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The Tenements, Gig Review. Elevator, Threshold Festival. Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * *

The first band on the stage on the Saturday in Elevator for the Threshold Festival was the recently renamed The Tenements and despite the tight timings that quite rightly imposed on the artists to keep the afternoon on track, gave a very good account of themselves and their music.

Formally known as Matt Reekie and the Bridges, the three piece band showed their forceful side during the six songs and gave the early festival goers something splendid to hang their enjoyment of the weekend upon. Despite the pressure of kicking starting the second day, the three lads performed well and their opening number When I See Her Face  was well received and a cracking song to be introduced to the group with.

The Tenements, Gig Review. Elevator, Threshold Festival. Liverpool. full post

(250 words, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

Gary Edward Jones, Gig Review. Elevator, Threshold Festival, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There is something homely about Gary Edward Jones as he takes his place on the stage at Elevator, his demeanour relaxed but full of life, a reputation that he has carved out as a musician over the last few years and as someone who has that extra bit of spice in his musicianship as he performs.

After following on from a superb set by Caroline England, Gary Edward Jones continued to set the bar very high for the performers that would follow over the course of the day and for the remainder of the weekend.

Gary Edward Jones, Gig Review. Elevator, Threshold Festival, Liverpool. full post

(380 words, estimated 1:31 mins reading time)

Jo Bywater, Gig Review. The Picket, Threshold Festival. Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

As Jo Bywater takes to the stage at The Picket, it is possible to see members of the audience reminiscing over when they first came across this adopted Merseysider from Yorkshire. Time may have moved on and Jo may have been sadly missing from the venues in the city for a while but this sparkling and honest musician who is admired for her tenacity, frankness and genuine desire was treated as a much loved but much missed friend.

Jo Bywater, Gig Review. The Picket, Threshold Festival. Liverpool. full post

(399 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Joe Symes And The Loving Kind, Gig Review. Threshold Festival, Siren, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Before the day’s Threshold Festival entertainments had started, Siren had had a few of the performers which were making the Baltic Quarter their home for the weekend going through their paces, a pre-match warm up in which to shake any dust out of the lungs that could scupper a great performance. By the end of the day, Joe Symes and the Loving Kind were playing to a packed out audience who had seen many superb musicians during the day but who were in the mood for just one more superb act to finish the day with.

Joe Symes And The Loving Kind, Gig Review. Threshold Festival, Siren, Liverpool. full post

(363 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Science Of The Lamps, Gig Review. Threshold Festival, The Picket, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

All over the Baltic Quarter in Liverpool, bands and artists had been thrilling audiences during the second day of the Threshold Festival but there can’t have been many more that were as highly anticipated, nor as keenly appreciated as Science of the Lamps. The near impossible task of getting perhaps one of the largest gatherings of musicians and singers on a stage anywhere in Liverpool over the weekend, including the ever superb musician Luke Moore on cello and keyboards and the wonderful vocal talent of Mersey Wylie alongside the woman of the weekend Kaya Herstad Carney.

Science Of The Lamps, Gig Review. Threshold Festival, The Picket, Liverpool. full post

(440 words, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

Caroline England, Gig Review. Threshold Festival. Elevator, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The Threshold Festival had already had a successful day on the Friday and as the new day blew away the cobwebs and aching joints of the Saturday morning, Elevator, the acoustic venue for the weekend and part of the superbly run Graham Holland acoustic set up in the city, welcomed new and much loved established performers through its doors and the early part of the afternoon revelled in the music on offer.

Caroline England, Gig Review. Threshold Festival. Elevator, Liverpool. full post

(336 words, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Sunday Postscript, An Interview With Russell Parry And Mal French From The Play Wild Flowers.

Wild Flowers, Franny Conlin’s powerful play about a family torn apart due to their son crossing the picket line during the Dockers Strike of 1995, returns after a year away and will be spending two nights at the Epstein Theatre on the 29th and 30th March. This critically acclaimed play looks at the members of the Lavelle family whose son James turns away from the family and takes the path to personal destruction. It is a brutally honest play and one that deserves to be seen by a wide audience.

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Sunday Postscript, An Interview With Russell Parry And Mal French From The Play Wild Flowers. full post

(2353 words, estimated 9:25 mins reading time)

Fallen Streams, Lookin’ Up. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

From the depths of the passing of Liverpool’s Sheerwater, Fallen Streams resurfaces. The band, which contains Mark Dawson on vocals and guitars and the superb Jack Beacall on keyboards have taken off where the previous named incarnation left off and whilst for less discerning types they may struggle with the difference and ask what does it matter what they are called, the difference is they have become even better, an improvement if that was ever possible and the name change? Well that only matters in the overall scheme of things, otherwise they still have the same fantastic attitude that first got them that all important attention in 2011.

Fallen Streams, Lookin’ Up. Album Review. full post

(402 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Marillion, Script For A Jester’s Tear. 30th Anniversary Retrospective.

If anyone thought that Progressive Rock was dead in the water as the 1980s began, then certainly the cowbell that had once proudly rang out was joining the fat lady in beginning to sound decidedly croaky and worn out.

By early 1983 Genesis had moved so far from the Progressive line that they were considered cool in circles they couldn’t have envisioned 10 years earlier when they bought out the pastoral sound of Selling England By the Pound. Yes were going mainstream, Supertramp were going their separate ways, Queen had long since abandoned the genre, Pink Floyd, the standard bearers of the music from 1973 onwards were about to self-destruct with what seemed one final hurrah in the opinion dividing The Final Cut and countless others such as Caravan and Camel were running out of steam.

Marillion, Script For A Jester’s Tear. 30th Anniversary Retrospective. full post

(1750 words, estimated 7:00 mins reading time)

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Saturday Supplement, An Interview With Stephen Langstaff.

Due to the nature of music, it can be a while between catching up with people who have made an impression on the overall music conscious of a city. In Stephen Langstaff’s case it’s not hard to see why. Over the last few years he has worked steadily and diligently in building up his songbook and it looks as though the hard work has finally paid off as Stephen is now able to concentrate fully on his passion. It is this work ethic that makes being able to pin Stephen down for a talk about music a pleasure.

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Saturday Supplement, An Interview With Stephen Langstaff. full post

(1140 words, estimated 4:34 mins reading time)