A bunch of fives

As is the way at this time of year there are numerous retrospectives and round-ups of everything that happened in the previous twelve months.

This year is no different and having looked through the numerous lists I have decided to have a go at compiling my own.

I must admit I have lost touch with the NME of late - I no longer purchase it religiously every Wednesday like I used to, but I still takr the time to pick up the Christmas edition to check out the end of year round up.

The fact that I own 2 albums from this years NME top 50 indicates that I’m either getting too old or I’m losing touch – as I said I seldom buy the esteemed journal these days and the quality of the Christmas Edition is evidence that I’m not missing much – but that’s for a future blog.

I fare a little better with the Uncut(the magazine of choice these days) poll. I own 3 albums from their end of year list. Again in the Observer’s arts blog I only manage to accumulate 3 of the 50 albums – note to self – must do better next year. In their poll-of-polls I have 2 out of the ten.

I have probably bought a reasonable deal of albums this year – probably not as many as in previous years. I think I have probably bought a number of older records that I have I could have included such as the Editors and Jose Gonzalez but as they weren’t released this year I have omitted them.

Here are my lists as follows:

Favourite Albums 2006

1. Kelley Stoltz – Below The Branches
2. Roddy Frame – Western Skies
3. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
4. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
5. Mansun – Legacy (Best of)

Favourite Singles 2006

1. Kelley Stoltz – The Sun Comes Through
2. Howling Bells – Setting Sun
3. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
4. Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright – Set the Fire To The Third Bar
5. Kasabian – Empire
6. Amy Winehouse – Rehab

Favourite Gigs

1. The Who - Liverpool Summer Pops (July)
2. Roddy Frame - Liverpool University (April)
3. The Zutons - Liverpool University (December)
4. The Raconteurs - Liverpool Carling Academy (March)
5. New Order (Liverpool Summer Pops (July)

Zuton Fever

That was just what the doctor ordered, after a weekend that can be best described as ordinary, last night rounded the weekend off nicely - watching Liverpool's finest The Zutons.

They were playing the third of a four night residency at Liverpool University, Academy, Mountford Hall or whatever it's called these days.

It's been a few years since i'd see them, but they have developed into a tight little band. From the opener of 'What Don't You Give Me Your Love' to the final 'Zuton Fever' they were on top form and their energy levels belied the busy year (and week)that they'd had.

It is amazing the songs that pass you by, but when you hear some live they take on a different perspective. 'Valerie' is one such song that passed me by this summer when I heard it on the radio - but tonight I grasped what it was all about. As did the numerous others surrounding me.

Here's to the next gig and album. On this form, I can't wait.

All you need is cash!

With Christmas approaching the current raft of available musical product to purchase and I use the term ‘product’ with great significance.

November and the run up to Christmas seems to be a time of year that bands issue albums that have no real reason other than to fulfil a contractual obligation or it is about time that they got around to releasing a greatest hits.

U2 and Oasis fall into the category of the contractual obligation and this fact has prevented me from purchasing the said albums…as yet. I must be living a parallel world as somehow Girls Aloud have enough material to justify the release of a greatest hits!!!

While doing my weekly shop at Tescos – I had the usual urge to make an impulse purchase of a CD – as I hadn’t bought one for a while. Given the limited range on offer, the purchase was always going to be The Beatles - Love album.

This is a curious album, and it is one that after repeated plays makes wonder what is the real point of its existence. I had heard a few snippets here and there on the radio and I was intrigued to hear the album in full.

I was expecting a radical presentation and reappraisal of a selection of Beatles songbook. What I found instead was a number of curious alternative versions which sound great given the remastering that has taken place, but ultimately make you long to hear the originals and their imperfections.

The concept behind the album is that the music forms the backdrop to the Cirque du Soleil's ‘Love’ show in Vegas. The show has been given the seal of approval by those with significant influence in the Beatles affairs and is currently winning rave review for the performances.

The album is given some credence given that it has been produced and remixed by Sir George Martin and his son Giles. This is part of the part of the problem for me, the Martin’s are probably a little too precious with the recordings and the fact that they had carte blanche to be a little more radical could have seen them go a little further.

Some of the mixes are quite innovative especially the splicing of Hey Bulldog with Lady Madonna – but again they don't really go far enough.

It has been branded as the first official bootleg of the Beatles – a mash-up, but for me this album is a little too safe. I was hoping that it would be more in keeping with the Danger Mouse bootleg that appeared a few years back. That took liberties with the Beatles and JayZ tunes and went under the name of the Grey album.

To me the Love album, good though it is (you can’t go to far wrong when putting together a selection of Beatles tunes, in what ever form) this is nothing more than a soundtrack album and one that is nothing more than a pointless exercise in trying eek out a little more cash from a back catalogue that has so far not been too badly exploited.

This album and the release of Let It Be Naked hopefully are the last drops that can be wrung out the Beatles back catalogue.

Yeah, I know!!!

Last night, for the second time in a year I went to see Little Britain at the Liverpool Empire on one of the last dates of a seemingly never-ending tour.

I was quite ambivalent about watching it again. I think the show is quite funny, but I must admit I was becoming a little tired of the characters last year when I went to see it. This was evidenced with the last series, when some of the old favourites had seemingly ran their course.

A year on from my first visit and after a period of not watching the show I went to see the live show again. The main reason I went was to take my girlfriend Nicky who had never seen the show - the tickets were part of a birthday present she had been waiting to receive since June.

The show is virtually the same one that they have been touring for a year, but there is the addition of one or two moments of spontaneity to the mix – to freshen-up the heavily scripted show.

I managed to make it in on time for this performance – last year I missed the first twenty minutes last time - due to a mix-up with my tickets. That probably was one of the reasons for my less than glowing appraisal of the show last year.

The old favourite characters are all rolled out - Bubbles, Lou and Andy, Marjaorie Dawes and are well received by an audience expectant to see such characters.

The highlight of the show for me was the cameo appearance of one of the non-entities from the boy band Eton Road.
Before the show, to the right of where we were sat, there was a slight frisson in the air and the sporadic flash of a mobile camera. It suddenly become apparent that the X-Factor 'stars' Eton Road were in the audience.

One of the sketches involved Des Kaye, played by Walliams, who is seemingly a disgraced children’s television presenter, who is now plying his trade doing summer season at a summer camp.

The sketch involved getting two members of the audience to help him ‘hide the sausage’. One is an older person who Kaye/Walliams ignores and the other is a boyish individual - whom is basically molested in front of the audience.

Unfortunately for Eton Road, David – I think that was his name (my appreciation for boybands is on par with my appreciation of gnawing my own limbs off) was brought on stage and subjected to this humiliation.

After escaping without having his pants removed, Walliams then proceeded to chase David around the auditorium before announcing, 'I didn’t like you I preferred the black haired one instead' – cue all four member of Eton Road running for their lives through the rows and aisles of the Empire.

The sketch dissolved into farce with Walliams’ wig falling off and with the assorted members of Eton Road subjected to untold humiliation. It was funny and embarrassing in equal measure.

