Liverpool’s acoustic scene would not be the same without the people who donate so much of their time and energy to make sure the musicians are heard and given a major platform to show their talent and their inspirations off to. It is point that should be mentioned often, that so many superb musicians play in the city and get their audience in the effort of Liverpool Acoustic; a realm of enlightened attitude which does all the greatest of service.

In that service is one of their own, the phenomenally rich playing of Derek King, the silver blade of the acoustic guitar and one to whom the music is arguably perfectly enamoured with. The guitar is seamlessly attached to his writing and as part of We Shall Overcome inside Sound Food and Drink, he quite rightly gave the audience the healthy and superb mix of lost melancholy, indignant anger and protest and all the time with the glint of enjoyment in his eyes.

Watching and listening to Derek King has always been fascinating, very much part of the acoustic scene, he almost seems to take on the mantle of a colossus when playing and yet that would detract from the simple beauty that breathes like a dragon, full of rage but outstanding valour and colour, that is uncontainable and allowed to walk forth in the world.

Having already allowed the audience inside Sound to have a sneak preview of a song that he had especially written for We Shall Overcome, Mr. King stood proud on the Sound stage and took the crowd through the songs, Sometimes, the wonderfully melancholic truth of To Be A Boy, Sally, the anger of Government stupidity in the Price of Coal and the alluded to Our Lords and Masters.

That final song certainly captured the point of We Shall Overcome, that the evil that has been engrained, almost mantra like in to society, the message of austerity, of the need of severe action which in truth is an attack against the poorest in the land, is nothing but a sham, a deliberate and unforgivable action that must not be allowed to be swallowed anymore.

Derek King always knows how to bring an audience’s anger and love to the front and as the afternoon rolled on, it was his words that stuck in the mind, We Shall Overcome may be the watchword, but it always needs to be heard loud and proud; something that really makes Westminster shake.

Ian D. Hall