Mia Wakefield performing in Bootle, July 2016.  Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

The art of putting on a festival, especially for the first time is one that is shrouded in mystery, known to so few it seems and yet when you come across one that knows instinctively how to keep a crowd entertained during a changeover of rock acts, then it is one to praise and make sure it doesn’t run away in the distance, like too many others in these days of arts cuts and some people using the genre as if it should be a free commodity.

As the July day got progressively warmer, the sound of traffic coming down Stanley Road fading to the same level of an ant encumbered by his own lazy demeanour and the blast of groove emanating from the stage beside the Johnsons Pavilion got more idyllic, so too did the thought of revolution become more aware.

Not in the clumsy way of ridding the nation of its crack pots and insincere money grabbing, back slapping, some might say parasites but in the way of getting rid of negative associations, by offering the people what they need, not stuff, not more things to put in their homes and eventually the landfill but in meaningful ways, art, music and especially in cool, calm and abundance that memory is served by in the voice of Mia Wakefield.

The young woman strode to the stage as if conquering Everest, or at least the more enigmatic Snowdon, a sight just out of range from the Bootle shore but nevertheless a powerful image to keep in mind when the brutality of life hits home, and it was with confidence, both offered and received, that she gave a stirring acoustic set to the people more than settled in for the day on the old bowling green lawn.

The mixture of electric full throttle and quiet contemplation offered by the acoustic set was highlighted early on and Mia Wakefield certainly made the most of the early afternoon sun and rising temperature, by placing a musical thermometer into the grip of the guitar and giving the crowd yet another reason to know they had made the right choice in coming out and socialising in the Bootle sunshine.

With the songs Someone Else’s Kisses, King, the serenity of Tides and a very cool cover of Hank Wolinski’s Ain’t Nobody, a song for his friends Rufus and Chaka Khan and captured with great taste by Ms. Wakefield, the battle of the bands didn’t seem to be a relevant name for the day, this was Bootle at its finest, at its most glorious and it was made possible by artists such as Mia Wakefield.

A very good set, one of great temptation and vibe, Mia Wakefield is certainly a musician to try and catch wherever she plays.

Ian D. Hall