You have to give credit to Walliams and Lucas for the energy and the quick fire nature of the set changes. The characters who I'd grown a little tired of I did enjoy, but hopefully they can be consigned to history. The two transvestites are the main offenders for me. It has been an unbelieveably long tour for them and it will be interesting to see what there next project will be.

It was a good night and in the end I was glad I went - despite my earlier apprehension.

Charidee

Tonight is Children in Need night; while I agree with everything that the charity is trying to do I don’t think I will be sitting down to watch a number of non-celebrities getting up to wacky things all in the name of charity.

Most of these self-serving celebrities - coincidentally will probably have biographies out, reality shows to win, and greatest hits in shops before Christmas.

While I’m still being slightly cynical I received a phone call from Oxfam today trying to get me to sign up to give them a regular contribution. I had previously signed a petition with regards to the ‘Make Poverty History’ and ‘I’m In’ campaigns - so I was obviously ripe for the picking.

Obviously a calculated call on their part, knowing that their finances would be hit today, with the focus on Children in Need. A pleasant enough operative spoke me to, but I could hear the buzz in the background, the hum of other operatives trying divert funds Oxfam’s way. It wasn’t the hard sell – but it was slightly crass all the same.

I occasionally give to charity and if my finances were better than they currently are, I would be more than willing to do so on a more regular basis. What I would rather do is, do it on my own volition and not be brow beaten to it on the doorstep or over the phone.

Eclectica Festival St Helens

The is possibly the first instance that this phrase has been uttered but thank god I live in St Helens!

It's not often that you get the luxury of being a five minutes walk away from a Music Festival.The local council should be applauded for putting on the second Eclectica festival - performed in front of the town hall. Pity about the weather and the turn out though.

On the bill were local bands The Loungs and Tin Tin Lady as well as established artists such as Ian McNabb, The Oysterband and Michael Franti and Spearhead.

The main attraction for me was Ian McNabb - who was on splendid form playing his own material and a couple of cover versions - including a Bob Dylanesque take on the Grease hit - Your The One That I want.

It's the second time I have seen him this year and he just gets better and better. Here's to the gigs in October, when he takes the Icicle Works back out on the road.

The other bands were ok, but the McNabb eclipsed them all.

Some modern art is rubbish

I took the chance recently to have a peek into one of the most enigmatic buildings in Liverpool. I had heard so much about the building and I had looked forward to the opportunity to see what was the fuss all about. St Luke's Church, known colloquially as the Bombed out Church has been a fascinating piece of the Liverpool landscape, but one that has been looking for a modern role to play.

The walls of the church remain intact, but after a bombing raid during World War II the roof and the insides have remained derelict ever since.

It has recently been utilised as part of the biennial - an event that uses many of the buildings in Liverpool as works of art. I'm not a great aficionado of modern art, Another Place on Crosby beach (which has thankfully be granted a temporary stay of execution by the way)is probably of the few pieces of modern art that have not left me cold.

The installation in the Bombed Out Church is one that has left me feeling bemused.

It is by the artist Matej Andraz Vogrincic and his entry on the Biennial website talks about 'turning the most ordinary objects into visual poetry, and the most ordinary or neglected places into magical.'

I have to say the objects were a distraction to the discarded tramp juice cans and the amazing structure left unused, but loved over the years. Green upturned boats...WTF!

I wouldn't have crossed the road if hadn't have been for the chance to view the Bombed Out Church at close quarters.

Keeping it Peel

I thought I would break my blog-block today given the fact that it is Peel Day.

It is hard to believe that it is two years since Peely died.

It is probably a JFK moment for me. I’ll always remember where I was when I heard he’d died

It was in the first semester teaching Multimedia Journalism at the same establishment I’m at now. I remember having the BBC website up on the overhead board talking about web design.

The main headline was about Mark Thatcher’s coup attempt. I was about to let the class go for a break just as the site updated itself with the news of Peel’s death.

Gutted was an understatement. I managed to hold myself together for the rest of the session, just about.

I took myself home to listen to the endless tributes in the hope of making sense of dreadful news and in the hope that it wasn’t true. Sadly it is true. I might be overstating this but music hasn’t been same since.

Rest in Peace Peely.

National Poetry Day

Seeing as today is National Poetry Day I was planning to include my favourite poem, IF by Rudyard Kipling.

Having listened to the Mark Radcliffe show on Radio 2 tonight, I came across the following poet who was a guest on the show.

Further to this I checked out his website and it describes him as 'Slade fan and Evertonian' - so he can't be bad!!!

I have decided to use Paul Cookson's ode to Noddy Holder instead.

Touched by the Band of Nod

People seem to find it strange
Some may find it odd
But even after all these years
I still believe in Nod

I'm still that kid from school
Standing in the quad
Twenty five years on and more
I still singalonga Nod

I never really followed
Elton, Marc or Rod
I didn't wow 'bout Bowie
But the voice and power of Nod

The howl of Little Richard
The smile of Kenneth Dodd *
Showman, entertainer
The presence of Lord Nod

My ambition was to follow
In the path he trod
Instead of singing songs I've made
I'm writing poems about Slade
there's Jimmy, Don and there's Dave
Not forgetting Nod

Too young to be a punk
Too old to be a mod
I was just a glam rock kid
Touched by the band of Nod

(c) Paul Cookson

Shanks for the memories

Bill Shankly is the man who kick-started the "50 years of tradition you can't buy" that Liverpool fans are always screeching about on radio phone-ins and, with today marking the 25th anniversary of his death, it's no surprise to hear that there was a run on black ribbon across Merseyside today - or that opportunistic scallies are now making a killing in the lucrative bootleg black-armband market.

A commemorative ceremony is being staged at Anfield today for Shankly, who famously led Liverpool to three League titles, two FA Cups and the Uefa Cup. But the Fiver would like to do its own small bit to mark the anniversary of the passing of the man loved so much by Liverpool Football Club that they ejected him from the training ground shortly after his retirement and asked him not to come back, leaving him harbouring no end of resentment and bitterness.

Of course these weren't the only traits the Scot shared with your average Scouser. Shankly was also renowned for his famous "wit" - having peddled a mediocre line in observations that were only marginally less bland than the kind spouted today by Alan Shearer. Most often misquoted is that one about football being more important than life or death, but the Fiver's favourite came when Shanks was asked what he thought about the team on the other side of Stanley Park. "There are only two teams in Liverpool," he harrumphed. "Liverpool and Liverpool reserves." No doubt he changed his tune when Liverpool showed him the door, forcing him to live out his dotage helping Everton's youth team.

I could have been a contender

Recently I had the time to pick up my guitar, which is an all too rare occurence these days. When I do so it’s an equally pleasurable and frustrating experience.

I didn’t really start playing the guitar until my early twenties and the ambition was always to play in a band. My early entrance into rock n roll was made with the purchase of a bass guitar for £50 from a mate at work. After this abortive keyboard lessons came and went, before I graduated to the six-string guitar.

