Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9.5/10
The Mersey Side area arguably produces so many talented song writers and musicians that there is a thought that what would British music be like without the enormous and hardy input from its shores; perhaps not desolate for the music that comes out of Edinburgh, Birmingham, the Canterbury set and all places in between stand out as being cool and diverse but Liverpool surely gives it its heart.
Gary Edward Jones is no exception to this playful rule and whilst having squirreled himself away in the world of cabinet making and the varnishing and pleasure of such fruitful pastimes, his mind has always been on the way that music makes him feel and the opportunity to give that feeling back in spades to the city.
The afternoon’s sessions on the Dovedale Social Stage on the Pier Head had been arguably leading to the point where Mr. Jones stepped forth alongside Muzz, who was more than earning her musical crust on the day, Elizabeth Kearney and Oscar South and to whom the day smiled most of all on as the amount of people stopping by the stage for the whole performance was by far more than anything both the Liverpool Loves organisers and the performers could have ever envisaged.
The music of Gary Edward Jones has filled the Mersey air for so long now and the deeply resonating, and it has to be said, very thoughtful lyrics have come to mean so much than could possibly had been dared to dream of, so much so that it really shouldn’t have been a shock to the system to see the crowd that circled the stage and took in the music of a true musical inspiration.
With the foursome on stage kicking off their set with Love Struck, Bang, Bang, Bang and Dreaming, the set was to become the absolute joy of the day time performances and it was one that appealed to all, from the music fans who weren’t old enough to remember what the city went through as it was left to shamefully rot to by an unfeeling Government to the old man who was sat one corner of the plaza with many tears running down his cheeks, this was a set in which Liverpool Loves took on extra meaning.
With the songs, Real Life Paradise, Vampires, Superheroes and Who’s Going To Love You Now? all making the set such a complete and utter success, it is no wonder that the words that adorn Gary Edward Jones’ work are full of praise and simple outpourings of admiration.
Being used to building and caring for things being made is one thing, but to see such a reaction to one’s music must be quite something else. A triumph in which Liverpool Loves truly did adore.
Ian D. Hall