Liverpool is resilient, it has many forces working, conspiring against it, none the least the Westminster fun fair of the Houses of Parliament and Lords, but it still manages to hold its head up high, whether through absolute pride in being a steady thorn in the backsides of London, or just because the people in the city and out-lying areas have a semblance of beauty engrained in them that nobody can ever destroy. Liverpool remains a constant supplier of the one thing we all need in times of darkness and dread, the ability to put on a show, to give more than it receives and always promote where possible the sincerity of diversity in which many would be happy to see the country leave behind.
Not everything is rosy, it never truly is, there are always forces at play to whom want to see the city given a bad name, tarnished, harmed, the political football in which Liverpool has seen much to talk about, to feel the damage labelled upon, and yet when the chips are down, there is always a feeling of creative endeavour continuing to feed the pulse, new plays written, new songs, albums released, books, and films in which to keep plugging away at the soul of the city.
There is much to look forward to, as there are warnings in which to take heed of, how we approach both is always with a sense of belonging, of not letting the detractors win. As Christmas broke so did the news that HMV was once again in the hands of the receivers, and no matter what you may think of such high street shops, the overriding thought must be to the staff who give their all, yes there is a few independent record shops in Liverpool but there is something different about HMV in Liverpool One, it would be a loss, as with other stores fighting the injustices of high rents and tax, that would be felt with worrying trepidation.
2019 brings with it hope in terms of music, new albums from Only Child and Alun Parry and Two Black Sheep to name but three, and with great Liverpool acts, such as Eleanor Nelly, The Mono LPs, White Little Lies, Joe Symes and the Loving Kind, Satin Beige, Pete Wylie, Thom Morecroft, Space, Ian McNabb, Ian Prowse and The Zutons all ready to give their home audiences some much needed pleasure, as well as gigs from groups and performers such as Bon Jovi, Pink, Chris de Burgh, Kaiser Chiefs, Tears For Fears, Steve Harley, Bryan Adams and Joanne Shaw Taylor all announced in the year ahead, it could be that music, that art will do its best to bring the populace a forge in which to feel the warmth of their soul again.
It was a year in which the city of Liverpool lost some of its champions of the music scene, whether in the sad and untimely passing of the legendary manager of Zanzibar on Seel Street, Mr. Tony Butler, or the unbelievable letting go of Billy Butler by Radio Merseyside, dropped from the airwaves without the dignity he so richly deserved. In both of these men the city has lost a unique voice, and whilst Billy Butler will undoubtedly return in one way or another to bring delight and laughter, an encyclopaedic knowledge that is arguably unsurpassed, to the radio, in Tony Butler Liverpool has lost forever someone who epitomised the belief in allowing people to have their say, in encouraging musicians, and the odd writer, to get their message, the thoughts, heard.
Liverpool theatre and the country as a whole lost one of the remaining true icons in 2018. On March 11th the Jester of this land, Sir Ken Dodd passed away into the wings at the age of 90. His contribution to comedy and to the world of theatre was rightly recognised at the Royal Court as it celebrated its 80th Birthday, a moment that might never have happened had it not been for Sir Ken stepping in with month long residences to stave of another time’s cruelty to the working class and to Liverpool. The plaque unveiling, revealed by another much loved son of Liverpool, Les Dennis, was done with solemnity but a whole heap of laughter, the two combining with Lady Dodd in attendance and rather wonderfully, with a mountain of jam butties to be seen nearby and soon eaten!
It was a different sense of farewell at the Everyman Theatre as Deborah Aydon stepped down from her position within the company after a service that had brought the remarkable new theatre to the city and some of the most intriguing productions that could be asked of.
Elsewhere the fans of Delores O’ Riordan, Mark E. Smith, Toxteth’s Eddy Amoo, Heswall’s Jim Bowen, Eric Bristow, Verne Troyer, Aretha Franklin, Chas Hodges, Geoffrey Hayes, the comic book supremo Stan Lee and recently Dame June Whitfield, amongst many others, would have been keenly felt that time was often too cruel to take those who have entertained us.
In literature it was with special joy that two of the city’s sons saw their poetry and prose released in book form. For Waterloo book shop owner Bob Stone and actor, musician, turned poet Davy Edge, the presentation of their respective books was an eye-catching moment to relish.
