Ian Prowse of Amsterdam. The Flapper, Birmingham. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Sometimes you have to go back to where it began to understand why you are where you are now. Sometimes the journey can be a little painful; it can be exciting and almost certainly overwhelming. For Ian Prowse and the energetic ensemble of musicians that make up the band Amsterdam, coming back to Birmingham after a five year absence proved not only to make the wonderfully vocal crowd’s hearts inside The Flapper grow as fond as a father’s love for his daughter but also showed exactly why lovers of music in Birmingham and Liverpool share a common thread.

That common thread that crosses perhaps self-imposed boundaries in other parts of the country, seems to ever be gratefully received between the city that straddles the majestic Mersey River and the city that built its lot upon the canal system that puts Venice to shame and in the end perhaps stands more chance of lasting a hell of a lot longer.

Amsterdam and Birmingham, a match, if not made in heaven then at least graciously loaned out to the people of Birmingham for what turned out to be a night of music in which the likes of Roy Wood, Steve Winwood, Bev Bevan and The Twang and other luminaries of another great musical city would have nodded at the command of the sincere admirers who made their way to the downstairs of The Flapper.

Just round the corner from such impressive venues as the N.I.A. and The Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Flapper rocked hard enough that it would have sent ripples through the complex canal system and out into the venues that Amsterdam had yet to visit on the tour that where Birmingham leads in its appreciation, surely the rest will follow.

There was a lot to appreciate after all as Johnny Barlow, the sublime Laura McKinley, Fiona McConnell, Kevin Spurgeon, Dave Mastrocola and the excellent Guy Davies, making only his second appearance on stage as part of the band, gave the crowd a night in which old favourites were performed, some cracking new songs from the latest album Who Loves Ya Baby and a wonderful surprise in the form of the track The Emmigrant, a song so underplayed due to the constrictions imposed upon it vocally, and yet sounding so sweet and luxurious that it could have been sent a couple  of miles up the road and offered to Cadbury’s as part of their new range.

With tracks such as the phenomenal Arm In Arm, the haunting sadness and unrepentant anger that unfolded in the song Lest We Forget, quite rightly dedicated to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the obscenity that was the First World War, the beautiful Home in which tears were unashamedly allowed to flow freely and the call to arms in Raid the Palace. As a finale, with hand on heart, and ever increasing and rightly so, disgust at certain areas of the media, the Government and the South Yorkshire Police who allowed the Hillsborough tragedy to become so deeply vile and repugnant to decent people all over Britain as they covered up and smeared the good names of 96 Liverpool F.C. fans, the song Does This Train Stop On Merseyside took on extra special meaning as lies were finally admitted to in Warrington.

Ian Prowse is unrepentant in his outlook and it is something that you cannot help but admire. The crowd inside the Flapper were treated to a high class performance by the band and the night was an experience of beauty, endeavour and will, mixed heavily with stunning songs and with a dash of love between two cities that really understands what it means to love music.

An exceptional night of music!

Ian D. Hall