| Although it's been running for several years now, this | | | | some really good shows but hadn't had time for |
| Bank Holiday weekend I attended the Mathew Street | | | | more than one of the Beatles bands, had missed the |
| Music Festival in Liverpool for the first time. The | | | | tribute acts "Led Zed", "Cream'd" and "Elvis Brettini" |
| event was actually cancelled last year due to some | | | | but was eagerly looking forward to day 2. |
| political issues between the local authority and the | | | | It is also worth mentioning that across all venues, the |
| organisers but it was claimed that this year it was | | | | stewards and marshals did a first rate job, never |
| back "Bigger and better than ever". | | | | more so than at the end of the day when the huge |
| Although it started life as a celebration of The | | | | crowds dispersed and were safely routed away from |
| Beatles and their music and was almost exclusively | | | | the venues to the chosen route home. |
| located in Mathew Street, the event has now spread | | | | There was only one place to be for the first gig on |
| to the extent that it covers many different music | | | | Monday and that was the Tunnel stage again to kick |
| styles and the number of venues for the events is | | | | off at 11.00 with "Elevation", a local U2 tribute. |
| now around 40! In addition to the large number of | | | | Despite the early hour and no previous warm up, |
| bands focussing on the Fab Four, there are tribute | | | | they kicked off with an explosion of faithfully |
| bands to many old and new artists, one or two | | | | reproduced U2 music, "Desire", "New Years Day", |
| originals and a significant selection of bands | | | | "Beautiful Day", etc. A fantastic audience sang all the |
| performing under the heading "new music". | | | | way through most of the songs, culminating in "With |
| Whilst many of these are indoor venues, pubs and | | | | or Without You" and "Still Haven't Found...." Clearly a |
| clubs, etc., there are now six large outdoor stages in | | | | band who will be welcomed back time and again, I |
| various locations around the city centre, which is | | | | couldn't help but thinking that they deserved to finish |
| almost completely closed to traffic. The largest of | | | | the day rather than start it. |
| the stages is the "Tunnel" stage, situated close to | | | | After that, I paid my first visit to the |
| the entrance to the Queensway Tunnel. With a huge | | | | Superlambanana stage at the top of Hatton Gardens. |
| arena in front of the stage, this venue attracted | | | | On Sunday, this stage had been labelled as "Pub |
| several thousand fans to its larger events and is | | | | Rock" and I hadn't seen any of the acts, but Monday |
| where my visit began on at 1.00 p.m. on Sunday | | | | was labelled "Blues and Soul" and this was like a |
| when I went to see "The Police Force", not | | | | magnet to me! I arrived there in time for "The |
| surprisingly a "Police" tribute band. | | | | Sensations", billed as a "Soul Tribute" act. To be |
| As you might expect, they simply worked through a | | | | honest, they were simply a cabaret type group of |
| selection of the Police's biggest hits and attracted | | | | one young lad and three girl singers, backed by a |
| quite a large crowd, many of whom joined in even | | | | decent enough band. Trotting through some Motown |
| though it was quite early in the day. The crowd was | | | | standards they were OK, but I got the impression |
| a mix of old and young and many had clearly come | | | | that the next night they would be playing at Butlins. |
| for a picnic, with tables and chairs dotted around, | | | | So I followed this with a stroll along Tithebarn Street |
| mostly on the edges of the venue. | | | | to see "Square One", playing Coldplay music. I don't |
| After The Police Force, there was an interval of 15 | | | | know a lot about Coldplay but I do know that my |
| minutes and I realised that this was standard across | | | | children think they're good, so decided to stay and |
| all venues, as this was probably the amount of time | | | | watch. If I didn't like them, I was ready to stroll |
| needed to go from one venue to another if you | | | | around the corner to the Water Street stage to see |
| needed to do so. But I was staying firmly put | | | | "Dusty", the lady who recently won "The One and |
| because the Tunnel stage was about to play host to | | | | Only" show on TV. She was appearing on the "Divas" |
| none other than Chas and Dave; not a tribute band | | | | stage and was following "Cher", "Elton" and "Tina |
| but pure Cockney Gold, the original themselves, | | | | Turner", all the artistes from the same TV show. |
| complete with Mick on the drums! | | | | But the young lads of Square One came up with the |
| Running through "Rabbit", "London Girls", "No Pleasing | | | | goods and kept a large audience, with a wide age |
| You", etc., they quickly won over the audience and | | | | range, very well entertained with some really good |
| had a huge "singalong" atmosphere on the go. Who'd | | | | music. These were young, local lads and once or |
| have thought it, on the banks of the Mersey? I was | | | | twice simply shouted out to the audience "What do |
| reminded of when Bjorn and Benny of Abba | | | | you want to hear", and played pretty much all the |
| appeared at a U2 concert some years ago as this | | | | requested songs. As I said, I'm not big on Coldplay |
| was widely acknowledged as the start of the Abba | | | | but these lads were good. |
| revival. Are we about so see Chas and Dave storm | | | | By the time they'd finished, the Motown magnet was |
| up the charts again? | | | | pulling me back and so I went back to the |
| After all the singing it was time for a drink at one of | | | | Superlambanana in time to see what was clearly a |
| the many outlets dotted around the place, all of | | | | touring show, firstly with two young girls labelled "the |
| which seemed to charge £3 for a pint of lager | | | | Supremes", although they also sang some Martha |
| or cider, or a glass of wine. But it was a decent pint | | | | Reeves songs, followed by "The Temptations and |
| and very cold, so was greatly appreciated. | | | | Four Tops", five American men who didn't look like or |
| Incidentally, the seasoned festival goers were clearly | | | | particularly sound like either of the groups. |
