As one door closes, another one will surely open and in the case of Matthew Breen, The Endings may have played their last ever gig together but the music carries on. The young singer/songwriter from Liverpool, who has gone from strength to strength since picking up a guitar at the age of 11, has blossomed into an accomplished performer whose reputation has soared beyond the streets of Liverpool and even hit as far away as the town of Columbia, Missouri.
When American tourist Richard Robinson from Columbia walked down the world famous Mathew Street in 2011 he stopped outside the Cavern Pub to listen to a busker, Mathew was 16 at the time and the tourist stopped and listened. Unlike many that pass on by, Richard took time out and stayed to listen to the covers and original tracks that Matthew was performing.
Richard was so impressed with Matthew that when he returned to the U.S.A. he immediately contacted him and discussed the possibility of Matthew playing in the U.S.A. Although a lot of negotiations took place nothing ever materialised and the following year Richard visited Liverpool again. That time Matthew’s band The Endings played a couple of gigs and Richard was only too pleased to have the opportunity to hear those songs again – this time with the full band sound. He really was ‘blown away’ by what he heard. Richard left for home with a number of recordings of Matthew and the band and this time wheels were put in motion to secure a gig in Columbia, Missouri.
Richard played the recordings to his daughter, who in turn played them to her friends. They contacted Matthew via social networks and he held impromptu transatlantic jam sessions via Skype. When one of Matthew’s new American friends asked if he could play at the Hickman High School Prom he agreed and after listening to his music the Prom Committee agreed to let him play. Richard has also used his connections to secure a session at Mojo’s, one of the premier venues for bands in Columbia.
Ian Prowse, one of the iconic music legends of the city uses a line in his beautiful and brilliant look at life in Liverpool, Does This Train Stop On Merseyside, that a lay line runs down Mathew Street which gives its power to all it meets, never a truer word has been said.
Matthew flies out on May 1st and the next step in this Liverpool musician’s path has know been taken.
It is from Liverpool Sound and Vision that we wish Matthew all the best and to make sure that the United States knows that The Beatles isn’t the only act America should be aware of from Merseyside, Liverpool once more is the creative hub it was all those years ago.