High above the streets of Liverpool, almost within eye-line of the St. John’s Beacon that stands eerily out when the sea mist and fog attempt to cover the city in a sense of gloom and bone-jarring cold, a multitude of people gathered for a cause which has become arguably the most serious of concerns for a generation. The plight of the homeless, the shocking betrayal by our government of its people, a damning indication of what their priorities actually are, that is to cause distress and anguish and the hope that the privileged few back them to the hilt, that the majority left untouched by this disgrace will fall over themselves to walk away from the problem in the promise that they wring their hands in time with the sound of Christmas bells chiming and tills chirping.
Category Archives: Live
Deacon Blue, Gig Review. Echo Arena, Liverpool. (2018).
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
There is a salute, a score with destiny which must be paid in full, a dignity that is a duty to be acknowledged from the fans that have been thrilled by the Scottish band Deacon Blue, thrilled and electrified by their presence on stage, and that duty is perhaps, outside of Glasgow, never more settled than when Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, and the group come to Liverpool, a city dear to the hearts of many, cherished responsibly by Deacon Blue.
ME And Deboe, Gig Review. Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
ME And Deboe, Music Room, Liverpool. December 2018. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Innocent faith may be examined, others can find ways to test your belief, make you question the foundation of all that you know and have come to hold dear; for some that faith is the epitome of their existence, for a small refuge of lovers and attendees, faith is about watching Britain’s answer to America’s finest ever duo, Simon and Garfunkel, and understanding that the two women on stage now have reached a point where they can be considered true heirs, recipients to the crown of beautiful and insistent music.
Two Black Sheep, Gig Review. Music Rooms, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision rating 9/10
Two Black Sheep at the Music Room in Liverpool. December 2018. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
In an age of disagreements and conflict, of homogenous mingling and beige uniform, to follow your own path is to be admired, to insist upon your own space and not follow the herd is to be congratulated, to reject the conventional is respected; nothing and no one is truly identical in thought and deed. When it comes to Two Black Sheep, the tune they play is one consistently pure, so against type and yet one on which can count upon, to stir the chops and get the fans talking of the combination at the heart of the matter.
Limerance, Gig Review. Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
It would only have to be a whisper of voices and the audiences who crowd Limerance would by instinct demand on mass that the sound be turned up to a level in which their beautiful sense of Americana is more thoroughly deserving.
From a whisper in the mind to the creative flow that greets the Philharmonic Hall’s Music Room’s crowd, Limerance’s Jenny Coyle and Calum Gilligan once again proved that their demeanour and stance is an incredible sight to behold, the full resonance of their vocals is not just a joy, it is a dream to hear, full coloured and alluring, the kind of dream in which you wake from slightly unsure of what room you have woken up in and what day it is, the best type of vision to hold on to as everything is still wonderfully vibrant and possible.
White Little Lies, Gig Review. Music Rooms, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision rating 9/10
White Little Lies at the Music Room in Liverpool. December 2018. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Some meetings appear pre-destined, it is just a wonder that strikes us all who find such things fascinating, on what kept the magic from happening earlier. It is a magic that is young in its infancy and yet one that seems boldly to go beyond its formative binding with fans, an enchanting experience that Daniel Saleh and Vanessa Murray have both grabbed with eager thought and spirit and found in a world hell bent on the big fib and the posturing falsehood, that the best avenue in which to reside is in the truth of White Little Lies.
Thea Gilmore, Gig Review. Music Rooms, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Christmas can either be an anathema to the soul, or if you are fortunate it can turn the winter period into one of joyous celebration, the message of spirituality, of throwing your life open to new experiences, of understanding that there is more to this time of year than materialism and personal gain, there is empathy, the freedom to sing, or to be silent, to listen at least to the sound of internal delight taking shape and the welcome poise of surrender to a heavenly guide.
Ed Harcourt, Gig Review. Capstone Theatre, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
A whirlwind of emotions arrives and diverge, divide and multiply at this time of year, we become engaged in the scope of the sentiments passed to us by total strangers and react in kind to the misplaced smile or the sorrowful tear we see on the street. We hope for peace, we yearn for the sound of harmony and reconciliation, of goodwill and the knowledge that come the spring, once we are out Beyond The End of winter the sun will shine on us favourably and with honour.
The Damned, Gig Review. 02 Academy, Liverpool.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Darkness falls early as Winter’s grip takes hold, a kind of bleakness can be felt crawling through the souls of those who seek a musical thrill, who require the artistic fix and the bite of passion in which to ward off the tendrils of despair; darkness falls, we Wait for the Blackout, and then in a bright burst of light, a flash of coronal mass ejection, darkness is abated for a while, we look to the heavens for answers and find only one possible solution, that The Damned have found a way to light the sky and the way forward.
Heaven 17, Gig Review. 02 Academy, Liverpool. (2018).
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
There will always be bands, institutions that come calling to the music venues of Liverpool of whom you just instinctively understand that the city will always turn out for in their droves for, that there will never be a moment when the loving feeling they have nurtured and held on to, will ever fade away.
A night when Heaven 17 drives its trusted and adored bandwagon across from South Yorkshire to the home of British Pop Music has always been one to savour, however in recent years it has taken on more a sense of mystical symbolism, the anniversaries have come thick and fast, important dates that are always worth celebrating have come round with what is sure to be seen as enticing to the fans as all celebrations do.