One of the main reasons for eventually going to University was partly to get a qualification, but to be honest I thought it would afford me the time to get a band together. The aim was to do a Coldplay who all met at University, and make my millions!!!!

Sadly this wasn’t the case, during my time at University, I was in a number of bands with a few mates, but these bands never made it out of the cold dank rehearsal room we performed at just down the way from our University building.

The main reason for the lack of success was usually the lack of drummer, the lack of songs or the usual cliché of musical differences.

I’m probably overstating this grandly, but after these abortive attempts I decided to go solo. This was certainly the easier option for me to continue my musical endeavours. The problem of a drummer and musical differences were alleviated in an instance.

When I say career. I should state my total career earnings for performing are; £5, a glass of Glenfiddich and all the Caffreys I could drink - when I regularly played at the Wednesday Songwriters’ night at Shenanigans, Bootle

Armed with a number of my own compositions and a couple of covers, I regularly performed in and around Liverpool.

Since 2002, my guitar has been a glorious ornament and has been picked up fleetingly to bash out a riff or two that I can barely remember from years gone by. Every year my list of things to do always includes the bit that says get back into my music and start gigging again.

This summer, I probably came as close as I have done since 2002. During my period off work and when I returned from my holidays, I revisited some of the songs that I had written and previously recorded onto my trusty four-track cassette recorder.

These recordings are ramshackle to say the least – though they do contain some reasonable lyrics that have something redeemable in them, some of the performances though leave a lot to be desired.

Now years later I have a computer with a basic music recording facility, I revisited these songs thinking that technology would help transform these snatches of music into something that I could be proud of. So far, not so good. I think only a handful of these songs are worthy of a wider audience.

It looks like it will be back to the drawing board and I will have to get writing a few more compositions, before I make my great comeback.

Watch this space – though I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Jellyfish – Best (Virgin/Charisma)

The release of Best sees a belated overview of one of those bands whose flame flickered but whose initial spark went out almost as soon as it was ignited.

Jellyfish are a band that warrants a modicum of attention today. 2003 saw the release of a 4 cd box set, followed by this compilation - an abridged version of that particular box set. They set out making their name in an age when their sound was at odds with the prevailing musical culture of the time.
In their lifetime Jellyfish released two albums Spilt Milk and Bellybutton and the band were hampered by line-up changes with each release. The musicians that made up Jellyfish have all remained in the industry in some form but have tellingly never reconvened as Jellyfish at any point down the years. Though principal songwriters Roger Manning and Jason Faulkner have been involved in a number of projects together down the years.

The cliché of musical differences is apt for this band as a third album was aborted as the line-up finally capitulated. The US band certainly mistimed their career, coming to the fore after Baggy and before Britpop. It was quite possibly a case of wrong place, at the wrong time for the band. As their Paul McCartney Wings style may have found an audience in the retro obsessed days of Britpop.

The stand out tracks from this release are The King is Half Undressed a song which was on heavy rotation on MTV in the early 90s, as was the near UK hit The Ghost At Number One – which came close to denting the Top 40.

These tunes certainly are the pick of the album, as well as Ignorance is Bliss but I have to say time has not been too kind and the sum total of this album merges into one continuous loop, with the standout tracks few and far between. There is evidence of quirkiness in some of the songs Ignorence Is Bliss is a good example of how it could have been, but more often than not they have a tendency to resort to a bland MOR style - more akin to third rate Supertramp copyists.

It could be argued that it is the ultimate album for the download age, the afore mentioned songs are the only ones you really need to own.

Best is evidence of band with numerous ideas, but with no coherent vision in which to present them.

Another Place

The Crosby coastline is not the most obvious place you would expect to see works of art.

It’s a coastline that is functional at best. To the south of Burbo Bank you have the docks of Seaforth, to the north you have Formby coastline. It’s a coast that is lapped by the Irish Sea and its reputation was previously based on its polluted state, instead of any cultural or artistic interest.

For the last year Another Place, the work of Antony Gormley – famous for his Angel of the North statue has taken pride of place on the shore.

They are due to remain there until November - where they will be transported to the Hamptons, New York.

Given the imminent 2008 City of Culture celebrations there have been calls for the Iron Men to remain for the duration of these celebrations.

I have been a regular visitor to Burbo Bank over the last few months and have been fascinated by their appeal.

I used to live a mile up the coast and I don’t think I had visited the coast more than once during my 12 years in Hightown. Over the last few months I have been there on a number of occasions.

What is surprising is the fact that locals have met these calls saying that the time has come for them to go. They say that the popularity of the beach with the Iron Men, is ruining the fun for anglers and water sports enthusiasts.

I can’t believe the petty mindedness of some people. These figures should be celebrated and be made more of a feature for this part of the coast. For Christ sake we live on an island – isn’t there enough room to fish or surf.

Hopefully they will stay, but if not catch them while you can.Failing that check out my selection of pictures on Flicker.

Time to go Tony

Is there a less than edifying sight, than seeing someone in a position of power or responsibility clearly not taking the hint that it is time to depart - oblivious to fact that they have lost the trust of those close and more importantly to those that they serve.

For the past few months the rumblings of dissent and a timetable for his removal/resignation have been a convenient distraction for Tony Blair, from the business of government both domestically and abroad.

It is clear now that Tony Blair has outstayed his welcome as PM. The arrogance and the gall of the man is hard to take. He’s a PM who is clearly hanging on for some last year lap of honour/dishonour (depending on what you opinions might be). He has even lined up heavyweight interviews with Chris Evans and Lorraine Kelly – to pronounce his achievements!

He talks about his legacy and how he’ll be remembered. There is a desire to be remembered in the pantheon of great Prime Ministers but his minimal successes at home have been discredited by the cosying up to a despotic American leader, whose policies, in tackling the War on Terror have brought on the increase in terrorist atrocities all over the world.

Blair knows he’ll be remembered as BLIAR - the man who took this country into a war on the back of a Neo-Con agenda on the spurious claims of WMD. Claims based on the spin that has been prevalent throughout his administration and the spin that ultimately led to the death of David Kelly, the unwitting victim, in the government trying to win the hearts and minds of the public with a discredited agenda.

Given that his departure will take place sometime in the future, what makes last week so bad is the that fact that the battle to be Prime Minister or leader of the party won’t be an ideological battle but a battle of the careerists who make up the modern day Labour Party. They have no clear idea of how to shape the future.

At least Blair had a vision – a watered down version of Thatcherism. All we’ll get in the future is a watered down Blairism or Gordon Brown’s own brand, which at least has some foundation in the ethos of the Labour movement.

Last week, the Party was ‘rocked’ by the resignation of eight junior ministers, but the other careerists have clung on to see what they will get out of it when the Blarites and Brownites lock horns at a later date.

It is clearly time to go or else David Cameron – Blair-lite waits in the background. A politician with as much substance as Casper The Ghost and whose whole idea is aping the early days of Blair – he’ll probably be getting the Spice Girls to reform so he can ride on the crest of Cool Britannia II.

It’s time to go Tony…and take that numptie Prescott with you too.

