We Are The Children Of Darth Vader.

We are the humourless children of Darth Vader,

stuck in a pattern

of self loathing and flowing envy,

the darkness seeping out

from the sore

we keep hidden, under layers

of guilt and delusion and the odd

pair of cartoon socks, one size

fits all and opinions we hope are the same;

we are the grave and grim,

the forbidding and the forbidden,

we are the humourless offspring

of Darth Vader.

 

We are the children of a deaf Batman

and the surprising talent of The Joker,

Blink 182, California. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

The state on the edge of the world, from the end of land, one constantly under the pressure of fissures and the prospect of annihilation, one place never too far from the self appointed big one, California is a place in which dreams are hatched, made reality, loved and ultimately destroyed by greed and the need for constant re-invention.

Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 1/10

Life must be made of peaks and troughs, it cannot be all plain sailing, for where is the joy in steering a boat across a perfectly still body of water if you haven’t learned to manoeuvre it in storm tossed oceans; conversely where is the delight in living underground in the dark if you haven’t experienced a single day in the sunshine.

The Musketeers, Fool’s Gold. Television Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Tom Burke, Santiago Cabrera, Howard Charles, Luke Pasqualino, Ryan Gage, Alexandra Dowling, Hugo Speer, Tom Morely, Thalissa Teixeira, Fiona O’ Shaughnessy, MeerA Syal, Lily Loveless, Harry Melling, Philip Barantini.

A fool always lets themselves be known by their cravings for gold, the glimmer of the precious metal as it dazzles upon the finger, as it collects dust in a vault, some cannot ever have enough and some see it for what it is, the means to survive. It is always better surely to have none and lived than fall foul to the curse of Midas.

Ever Thankful For Strong Women.

As a nervous teenage boy

I submitted the flesh

on my neck for you to place

your tongue against the pulse

of lingering, anxious excitement

and you my dear would kiss me gently

through dreams passing by

the agony of lazy summer days

of dying school memories.

Now when I think back, jumping in time

to the delicious feeling of being wanted,

being practised upon by calm

and relaxed women of the same

age and desires,

I thank my own personal deity

that I was brought up by

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. The Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Summer, in all its British damp and rain soaked glory, in all its burning one day haze, which with nostalgia over time becomes as sweat driven and lethargic as the one that hit the nation in ’76, long, luxurious and never ending, summer is only possible to dream about because festivals give the music lover hope and certain musicians always make sure they play in the same place each year, around the same time, to give thanks to their fans, the ritual is one of cool dynamic, of mutual thanks.

The World Is On Fire.

The world is on fire,

having simmered too long,

unable to cut off the fuel that drives

the hate, that steers and directs

the dislike and blows it up, makes mole

hills burst like Vesuvius, Earth tired worms

claw at the air and interesting times

are back in vogue once more.

 

The world is on fire, screaming

out injustice whilst having no plan

to purge those that place a spark

of Lucifer against the black sparkling dust,

extreme dislike turns to detest

turns to repulsion, turns the hatred clock

Jo Bywater, Gig Review. Underground Acoustic, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Jo Bywater has been away from her own walk of life for too long, the dedication to helping others achieve their own goals, whether through collaboration or intense work ethic has not been lost in the appreciation of the adopted Merseyside singer/songwriter but it has meant that the local area has missed with much inevitable sadness Ms. Bywater’s own insightful lyrics and contribution to the acoustic scene.

Mark Pountney, Gig Review. Underground Acoustic, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There is an air of laid back assurance that is mixed freely and without argument the declaration of studious musical intent that comes across with great attitude whenever Mark Pountney comes to the forefront of any stage in the city. The much travelled, both in physical journeys and the cerebral voyages, musician is a man to be enlightened by, to enjoy and take in to your heart, after all, not many musicians can claim the pedigree of country background whilst having walked the walk in the fiery pit of the genre in its own backyard.

Herringbone John, Gig Review. Underground Acoustic, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The stage is always ready for musicians such as Herringbone John, the Blues come calling and the undisguised answer of the just and informed is always where and when and of course yes. The stage, no matter where, will give lofty inspiration and the eternal notion in the minds of those who witness such musicians, that they too can be true to themselves and hold a branch of cool slow groove to the next generation.