Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

There is something about the majesty; the feel of the past and what the Bombed Out Church of St. Luke’s stands for that just makes it a great place to watch live outdoor music. The gothic look, the refusal of a city to bend its knee towards oppressors, doubters and the shameful is all around the city and the life blood in its people. No more so than Ian Prowse and Amsterdam and as the band come on stage as part of Liverpool Calling, the sound, the joy and defiance from the audience gets notably louder. If ever there was a man who can get a crowd thumping the air whilst placing one hand over their chest in remembrance of the fallen then Ian Prowse is the man and Amsterdam are quite rightly the band of the day.

Ian Prowse has been busy of late and quite rightly so but there can never be any doubting the conviction upon which he hangs his guitar, even turning down the chance to witness his own personal music god stride the stage in another city makes this gig not just important to the fans but also to Ian as well.

The whole travelling troubadour group made the absolute most of the evening weather and showed, as if they needed too, once more the brilliance of the music and the honesty within the words. It was one of those sets that captured the imagination and any other Liverpool band performing this year will have to go some extra mileage to top this particular gig. Whether it was the setting of the symbolic church or just that the gig was made that extra bit special by the appearance of Ian’s daughter in his arms for Father’s Day now one will ever be sure but as the band performed songs such as Fireworks, the beauty of Home, the exceptional Raid The Palace and perhaps the most symbolic of Liverpool songs in the most symbolic of buildings, Does This Train Stop On Merseyside the sense of rebellion and fortitude hung in the air like the taste of victory on a hot summer’s day.

Liverpool’s involvement with Liverpool Calling came to and as a special treat for the crowd, the band performed with Jez Wing and Steve White the Bruce Springsteen song Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) which had been recorded in tandem with Dan Donnelly’s version of Cecilia which had been released in aid of the testicular Cancer charity, Checkemlads.com.

Amsterdam, like the Bombed Out Church of St Luke’s, like Liverpool, remains unbowed. It has been battered and bruised but it remains suitably impressive.

Ian D. Hall