| noticeable as they all seemed to be carrying 24-can | | | | The girls who did the Supremes sang pleasantly |
| packs of Carlsberg, Becks, etc. | | | | enough although they seemed to be interested on |
| Overcoming the urge to go back to the Tunnel to | | | | having a laugh with each other and the second act |
| see "Rocks Off", a Rolling Stones tribute, I decided | | | | sang well enough although at least one of them was |
| that it was time for a touch of "what it's all about" | | | | out of tune. But the "Huggy Bear" type lead singer |
| and so strolled down the normally heavily congested | | | | kept the crown entertained and I suppose on balance |
| Dale Street and Castle Street to reach the | | | | they were OK. The backing band to both artistes |
| "Beatlemania" stage at Derby Square. | | | | was worthy of mention with a four man brass |
| Playing host to non-stop Fab Four bands, I arrived | | | | section producing some really good sounds. |
| there in time to watch the curiously named | | | | And so as the day moved towards and end, it was |
| "American English". Playing the usual repertoire, though | | | | back to the Tunnel stage to see "God Save The |
| more heavily focussed on the later stages of the | | | | Queen", The word spreading around town was that |
| Beatles music, they had a good look and a good | | | | this was the band to see, and it was clear by the |
| sound. But in the breaks between songs, it was quite | | | | massive crowds that everybody had paid heed. The |
| disconcerting to find that not only do they work on | | | | compere informed the audience that this band was |
| looking and singing like the Beatles, they actually try | | | | from Argentina but included one local lad (strange?) |
| to talk like them (well, at least "Paul" and "John" did - | | | | and the tuning of the instruments, producing some |
| the other two never spoke). | | | | very "Brian May"-like sounds, already had the crown |
| But they were pretty good and whilst the start of | | | | chanting. |
| their show was to a smallish audience, thanks to a | | | | Then before you knew it, on came Pablo Padin, aka |
| heavy shower, the latter stages had quite a | | | | Freddie Mercury. Now this guy had his act off to a T. |
| gathering as the sun broke out. I was later told that | | | | He looked like the man, sang like the man and |
| this stage and its bands got steadily better as the | | | | strutted the stage like the man. It might sound a little |
| day wore on. | | | | cheesy, but it really was like being at a Queen |
| But now in the 60's mood, I headed away from | | | | concert. He had the audience eating out of his hands, |
| Derby Square and went to the Exchange Street | | | | screaming, singing, dancing and clapping along to all |
| stage, dedicated to "Merseybeat". I arrived there in | | | | the old favourites. They even did a version of |
| time to catch the back end of "Mike Pender's | | | | "Bohemian Rhapsody" which was just sublime and |
| Searchers", playing "Needles and Pins", followed by | | | | proved that Pablo/Freddie could play the piano as |
| the one and only Merseybeats themselves. Playing to | | | | well. |
| an audience which comprised significant numbers of | | | | The end of the show came all too quickly and Pablo's |
| people with grey hair (or no hair!!), this was also a | | | | reappearance in a crown and wearing an ermine cloak |
| well received performance. | | | | sadly wasn't the prelude to an encore, just him taking |
| Deciding it was time for another drink, I went to the | | | | a well-earned bow. But I have to say - if you ever |
| Slaughter House on Fenwick Street. This is normally | | | | get a chance, go and see this band! Incidentally, the |
| an Irish themed pub but they were hosting a | | | | compere advised the crowd that the band were |
| performance by a man whose name I didn't catch, | | | | playing again that night at the Cavern! Quite what |
| singing lost of Bobby Darren, Sinatra, Dean Martin, | | | | they would be like with their explosion of sound in |
| etc. The music formed a good background to the | | | | such a small venue is beyond me!! |
| shouting at the bar as I fought to get served! | | | | And so the show and the festival was over for |
| After the refreshments, it was time to head back to | | | | another year. I hadn't had a chance to see tribute |
| the big Tunnel stage in time for the last performance | | | | bands to Bowie, The Smiths, Blur, Amy Winehouse, |
| of the day, that of "Roxy Magic". I reached there | | | | Kaiser Chiefs and many, many more, neither had the |
| just as the previous act "Summer of Love", a 60's | | | | opportunity arose to get down to the floating stage |
| tribute band, were finishing their show with "House of | | | | at the Albert Dock, where the 40th Anniversary of |
| The Rising Sun". Approaching from the back of the | | | | the UK release of "Hey Jude" was to be marked by |
| crown, it was a fantastic sight as the crowd had | | | | the "Hey Jude sing-a-long", led by the 3000 |
| swelled significantly as the day progressed, and even | | | | participants of the World Fire Fighting Games, which |
| the "picnic" set were standing now. | | | | also took place in the city over the weekend! |
| And so to Roxy Magic. Fronted by a man in white | | | | I went home with not much voice left, aching legs |
| tux, black slicked fringe falling over his eyes, this band | | | | from all the walking, dancing and jumping but having |
| really were the business. As always with tribute | | | | spent very little money as all of the events were |
| bands, they focussed on the big hits but clearly this is | | | | totally free. I am already looking forward to next |
| what the crowd were here to see and almost to a | | | | year's event and thinking that some more detailed |
| man were singing along to each and every word. | | | | event planning on my part will be needed to ensure I |
| With a passing "Thanks" to John Lennon, they | | | | see all the top acts...but accepting that I'll never get |
| performed "Jealous Guy" before finishing with "Over | | | | to see them because there are too many bands |
| You" and "Dance Away", bringing to an end the first | | | | playing in too many places. And that can only be a |
| day of the festival. Slightly foot weary, I had seen | | | | good thing. |