In Defence of Maghull

From the age of 3 and for the next sixteen years of my life, I lived in a town called Maghull, a small town north of Liverpool – fairly nondescript in the grand scheme of things, but it was home.

Many of the affirming moments of my life have taken place in Maghull. So it is a place I look back on with fond memories. You could say the demographics tend to be lower Middle Class and on the whole it’s a relatively pleasant place to live.

That is why it was a shock to find Maghull an entry in the book Crap Towns.

This is a book that lists 50 of the worst places to live in the UK. Here is the actual entry.
Crap Town 37

Population - 50000, Unemployment - 6% Famous People - 0

This dormitory town seven miles outside Liverpool is a mean-spirited, characterless and deluded suburb, which fancies itself as a cut above the rest of Merseyside. Queuing up outside B&Q on a Sunday morning is the closest it gets to culture.

Contains Ashworth, that institution full of psychos which is always in the news. Every Monday, they start the sirens, which wail mournfully at the start of another week in Maghull. (Matthew De Abaitua)


I have to say this is fairly harsh assessment and factually inaccurate assessment of Maghull. The B&Q is actually in Aintree and Frank Hornby, the Inventor is actually from Maghull.

Ok, its quiet, but its certainly doesn’t deserve to be listed with a number of other crap towns that are listed. I could name you five towns in the Liverpool area alone, that should be in book ahead of Maghull.

The wrong has been righted, as it were. In the follow up book, Maghull is not listed as a crap town.

I don't live there and haven't for nearly fourteen years now (god is it that long) I seldom go back these days - though I do drive through it occasionally.

Would I go back to live there? Probably not. I have done my time there. There are other parts of the world that I like to live.

That said, it’s certainly not a crap town.

Crap Towns is quite mean spirited and funny...well worth a read I’d say!!!

Incidentally Hull is Crap Town number one in the copy I have. I have never been there so I can’t pass comment.

It’s a Living Thing

Possibly the main realisation that time is creeping on is the fact that I now own a copy of ELO;s Greatest Hits. A band that was recently voted as a guilty pleasure – though they may never have been a credible band, they do have some virtue.

My younger self would have had recriminations about announcing that particular fact. In all likelihood my younger self would have consulted that arbiter of style - the NME and deemed the purchase un-cool for my collection and bought something they’d recommended, like Menswear.

Over the years I have put together a fairly substantial record collection of varying styles and genres, which by and large - I probably enjoyed at some point and there has been some raeson why they have come into my possession.

While I was off work recently, I have been sorting out the clutter that is my life and I have been having a clearance of stuff that I have accumulated over the years. There is still a lot of rubbish gathering dust in my house, but it’s a start.

The main theme I have noticed is the amount of records that have been put in the pile for removal; are bands that I have bought on the recommendation of the NME.

I used to be an avid reader and trusted their opinions by and large (Another realisation that I’m getting old is that I have now graduated onto reading Uncut - instead of the NME).

The records I have put to one side for removal all have the recurring theme of being the ‘next big thing’. That’s why I own records by Gay Dad, Tiger, Ultrasound and Andrew WK. All records I’d bought on the recommendation of the NME.

The process of chucking them out also gave me the chance to listen some the tunes again. I have to say fairly few survived the cull. A number were posted on ebay with mixed results saleswise.

I'm still stuck with a good number of the records and plan b which will see me deposit the majority of them at the local charity shop.

I'll still consult nme.com or buy the NME, but in this multimedia media age I hope I will be a little more selective - to avoid a similar cull next year.

The Mathew Street Festival

An all too rare trip into Liverpool city centre these days for me. I have not worked in the city centre for over three years now. Apart from the odd gig or pint,I never make it back into Liverpool as much as I would like. The excuse this weekend was for the annual August Bank Holiday Mathew Street Festival at the Pier Head.

I hadn’t attended the festival in a number of years with it having previously been a staple of the Clark calendar. It has certainly evolved into something more akin to a proper festival these days – instead of the usual cornucopia of Beatles cover-bands.

Don’t get me wrong I love the Beatles, but usually after a weekend in Mathew Street. I normally go into Beatles cold turkey in September - as I’m usually Beatled-out.

It was good to see the weather didn’t spoil the proceedings either - it was a glorious day to be on the waterfront.

What was also great was the fact that walking from Lime Street station to the venue, the amount of different foreign accents that I heard. It’s great that Liverpool can attract these visitors and augers well for the 2008 City of Culture celebrations. It made me proud to be a Scouser, albeit one exiled in St Helens. There were hardly any of the usual knobheads out in force that usually mar any occasion in Liverpool…which was a bonus.

I was primarily there to see The Wonder Stuff who were on top form as they usually are these days. The band weren't helped though by the sound which was a little muddy from my point mid-way back - the mix was a little too much lead guitar and the drums - with not much of anything else.

The set was the tried and trusted festival set and the hit Size of a Cow made it back into the set after a long absence. Size of a Cow is something of a millstone being as it is the bands biggest hit (Dizzy apart), the problem is that it’s not a true representation of the bands other material.

Front man Miles Hunt was strangely subdued today - hardly any between song banter, which is normally a feature of the proceedings - this may have been something to do with the previous night's excesses at a gig in Cumbria and the un-rock n roll Sunday afternoon start.

There performance may have even convinced a mate - a nonbeliever of The Wonder Stuff's talent that they are in fact pretty good. Though at some considerable cost to me - I'll have to stand through a James Morrison gig in the near future!!!

The other bands I managed to see included The Lightening Seeds and Shack, both local favourites. I had seen The Lightening Seeds the other week in Blackburn at another festival – but I wasn’t too impressed that day. I have to say they were much better here today and they played all the usual songs that you would come to expect and saved the obvious Three Lions to last. Ian Broudie even updated the lyrics to 40 years of hurt.

The last band I saw was Shack. They are a band that I love and I have most of their stuff that they have released down the years. I have even seen them live a few times too and they have usually been on the money.

They were a shambles today - they even had to be warned about the in between song profanities that didn’t go down too well with the family crowd. As beautiful and poetic as they are on record, they were the polar opposite today.


I slopped off before the end of the set to soak up some of the atmosphere amongst the tourist and locals alike in Mathew Street. It was good to be back at the Mathew Street festival and here’s to next year and my return to being a festival regular.

Statesmanlike

The dictionary definition of statesmanlike is as follows:

1. A man who is a leader in national or international affairs.
2. A male political leader regarded as a disinterested promoter of the public good.
3. A man who is a respected leader in a given field: "a mature statesman of American letters" Toby Thompson.

Tally the second definition with Bush’s performance today after the heightened state of panic with the grounding of planes in the UK.

I’ll be sleeping safely knowing this numptie and our own version Prescott will have their fingers on the pulse tonight.

And where’s Phoney Tony? He’s off to Cliff Richard’s Caribbean holiday home.

Oh happy days!

The Wonder Stuff - Arts in the Park 2006: Witton Country Park, Blackburn

Set List: On the Ropes, Here Comes Everyone, Caught in my Shadow, Golden Green, Its Yer Money, Blah Di Blah, Comic Tragedy, A Wish Away, Mission Drive, Circle Square, The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road, Don’t let me Down, Unbearable, Ten trenches Deep.

