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.
Lauren Ray is on the other end of the telephone, we are not facing each other and yet because of the great gift she has for expression, a sense of pureness, and straight talking. I almost imagine that she is sat just opposite me, her features, thanks to the dynamic video for her single Be A Man, inscribed on my eyes, glowing with pride at the way she has taken her talent with serious passion and how she has patiently adhered to her own sense of self, of exploring what it means to be an artist without rushing into it with all the dangers and issues that can arise because of it.
Liverpool Sound and Vision * * * *
Haunting sounds and a vocal that defies the feeling of inhibited space, it is perhaps apt that Aberystwyth’s Novo Amor has called his new album Birthplace, as through the whole beautiful experience of listening to the recording you cannot but help but think of the times when you have heard a new born being placed in the loving arms of its mother and the secure but nervous hands of its father. It is a haunting and drama filled sound that escapes from the mouths of both the new born in mind, and for Novo Amour it is equally the start of something precious, something extraordinary.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Kipling may be seen to be an anathema in terms of experience in today’s opinionated world, his work under a certain type of microscope has garnered criticism, censure and in some quarters, out and out hate, he has become a poison to many, exhibiting traits that are unacceptable in a modern world. However, for whatever you may think of Rudyard Kipling, his assertion of twin imposters holds true, to treat triumph and disaster as one entity, the giving and taking away by fate and decree, then you will grow in strength, in both mind and spirit, you will find what everyone’s Been Meaning To Tell You, that life is a curve ball, not to be swerved, but to be met head on and dealt with, for in that movement stands victory.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Nothing lasts forever, nothing can withstand time and tide, and all too often we ignore those who suggest that it might be the moment in which to step back, evaluate and reflect upon the mystery of what we have achieved; however of nothing lasts forever, how then do we gauge just what time means to us, in what we see and hear, and in what we appreciate.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Stock up nuts, make sure the spirit is overflowing and perhaps pull a cracker or two, the time of year in which inhibitions go out the window, emotions are high and we all hope for that special something, some wish for peace on Earth, some the prospect of just a day to themselves and the quiet abandon afforded with solitude, for some the vision of Santa Claus dangling with his legs akimbo in thin air as he comes down the chimney is enough to put a smile on their red rose faces and chocolate spread delighted lips.