Welcome…
…Here we are,
Ladies and gentlemen, and those to whom
we respect define as neither,
splash on a little make up and relax
for here we are in the last heady days of Berlin,
the days of Rome
before the Vandals
and Nero’s enigmatic solo
on a half strung fiddle, raise a toast
and see the world, frolic, dine,
take a picture of your neighbour’s dinner
and give it a groovy like, drop your pants
in excitement as low core porn
becomes a reality programme, and
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
The mid to late 90s British music scene will perhaps always be dominated by the thought of a collection of bands to whom the world, in one way or another, idolised, venerated and almost single-handedly took all the glory, all the passion and much of the energy that would have been arguably better suited to groups, artists and song writers to whom deserved it so much more. The Man Who would, the woman who could, have served the attentions of the public better because there was nothing more than splendour in their music, no egos, no bitterness, just a serenade that was inclusive and deeply, melancholic, melody driven, assuredly beautiful.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Ted Levine, Jeff Goldblum, Toby Jones, James Cromwell, B D Wong, Rafe Spall, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Peter Jason, Robert Emms, Isabella Sermon.
By taking the beast out of its environment you increase the terror, you bring the creature into the home, you escalate the fear and by bringing that monster into one small, almost perfect, bedroom, where everything is neat, where everything is in its natural place and ordered, you have the makings of something that makes the imagination run wild, that makes the latest in the Jurassic Park/World series so much darker, so more in tune with the modern world and the debate of the human factor in the destruction of the eco system.
We spoke of the news
long into the night
and in time for the moon
to dance between the slits
of our blinds
and our once blinded opinions,
a coal fire dying slowly
and our lungs to breathe
in the remains of the dark day
that had passed,
huddled together
we spoke of the news
of the constant evil, of the never ending
criminal, corrupt, immoral
and natural disasters in which
deep down we crave, to satisfy
our longing for calamity, our need
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
A resonance in Time is always something to look out for, to capture it takes proficiency and passion, and even to touch upon it is a calling that few can master without finding themselves being driven down the cul-de-sac of bitter recriminations and self-doubt; we can all use the abundant instruments to make the way clear, hopefully we can all follow a guide, but so few of us can say with certainty that we have dedicated ourselves to studying all the Maps available and are ready to find the way forward, or even be prepared to admit that we are lost and need help.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Music cannot exist in the soul unless it has a meaning, it must be a symbol, even a design to it that makes it stand out, that makes it impressive, no matter the form, no matter the immensity, if it has no plan, if it is written just for the sake of making a noise, creating a jumbled chaos that makes more of a statement about the artist, then there is surely no foundation, no Architecture in place that can make the blueprint that was poured over, worth a damn.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
To disregard the softly spoken in favour of those that rattle like a tin can that is being pushed along by a light breeze down an empty street, is to commit a grievous act, an offence against the soul; it is an attitude that has lasted for as long as humanity has had the wherewithal to listen to supposedly wise men, those who shout loudest, perhaps fearing their ideas and pleasures won’t be heard. It is an position that does us no good, that makes all that we are capable of achieving being nothing more than a side-line, a final swig of the antiseptic before the realisation of what we have swallowed hits home.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The past is a foreign country which often requires second thoughts on passing through. The urge to reconnect with that which was once all consuming, now should have signs strewn at intervals and a high voltage electric fence permanently switched on, an armed guard or two subtly pointing out to the unwary the issues to be found within. Yet for those that seek understanding of where the past has brought them too, the signal, the bell that tolls is more akin to that of the Poptone and it is one that rings out in symphony and pleasure.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: James Sutton, Laura Connolly, Abigail McKenzie, Thomas Galashan.
Writer James Wilkinson (James Sutton) is tapping out and reading aloud his latest novel in a cluttered, claustrophobic study, where the shelves creak under the weight of literary masterpieces. Around him, three barely dressed figures act out his plot – and it’s not one for the faint-hearted.
You see, James isn’t crafting a Grapes of Wrath reboot on his wine-stained laptop, he’s churning out “mummy porn” (the fifth instalment of his “Venus” series, which makes Fifty Shades read like Tolstoy) and it’s already earned him a cool £4 million pounds.
Save a kiss for the hangman
as you approach the noose,
the rope to burn, the lynch
knot at the back of your neck,
soon to pull, but save
a kiss for the hangman,
gentle tidings pass the time
between wide eyed staring down
the audience, a kiss for the hangman
is what they won’t expect,
for in their minds the guilty
don’t display such beauty,
the gallows always call,
but on your way
to the timber beams and strong rope
of public opinion,