Second on the bill at Blackburn Council’s annual festival, amongst such luminaries as Dario G, Liz Mclarlnon and headliners The Lightening Seeds, The Wonder Stuff could have been forgiven for taking it easy and going through the motions.

The smattering of Stuffies amongst the crowd they need not have worried as they were on stomping form - though they may not have made it on stage if the previous act Mike Sanchez had is own way. He reluctantly left the stage after non-so subtle hints from the event organisers. Thankfully he took the hint - there’s only so much fucking boogie-woogie you can take.

The Wonder Stuff’s set drew upon the bands tried and tested crowd favourites and sounded as good as ever. It was also good to see a fiddle player back in band; this meant that Golden Green and the closer Ten Trenches are back in the set. Erica Nockalls is a distinctive and talented addition to the band and is encouraging as the bands full repertoire can be explored again.

They even threw in a couple of songs from the new album Blah Di Blah and the ode to many a drunken night between Miles and bassist Mark McCarthy, The Sun Goes Down on Manor Road. Miles promptly reminded all and sundry, that the band had been busy releasing a couple albums of late.

Front man Miles Hunt, soon to celebrate his fortieth birthday, was in fine form and being the old showman that he is dedicated one of the songs to an infant in the audience on the shoulders of his father.

The final three of Don’t let me Down, Unbearable and Ten trenches Deep had my less sprightly self harking back to my younger days of the Indie discos.

They certainly stole the show with their performance, the headliners who followed only had the one song that the tattooed numb-nuts in the crowd wanted to hear, but the Lightening Seeds had long bored the arse of me before I could witness the spectacle of Three Lions and a couple of hundred Texans.

We might have had a few more tunes, if the previous act had not overrun. But The Wonder Stuff’s performance was more than satisfactory and wanting anything else would have been greedy. Here’s to seeing them next at the Mathew Street Festival.

International SWAP (Songwriters and Performers) Festival 2006

Manchester prides itself on being a vibrant modern European city. Culturally it can lay claim to this ideal - the only problem is that at times it needs a Center Parc style dome put over the top of it.

Today there were certainly no gripes about the weather - it was perfect for a day of music and the setting was almost perfect too.

It’s the second year that the SWAP festival has taken place and on a stage in front of the URBIS centre in Cathedral Gardens a host of performers delighted the slowly reddening audience.

The line-up included eclectic talents from around the country, as well as up and coming homegrown performers, such as the Paper Wives, Manchester’s Aidan Smith, Noellie McDonnell, M Craft, a quirky three-piece called The Research, Alterkicks, as well as the Internet-hyped number one artist Sandi Thom.

I must admit I can’t see what the fuss is all about. To these ears she sounds like a poor woman’s KT Tunstall. You got the usual quick one, the slow one and the one that is a bit of feminist’s anthem. I didn’t stick around for the hit I Wish I Was a punk Rocker - as refreshment was calling me.

The Cherry Ghost were squeezed in between Thom and the local acts that most of the crowd had come to see. Liam Frost & The Slowdown Family and Iam Kloot.

Liam Frost and his band have been picking up a lot of radio play lately for their Mourners of St Paul's single and they even landed a recent support slot with Elbow at their recent Somerset House gig. Liam is quite and engaging presence and his band has the tunes to match too.

The final act of the day was perennial local favourites I Am Kloot, who came on just as the sun was dipping behind the glass structure of the URBIS.

Their set drew upon a number of their standards such as Storm Warning, Dark Star, Your Favourite Sky and 86 TVs. Kloot’s music is the perfect remedy to day spent standing up being burnt to a crisp. Relaxed but with something of an edge to it.

The summery tunes give lie to the lyrics of a love gone wrong as front man John Bramwell testified that some of the set might not be appropriate given the weather.

Elbow front man Guy Garvey joined in on vocals for To You, as well as this appearance the usual three piece was augmented with a pedal guitarist and keyboards for three new tunes Fingerprints, Only Role in Town and Someone Like You. These sounded pretty good and whetted the appetite for the next album due soon.

Iam Kloot’s set was a fitting end to a perfect day. Here’s to next year’s event and more of the un-Manchester like weather.

Simple Minds - Live at the Liverpool Summer Pops

Two years on from the last triumphant outing at the Summer Pops, Simple Minds came back to the city that is now becoming something of a second home for the band.

Front man Jim Kerr hasn’t learnt his lesson of two years ago. His energy levels may not as great as they where back in the 80s, but his willingness to cover every inch of the stage is still apparent.

Thankfully the stages are a lot smaller these days; otherwise the attendant St Johns ambulance would have been required. “I’m getting too old for this,” Kerr mused as he took a well-earned breather between songs.

Kerr was back home in one of his favourite cities and he is usually afforded the welcome of one of its favourite sons. He ingratiated himself further with the locals by calling the city the home of music and football, though he added playfully that Celtic were better. No doubt a nod to Kerr’s own idol Kenny Dalglish, who was sitting in the front row.

The band had a recently released album to promote and a number of the new tunes were played at the opening tonight. They don’t stray to far from the tried and tested Simple Minds template. Home was the stand out track from Black and White 050505.

It was the classics that the fans had wanted to see and hear and the band didn’t let them down. A ten-minute version of Ghostdancing, mutated into Van Morrison’s Gloria. With Kerr goading the crowd into a call and response of the G-L-O-R-I-A.

The anthemic hits Waterfront, Don’t You Forget About Me, Sanctify Yourself, and Belfast Child written for a vaster arena than this, all sounded perfect in this reduced setting.

The highlight of the night was the encore with the brilliant New Gold Dream putting the talents of the band to good effect. Guitarist Charlie Burchill is often overlooked in the proceedings as goes about his business in the usual manner. Kerr did his best to drag Burchill into the Spotlight at any given opportunity.

The set went over the 11.00pm curfew time but they still managed to include one final classic. They ended with Alive and Kicking and on this evidence the band certainly are.

Lets hope it won't be another two years before we wait for return gig.

The Who - Live at the Liverpool Summer Pops

It had certainly been a long time coming for The Who and their fans. The last time they stepped out in Liverpool was October 1971, at the Liverpool University. Tonight’s performance certainly made up for lost time.

Liverpool’s Summer Pops has put on some great acts down the years and bar a Paul McCartney gig or The Rolling Stones coming to town; this years main act The Who will certainly take some beating for the promoters to top next year.

The touts were out in force – charging £80 a ticket as the queues stretched up the dock road in anticipation of tonight’s gig.

The band haven’t released a record for nigh on twenty-four years, but Townshend and Daltrey have been busying themselves in the run up to this tour, with a new album due for release in September.

The new tunes sounded pretty good - the pick of which was the homage to the 50s Real Good Looking Boy - in which Townshend indulged in a trip down memory lane for his frequent trips across the Irish Sea to visit his extended family in Ireland.

