Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

No matter the festival, no matter the venue or size, there is a certain kudos and accepted pressure that goes alongside the honour and even though Liverpool Calling was just a day out for some, the chance to sit in the relaxing atmosphere of one of Liverpool’s memorials to the fallen of the Second World War, the iconic St. Luke’s Church, and take in the music on offer from the abundance of bands, for Obstacles the moment was precious and demanding. It was a demand they rose to.

The intensity of Jack Birley performance on stage was a joy, a cross between the poetic stance and beautiful poise of Ian Dury and the wild, untamed abandon of Public Image Limited’s unique frontman John Lydon. In other young acts this could be deflecting an insecurity, a framing of a band that relies on a gimmick rather than the sound they are creating. It has happened before and will no doubt happen again. In the case of Obstacles  this is not a barrier or a complication to take into consideration for even though the band were slightly dismissive of their performance what they achieved for only their fifth time together on stage was captured and enjoyed by those making the most of the whole day’s entertainment.

Obstacles may be young but the passion is there in the music and in tracks such as Dilemmas, the catchy You Only Love Once, Michael and the outstanding China, they proved the old adage that if your good enough, if what you do on stage is sincere and not just be seen as a laugh, then  the music will flow from the very core and take those around you by the hand on what could become an incredible journey.

Whilst the band may have put themselves down, nothing should detract from their performance. Five gigs on stage together, opening up another important festival for the city they call home and with some pretty impressive bands coming up after them, not only did they do well, they were enjoyable and promise more intensity to come.    

Ian D. Hall