Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Everything happens for a reason, everything is connected in some way and whilst the event in Bootle, the Battle of the Bands would have produced a worthy winner, in actual facts, the big winners on the day were the people of Bootle, the paying crowd who made their way to the ground of the Johnson’s Pavilion and who relished a day in which music in the area was absolute king.

To take anything away from the sublime feel though that accompanied The JJohns victory would be both wrong and churlish, the fact that the audience gained so much from the day should be added as a compliment to the band, for they were truly part of something extraordinary on the day, an act that encapsulated the reason for holding such a festival in Bootle. This was a day when the people were given a reason to enjoy themselves, to rub shoulders with the community that had long been made to feel as if they had no choice but to travel into Liverpool or up the road to Southport in search of the spirit of adventure and the easy going groove.

The JJohns relished the part with so much generosity of spirit that it was not just a pleasure to watch them perform but almost as if delving into the bosom of kinship, delight upon delight had already gone, and more would surely follow but The JJohns stuck their neck out as the wavering sun threatened to dip below the known horizon of the Bootle day and gave a great account of themselves.

With songs dominating the air like the great ships that once used the local docks to overshadow the seas and waterways between Bootle and the Americas, The JJohns gave the audience a session of pleasure in which to absorb and remember. Tracks such as On Your Own, the telling Queen of County Road, Never Been Love and Little Bird were enthusiastically received and tempting beyond the realms of standing out.

Things happen for a reason, sometimes the reason is obvious, at other times it is shrouded in the thickest mist that crawls along an autumn country road, the reason that The JJohns are so well respected is not just noticeable, they scream with delight at every passing yell of appreciation.

Ian D. Hall