The new tunes were kept to a minimum and they had the good sense to roll out the classics that the partisan crowd had come to expect.

There was something for everyone tonight the Mod classics of Quadraphenia were rolled out. Townshend proclaimed it a work of genius - no one in the big top would argue with tonight.

Townshend’s guitar playing tonight bordered on genius tonight too – with him belying the fact that years of guitar playing has rendered him partially deaf.

My Generation was given an airing, given the age of the band and that famous line surprised me. It is a song that was a trademark of the late and lamented bassist John Entwistle. Though bassist Pino Palladino played it with aplomb - it does not seem the same without the extraordinary presence of the Ox.

They have been through a lot together Daltrey and Townshend, many highs and lows, but on tonight’s evidence there is genuine warmth between the two. The two hours long show in the heat took it out of the two front men. Though the quality of the set never waned throughout and their verve and vigour certainly belied the 60 plus age of the two rock veterans.

Tonight’s gig will live long in the memory and all the classics were played such as: Won't Get Fooled Again, Baba O'Reilly, The Seeker, Behind Blue Eyes, Love Reign O'er Me, Pinball Wizard, and Substitute.

Luckily for some it would be only 24 hours for the wait for the next Liverpool for the second of two nights - Suddenly £80 a ticket is looking awfully cheap.

New Order - Live at the Liverpool Summer Pops

Saturday 8th July 2006

Set List: Love Will Tear Us Apart, Crystal, Regret, Twenty Four Hours, Krafty, Working Overtime, Transmission, Your Silent Face, Waiting For The Sirens' Call, Turn, Bizarre Love Triangle, True Faith, Temptation, The Perfect Kiss, Blue Monday, Ceremony, Shadowplay

They have always been something of a wilfully perverse band but late in the day they are finally playing the game that other careerist bands would take as read.

The addition to the set-list these days sees the inclusion of Joy Division classics. Which given their own body of work, must give them something of a headache in putting together a typical night’s gig.

Typically of the band they open up with the brilliant Love Will Tear Us Apart, a song most bands would save for the encore. In truth though there was probably no better opener for tonight.

There haven’t been many gigs in Liverpool by the band of late, despite professing a love for the city. The inclusion of the seemingly lost to the live arena Joy Division classics evokes the days of the late seventies and the now defunct Eric’s club. The club in which Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Steven Morris as well as many other luminary figures cut their teeth.

You couldn’t get a better opening set of songs at a New Order gig than what they opened with tonight. The afore mentioned Love Will Tear Us Apart as well as Crystal, Regret and Transmission set the scene for what followed.

There was something for in all in the set from all points of the bands career. They didn't just trot out a greatest hits set as a number of songs from the recent albums Get Ready and Waiting For The Sirens' Call all worked well with the older material.

Bernard Sumner even apologised for the rockier nature of the opening numbers from the set and promised more of the dancier numbers from the later in the proceedings.

Bassist Peter Hook was in typically belligerent mood all night as he had a running row with an overly aggressive bouncer at the front of the arena. He prowled the stage with his low-slung bass in his usual manner – he even confessed to playing Bizarre Love Triangle out of tune, but I think the crowd forgave (or weren’t ready to argue). Apart from that blip he was in fine form.

Even Bernard was in reasonably good form, granted he may not have the best of voices but it does a reasonable job and thankfully he kept the yelps and whistles down to a minimum, he even remembered the lyrics to a majority of tunes – which was a bonus.

The set closed with Perfect Kiss mutating into Blue Monday, which prompted everyone in the capacity crowd to jump out of their seats.

There was a richly deserved encore and yet another Joy Division tune on this occasion Shadowplay was given an airing. Though the bands return was delayed for a few moments. Instead of waiting for the sirens’ to call, it was more a call of nature that delayed proceedings with second guitarist Phil Cunningham lost in transit and his plight relayed to the 4000 people in the arena by Sumner – obviously nothing is sacred in this band.

It may not have been a festival, but the settings gave it that feel. New Order are certainly the perfect band for a Saturday night in a big-top, hopefully they will be back in Liverpool sometime in the near future.

England Expects

After all the hype, after all the adverts, after all the flags - the so-called golden generation, touched down in England yesterday - minus the World Cup.

The Rooney sending-off, and the penalty shoot defeat should not overshadow the fact that this side with all the talent at its disposal should not be back contemplating what might have been. The simple fact is that they have underachieved; they certainly were not hard done to, or unlucky.

At this World Cup, this side has seldom played with the skill and verve required for a team to compete at this level. Instead they played well below that level, one that belied their pre-tournament billing as one of the favourites to win the competition. Owen Hargreaves and Joe Cole aside, the players in the squad have done little to enhance their reputations in Germany.

Tiredness was trotted out as a reason for underperforming at the last few tournaments but this can be discounted on this occasion as the Premiership fixtures where rejiged at the behest of the England Coach Eriksson for the latest mission impossible, but seemingly with little effect.

This brings us to the coach Sven. Here is a man who was installed as the country’s first foreign coach, who was charged with the job of bringing something of the continental to the England side.

Bizarrely Eriksson, leaves with best competitive statistics of any England manager, though the feeling is that as of yesterday, we are no further on from the debacle that was the Kevin Keagan era of international management.

There has been something of Stalinist rewrite of history with yesterday’s papers highlighting the times he has been lucky. The Greece qualifier – with Beckham’s heroic performance trotted out as one example of his lucky streak. This is something I don’t subscribe to, as most managers have some luck down the years.

What has baffled is his lack of tactical know-how; his lack of a clear vision and seemingly the fact he didn’t seem to know what he was doing. He had the air of the Civil Servant underling promoted above his ability, but thought he could muddle through. Muddle through is what he did.

He has seemingly shackled the creative force that is England’s midfield and replaced it with a group of players playing beneath themselves and with fear. Steven Gerrard is a rampant force in a Liverpool shirt – but the timid version in the England shirt is a shadow of the Steven Gerrard that plays for Liverpool.

David Beckham must have something over Sven – maybe some photographs with Sven in uncompromising situations. This would explain the repeated selection of Beckham, despite him not justifying his shirt in the last twelve months. These days he is lacking pace and this is more apparent when Aaron Lennon replaces him on the right flank.

The selection of only four strikers for this World Cup was highlighted as a monumental disaster from the outset and was made more and more apparent over time as two of those players were carrying injuries, one was an untried youngster and the other was Peter Crouch.

The lack of a plan b and his use of substitutions have also highlighted Sven’s weaknesses further. For someone with a string of affairs to his name – he is something of a passionless creature, that certainly wouldn’t inspire in the heat of battle.

Three quarterfinal exits is not a good return, for a £4million a year salary. Goodbye and good riddance. And you’d think I gave a toss about the England side after writing all that.

Roll on the Premiership!!

I'm Lovin' It

Somewhere in London, New York, Washington or wherever the marketing types of McDonald’s hangout. There are moves a foot within this shadowy select band plotting the next PR campaign in the company’s continued domination of the fast-food market.

