music Podcasting [website] [AMPed]
Supported by Libsyn
Listen to the Made In The UK show
Liverpool Acoustic

This show can be found on Acoustic Alternative www.acousticalternative.com
every Sunday at 7pm Pacific / 10pm Eastern / Monday 3am UK time