Top 10 Albums of 2018
1 Sari Schoor Never Say Never
2 The Ragtime Rumours Rag ‘n Roll
3 Gareth Owen I’m Out of This Place
4 Joe Bonamassa British Blues Explosion: Live
5 Erasure World Beyond
6 Machine Head Catharsis
7 Rachel Newton West
8 Arash Moradi The Bridge
9 Rick Springfield The King Snake
10 Roger Pugh A Colourful Journey
Top 10 E.P.s of 2018
1 Mersey Wylie The Skin I Live In
2 Sue Hedges I’ll Come For You
3 Eleanor Nelly People Like Us
4 John Jenkins and The James Street Band Day After Day
5 Little Sparrow Just 3
6 Joey Costello The Wind Blows By
7 John Jenkins Too Much Drinking On A Sunday
8 The Death Notes The Black E.P.
9 Geoff Carne and The Hatz 4 Play
10 Evertim Your Heaven Hold Me Well
Top 10 Singles of 2018.
1 Roberto Diane & Tri Nguyen The Fourth Hour
2 John Chatterton Sandancer
3 Wille and the Bandits Find My Way
4 Only Child Lookin’ For A Song
5 Nicola Hardman Forever (And Ever)
6 Matt Breen All The Time
7 The Mono LPs Hell, Save My Soul
8 Dark Polaris Set Fire
9 Overkill Last Man Standing
10 Alan Triggs Hey Mister
Top 10 Gigs of 2018.
1 Mersey Wylie Studio 2 (Liverpool)
2 Me And Deboe Music Room (Liverpool)
3 Caro Emerald Philharmonic Hall (Liverpool)
4 Paul Dunbar and The Black Winter Band Music Room (Liverpool)
5 Gary Edward Jones Epstein Theatre (Liverpool)
6 Roger Waters Echo Arena (Liverpool)
7 Alison Green The Cavern (Liverpool)
8 Billy Joel Old Trafford (Manchester)
9 Slayer The Arena (Birmingham)
10 The Analogues Philharmonic Hall (Liverpool)
Theatre Top 10 2018.
1 The Big I Am Everyman Theatre.
2 Black Men Walking Unity Theatre
3 Paint Your Wagon Everyman Theatre
4 Those Two Weeks Unity Theatre
5 Dead And Breathing Unity Theatre
6 A Christmas Carol Playhouse Theatre
7 Bob The Russian Unity Theatre
8 Mam! I’M ‘Ere! Royal Court
9 Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf Unity Theatre
10 The Snow Queen Playhouse Theatre
Best Actors on stage 2018
Nathan McMullen (The Big I Am), George Caple (A Clockwork Orange).
Laura Connelly (Bob The Russian), Jackie Jones (Those Two Weeks), Sam Walton (Those Two Weeks).
Best Original Play 2018 Bob The Russian (Naughty Corner).
Top 10 Films of 2018.
1 Peterlo Director: Mike Leigh
2 A Quiet Place Director: John Krasinski
3 I, Tonya Director: Craig Gillespie
4 A Star Is Born Director: Bradley Cooper
5 Avengers: Infinity War Director: Anthony Russo, John Russo.)
6 Deadpool 2 Director: David Leitch
7 The Black Panther Director: Ryan Coogler
8 The Blackkklansman Director: Spike Lee
9 Bad Times at the El Royale Director: Drew Goddard
10 Black ’47 Director: Lance Daly
Best Actors in film 2018
Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), John David Washington (The Blackkklansman).
Best Television Programmes of 2018.
1 King Lear Director: Richard Eyre
2 The Bodyguard Director: John Vincent, John Strickland
3 Picnic At Hanging Rock Director: Peter Weir
4 Vanity Fair Director: James Strong, Jonathan Entwhistle
5 A Very English Scandal Director: Stephen Frears
6 Hamlet Director: Robert Icke, Rhodri Huw, Ilinca Radulian
7 The ABC Murders Director: Alex Gabassi
8 Inside No9 (Zanzibar) Director: David Kerr
9 Endeavour (Icarus) Director: Gordon Anderson
10 Doctor Who (The Witchfinders) Director: Sallie Aprahamian
Best Actors in a Television role in 2018.
Florence Pugh (King Lear), Anthony Hopkins (King Lear), Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal), Madeline Appiah (Hamlet), Olivia Cooke (Vanity Fair).
There is so much to look forward to in 2019, but it must come with a warning, if we allow certain discussions to divide us, if we constantly see those who make art in any way as nothing more than vessels of entertainment and not paying what they are truly worth, then like HMV, the future could be bleak, we could start to see more turning away from what they are inspired to do because they will not be able to continue to making dreams a reality.
A very happy new year from Liverpool Sound and Vision. May 2019 become the moment in which we start to see sense.
Ian D. Hall December 31st 2018