Meanwhile, in a small outpost, which is Walton, Liverpool the inmates have seemingly taken over the asylum. At a McDonald’s restaurant in the shadow of Walton Prison – (this fact may, or may not be significant) it is reassuring to know that all that the marketing types are plotting, is slowly being undone by a select band. Not your Morgan Spurlock – Super Size Me type – but by what can only be termed as herberts, and herberts of the highest order at that. A few months back I managed to witness their work in the flesh.

Fast food it says on the sign as you approach the tell tale golden arches, a symbol that has come to represent everything that has come to represent the crassness of Mikey D’s.

It’s approaching 11.00 on a Wednesday night. Having spent an enjoyable night at the playhouse in Liverpool and catching up with a friend who was gigging in a local pub. Feeling a little peckish and instead of my preferred option of a bag of chips, the decision is taken by the girlfriend to stop off at McDonald’s. Admittedly this is a decision that doesn’t exactly require me to be dragged kicking and screaming into the establishment, as I’m starving.

The gaff was obviously in the process of shutting down for the night and seemingly it now had been over run by an ASBO convention. It turns out that this is what passes for staff here at McDonald’s.

A herbert at the counter took our money. He was dressed in his finest shiny St Johns Market shell-suit, with no hint of a gold star in sight. The ‘have a nice day y’all’ attitude was replaced by a grunt. Eventually he dragged his knuckles over to the window to take my cash. I wasn’t too bothered if he pocketed the cash – just as long as some food turned up.

Joy upon joys, we had the choice of either a McChicken Premiere or a McChicken Premiere – which we would have to wait for while the fat bird behind the counter continued chatting to her boyfriend Wayne or whatever he was called. Finally our food arrived in its brown bag and was promptly handed over like it was a bag of radioactive dog-turd.

The food was, as you would expect. I probably would have received more nourishment from the polystyrene carton it was served in. All in all it was an experience that I certainly won't be repeating in the near future.

With the continual bombardment of McDonald’s during the World Cup, it is pleasing to see that a select band of herberts are trying to bring the organisation down from within.

So when you hear about the decline of the McDonald’s empire, it wont be activists like Morgan Spurlock or the author of Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser, but this select band of herberts.

Keep up the not so good work!!

An end of an era

On the day they announced Jim'll Fix It will be coming back, well sort of, with Vic Reeves presenting it.

The BBC will be axing the long running Top of The Pops next month.

I would like to say I was a devotee of the programme, one who had stayed loyal until the end, but I would have to count the number of times I have watched it in the last year on one finger. The occasion that I did watch it, I felt myself turning into my dad with each group’s appearance. 'What's this crap' would be my usual utterance.

In these days of MP3s, Ipods, downloads and CDs it is hard to believe I spent many a programme with my tape recorder - remember them - pressed against the portable television - probably a black and white one at that and taping the latest tunes of the day. I wish I still had these tapes, but these have long been binned. Sadly it’s only the memories that remain of these shows. I seem to remember getting into the Bunnymen by taping The Cutter after an appearance.

Classic moments such as the barbed Peel comments about bands he obviously didn't rate, Nirvana purposely fucking-up Smells Like Teen Spirit and Dexy's playing Jackie Wilson Says - with the Dart player Jocky Wilson's picture being used as a backdrop.

Smash Hits has gone, so too now has Top of The Pops in 2006. Another piece of my childhood disappears. Ah well!!

Roddy Frame

Friday 26th May 2006, Liverpool Academy 2

Set list: The Sea is Wide, Small World, Black Lucia, Stray, Rock Gods, Western Skies, How Men Are, The Birth of the True, Down the Dip, Hymn to Grace, Reason for Living, Bigger Brighter Better, Somewhere in my Heart, Oblivious, The Boy Wonders, We Could send letters, The Bugle Sounds Again, Over You.

Roddy Frame is another of those musicians who has undeservingly dropped off the cultural radar but is an artiste that is producing work comparable to his halcyon days.
With a new album ‘Western Skies’ to promote Frame, was back in Liverpool one of his favourite stomping grounds just one of many dates on a fairly comprehensive UK tour.

It is probably the last time for a while that the audience could probably see Roddy in this intimate acoustic setting, recent interviews have indicted that he is looking to put together a new touring band.

‘Surf’ and the latest record are records that are suited to being played in this style given the stripped down nature of the recordings. There is a healthy dose of older material played tonight as well and it is interesting to hear the older Aztec Camera material given a new lease of life in this format.

Roddy Frame stepped out to a rapturous applause, which showed no sign of abating all night. His beaming smile and his opening chat with the crowd indicated that he was up for tonight’s performance. He was playing to a partisan crowd who were up for old and new tunes in equal measure.
They even cheered the opening chord – which prompted Frame to tease the audience with a couple of bars from a Bob Dylan tune. ‘You are cheering and you don’t even know what is yet,’ he joked.

He didn’t disappoint with the choice of songs played tonight. The second song tonight was ‘Small World’ a song non-partisans would be familiar with as it is the tune for BBC’s Early Doors.

The newer stuff from ‘Western Skies’ was well received, especially ‘Rock God’ which began with Frame talking about his own heroes and Edwyn Collins who had recently visited. Frame informed the audience that he was on the mend and in good form after his brain haemorrhage last year.

The crowd were in as equally good voice as the turn they had come to see. ‘Oblivious’ ‘The Boy Wonders’ and ‘How Men Are’ were all sung with as equal aplomb by the audience as they were by the guy who had crafted them.

He finished with a number of classics from ‘Hard Land, Hard Rain’ – with ‘Down the Dip’ mutating into Dylan’s ‘It’s Alright, Ma’ with an extended section that saw Frame’s silhouette projected onto the backdrop in true rock god pose.

Tonight was something else and if he can be this good in this acoustic setting, one can only imagine how good he would be with a band behind him.

Ian McNabb

Live at the Southport Arts Centre, Friday 21st April 2006

A Friday night sojourn up the Mersey coast for Ian McNabb as his brief spring acoustic tour calls into the Southport Arts Centre – a suitable night to visit the seaside town on the year’s first spring like day.

What the venue lacked in dynamics tonight’s two-part set more than made up for the lack of rock and roll credentials of the setting. The Arts Centre is a pleasant enough venue – but probably one more suited to academic lectures and the odd amateur dramatics event.

It was a good turn out tonight for Ian. The audience was made up of the usual partisan diehards out in force, all hollering for songs from all points in McNabb’s career. McNabb more than encouraged this participatory heckling.

He seemed a little subdued at the start of the proceedings, but the longer the gig went on he came into his own. Some inspired song selection and a smattering of witty anecdotes made the first part fly by. My favourite tale was the £500 Rickenbacker guitar which is now worth £4,000 – which his Mum implores him to sell because as s says:' Your always complaining your fucking skint.’

The first set had some sort of a set list – with the second half left open to the wishes of the crowd.

One of the many highlights of the night for me was certainly ‘Fire Inside My Soul’. The evenings closer ‘Love Is A Wonderful Colour’ sounded great with the accompaniment of the audience – a tune that more than whetted the appetite for The Icicle Works forthcoming anniversary gigs in October.

