Author Archives: admin

Hunter Killer. Film Review.

Liverpool Sound And Vision Rating *

Cast: Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Linda Cardellini, Toby Stephens, Common, Adam James,  Cory Johnson, Henry Goodman, Carter MacIntyre, Shane Taylor, Kola Bokinni, Mikey Collins, Will Attenborough, Kieron Bimpson, David Gyasi, Michael Nyqvist, Caroline Goodall, David Yelland, Stuart Milligan.

The land of cliche is under constant threat of never being allowed to die in peace, to be remembered for the small annoyances, for the large discomfort felt, a hero must be seen to stand tall and have the attention of the audience, but they must be seen as being more than a two dimensional caricature which sends a signal to the audience, that the land of cliche is being primed and prepped once more for boarding.

Hunter Killer. Film Review. full post

(524 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

Karine Polwart, Laws Of Motion. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

A body at rest cannot exert force upon the Universe, the mind of the unready cannot hope to push the boundaries of life anymore that a single drop of rain can bring down the structure of a mountain; and yet push enough, cause over time to bring millions of gallons down upon the lofty peak, and at some point a groove will appear, a waterfall of expression will form and become a dominant feature in which to stand and marvel at.

Karine Polwart, Laws Of Motion. Album Review. full post

(422 words, estimated 1:41 mins reading time)

Joanne Louise Griffiths, The Here & Now. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

We are constantly urged to enjoy the present moment, that what is past can never be repeated and the future of our endeavours and passions is not guaranteed, the current state of mind, shaped by the conspicuous actions of others and the news that inflicts its will upon us, is there to be revelled in, for who truly understands what Time has in store for us.

Joanne Louise Griffiths, The Here & Now. Album Review. full post

(436 words, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Wille & The Bandits, Find My Way. Single Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

The spirit of independence is one that is proclaimed with vigorous intent and demand in the modern world we find ourselves in, the call for objective liberation, of being allowed to circumnavigate life in our own fashion, by our own common thoughts without interference from those who believe they know better, but rarely are in tune with the gut feeling and truth of another person’s heart; it is a call we must heed in ourselves and urge others to follow their own vibrant destiny.

Wille & The Bandits, Find My Way. Single Review. full post

(414 words, 1 image, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

Matt Breen, Bold Street. Single Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Bold Street, like other thoroughfares and byways, of alleys and parks and particular buildings in Liverpool, has its own particular set of memories held in the hearts of the local citizen who looks upon the city with pride, and the mind of those who may only visit the pavements and streets covered with musical and story-telling gold just once in their lives, but who carry the songs heard far off across the world. It is a memory that can always be counted on being captured by the questioning artist, a framing of the moment perhaps as the sculptor at the behest of time, carves light into the reminisce of youth.

Matt Breen, Bold Street. Single Review. full post

(426 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Steeleye Span, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

History is a place where the modern-day eye falls sharply, and arguably with some personal antagonism, into the realm of judgement and criticism. It is a place that people forget the modern age in which we breathe our daily dust in, will also one day be criticised, pored over with unsentimental eyes and the feeling of damned ill-favour. To stand in the way of that judgement, to carry on producing great songs of lyrical poetry, of music that is powerful in its intent, and demanding in its delivery, that is verging on the heroic, it is to remain resolute in the face of those who dare suggest with snide lips, that nothing of the days that have passed is relevant anymore.

Steeleye Span, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(510 words, estimated 2:02 mins reading time)

Jacqui McShee, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

When there are no more worlds in which to conquer, the explorer lays down their map and their compass, and slowly, but surely, disappears into the background, eventually merging with the times and places they have discovered. For many of us that holds true, the vast majority of those around you stop discovering many years before their time, they take out the compass one final time, put the backpack of half ideas formed, and then take root and watch the camp fire flicker with memories that slowly turn to dust and the tear of what was once passed.

Jacqui McShee, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(474 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)

When I Went Racing With James.

 

Somehow, I managed

to take a picture

of horses snorting,

their hot breath turning into steam

as they charged down the field

and towards my camera lens,

the unblinking, the hot hoof beat

that I felt underneath,

locomotive driven, terrifying

and beautiful, an attack

on the front, be still, measured

I implored myself, hold the reins

of the camera tightly, snap

shot of a time

when I went racing with James.

 

Ian D. Hall 2018

 

When I Went Racing With James. full post

(80 words, estimated 19 secs reading time)

Caro Emerald, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Caro Emerald at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, October 2018. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

The Queen of European Jazz waves her hand in time to the motion of the scintillating sound that clutches at the air of inspiration and unrequited love, it is a flourish that gives the audience the memory of Time, of understanding that the genre in which Caro Emerald has become the iconic figure and sound, requires at all times, to flow, to be constantly in flux, that the beat that has carried her towards the figure of 100 live performances in the U.K. alone, is a constant wild animal that needs handling with almost regal, and maternal care.

Caro Emerald, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(452 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Loren Nine, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

A Dutch invasion and surrounded by the scent of intrigue and the possible hint of tulips that hangs in the air, a purveyance, a regal like flourish to the autumn serenade in which Caro Emerald, the undisputed Queen of European Jazz, returns to Liverpool, and alongside her in the carriage of musical expression, something, a passion for expression, a dominating thought of what we might miss as a society if we continue to turn our collective backs on Europe, the artistry of the young, of the timeless, and of the Netherland’s own Loren Nine.

Loren Nine, Gig Review. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(426 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)