The second half saw Ian getting a little bit frustrated by the lack of atmosphere in the venue. He gently goaded a majority of the crowd from their seats to fill the vast space between the seats and the stage. The crowd in turn were treated to a rock-n-roll medley, with one of the crowd who had left his seats treating the crowd to a stunning display of dad dancing.

Another great McNabb gig. As you would come to expect no one gig is like the other, hence the anticipation for McNabb’s forthcoming gigs later on in the year.

The Raconteurs

Liverpool Carling Academy, Monday 20th March 2006

Set List: Level, Intimate Secretary, Hands, Steady as She Goes, Together, This House Is Not A Motel, Store Bought Bones, Call It A Day, Yellow Sun, Broken Boy Soldier, 5 On The 5, Blue Veins, Headin’ For The Texas Border.

Tonight had the feeling of one those seminal gigs that everyone in attendance will talk about in years to come.

This is no newly fated NME hope. This is something different. Not many new bands receive the kind of rapturous applause that they did on their entrance to the Academy’s stage. No other band that have yet to release an album would see their new material applauded like old favourites. In fact most new bands would normally expect a passive crowd with arms folded in the come on entertain us stance.

Well no other band contains both Jack White and Brendan Benson – two old friends from Detroit all the way over in Liverpool for the debut for their new musical venture.

The word side-project is a word that often provokes dread. It’s a term that usually provokes fear of something woeful and self-indulgent. But that is certainly not the case with the Raconteurs.

Augmented by Patrick Keeler on drums and ‘little’ Jack Lawrence from The Greenhornes on bass - as well as Dean Fertita. It is these extra hands on deck that allows Jack White the luxury of being able to cut loose musically. In the White Stripes the onus is on White to carry the sound – tonight he can revel in fact that he has a band to help him out.

‘Level’ is a swirling psychedelic beast that opens the proceedings to the second biggest cheer of the night. The first biggest comes three songs in when White removes his leather jacket.

They aired the yet to be released new album ‘Broken Boy Soldier’ in full with the addition of new song ‘5 on the 5’ as well as a couple of covers the highlight of which was Love’s ‘A House Is Not A Motel’ – a song dedicated especially to Liverpool by Jack White - seemingly pleased that his band had chosen the city for his first live venture.

The limited release single ‘Steady as She Goes’ went down well with the capacity crowd at the Carling Academy as well as its b-side ‘Store Bought Bones’. Were again treated like old favourites.

They played for over an hour with a set of songs that are certainly in keeping with the influences of the illustrious front two. The sound has been described in some quarters as Cat Stevens meets Led Zeppelin. Benson’s pop sensibilities certainly compliment the bluesier guitar work of White.
They finish with the Flamin Groovies cover and they certainly know how to leave their crowd wanting for more.

Roll on the release of the album in May – which from tonight’s expectant audience is almost an eternity away.

Echo and the Bunnymen - More Songs To Learn and Sing(Korova)

Track List CD: The Cutter, The Back Of Love, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas, Never Stop, Rescue, I Want To Be There (When You Come), Don't Let It Get You Down, Promise, Silver, People Are Strange, Do It Clean, The Game, Rust, Lips Like Sugar, Nothing Lasts Forever, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Hang On To A Dream, It's Alright, Stormy Weather

Track List DVD: The Cutter, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas, Bring On The Dancing Horses, Game, Lips Like Sugar, Nothing Lasts Forever, Rust

With the release of this record it gives a respected cult band another chance to gain the attention that a number of these songs deserve. Backed by a decent promotional campaign, this compilation is a timely reminder of the bands near legendary status.

The title of this record suggests that this collection picks up where the 80s compilation, Songs To Learn and Sing left off. This in fact is a more encompassing collection of their hits than that particular album. It is also more comprehensive than the 1997 retrospective Bedbugs and Ballyhoo, an album released to cash in on the Bunnymen comeback, after a near decade hiatus.

Released on the recently reactivated Korova label - More Songs, covers all points of the band’s Warner Brothers career and includes bonus tracks from their last three releases.

The band is still a going concern and these days and consists of guitarist Will Sergeant and the redoubtable singer Ian McCulloch. Sadly drummer Pete De Freitas is no longer with us, he died in a motorbike accident towards the first phase of the bands career. Original bassist Les Pattinson, has now retired and working in a boat yard in Lancashire.

The early classics make up the bulk of this compilation, with The Cutter opening up the proceedings for this twenty-track reflection of the great and the good of a long and winding career.

It is taken as read that the Mac-free Bunnymen (or the Bogusman as Mac branded them) songs are not included here, but it does include a couple of interesting selections alongside the obvious classics such as the Cutter, Seven Seas and the Killing Moon.

Included is the rare curio Hang On To A Dream, the Tim Hardin classic that popped up on the Internet-only release Avalanche and is given a full release here for the first time.

The comeback hit Nothing Lasts Forever still sounds as fresh as it did when it was released in 1997. It doesn’t stray far from the formula of the early classics such as the Killing Moon and Ocean Rain; a song surprisingly omitted from this collection.

The cigarette soaked croon of a mature Mac gives the song that classic status that would have seen Sinatra clamour to record such a finally crafted tune - if he was still around today.

One thing that is interesting to note is how the lyrics become less ambiguous as their career progresses. The lyrics become less Buffalo and Bison / Bison and Buffalo, and start to explore more personal themes as Stormy Weather from Siberia highlights - a song which chronicles a love gone wrong.

They may be something of a diehard’s choice these days, but the quality of the songs particularly on the last album show that it’s likely that the Bunnymen will be around for a few more years.

This album would be the perfect introduction for someone who has seen their name linked in reviews with the latest crop of bands that have been influenced by the Bunnymen’s sound.

This is a well thought out compilation and it is released, not just to cash in on the back of the inclusion of a song on a soundtrack or a reformation, but it pays tribute to the enduring qualities of the Bunnymen as a band.

If you catch it early this compilation includes a DVD of a number of the bands promos over time released on DVD for the first time.
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They wouldn't let it lie

In what is seemingly going beyond parody the new year sees yet another Diana related front page from The Di-ly Express. 46 times a Diana related story appeared on the front page of the Daily Express in the last year alone - almost 10 years after her death.

The Express is a comic at the best of times and it isn't helped the proprietor of the Express Richard Desmond is a close personal friend of Mohammed al Fayed.

The ranting of al Fayed and his 'fuggin' conspiracy theory that the Duke of Edinburgh and a missing Fiat Uno are all part of some sinister plot to bump off The People Princess are endlessly lampooned in Private Eye.

Classic Daily Express spoof front covers have included recently DUKE BLAMED FOR HAMMOND CRASH SHOCK and the LIVITNENKO MURDER: SHOCK NEW THEORY - which included the quality quote from top Kremlinologist Professor Fayed, "He was murdered by the fuggin' Duke of Edinburgh, who put a white Fiat Uno in his fuggin' sushi."

It is now really beyond parody, but no doubt Monday we will see another Diana front page exclusive in the Express.