Buz Magazine May 2016

MAY 2016

PAULINE DANIELS IAN PROWSE LYN STAUNTON BILL ELMS AMY CHALMERS RICHIE NOONAN ALEX MCGRATH CHRISTOPHER KELLY

Featuring: CAL RUDDY INDIGO MOON FIREFLYS INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW BIRKENHEAD FAKE FESTIVAL WIRRAL FESTIVAL OF FIRSTS WIRRAL FOLK FESTIVAL and so much more...

www.thebuz.co.uk website gig listings updated daily

1

CHRISTIES

447 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead

ENTERTAINMENT

DRINK PRICES

Sun 1st May Eden, 5pm

PINTS: Grolsch £2.40 Foster’s £2.30 Carling £2.40 John Smiths Extra Smooth £2.10 Guinness £2.50 Coors Light £2.60

Sun 8th May Rigsby’s Cat, 5pm Sun 15th May Monty, 5pm Sun 22nd May Silver Majik, 5pm Sun 29th May Rigsby’s Cat, 5pm Sun 5th June Four To The Floor, 5pm

DOUBLES: Smirnoff £2.50 Bacardi £2.50 Bell’s £2.50 Red Square £2.20 Southern Comfort £2.70 Jack Daniels £2.70

THE MYRTLE 453 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead Every Friday 4pm – Ian Hellon 80’s Hour 5.15pm – Two’s Company

2

this month...

Editor: Diane Tremarco Tel: 0151 558 1007 M: 07772475445 Email: diane@thebuz.co.uk Twitter: @thebuzmag Facebook: Get Out More 2 Web: www.thebuz.co.uk

Welcome to the Buz Magazine. We are now in print, online and on social media platforms - follow us and keep up to date with music and entertainment on Merseyside.

6

05 // Ian Prowse 06 // Cal Ruddy 09 // Six of the best: Cal Ruddy 11 // Indigo Moon 15 // Richie Noonan

Sales/admin: Jade Tremarco Email: jade@thebuz.co.uk

16 // The Fireys 18 // Re-Introducing: Doug Abraham 20 // Amy Chalmers

Publisher: Mouse Media

25 // Alex McGrath 26 // Six of the best: Rosie Mundy

Special thanks to our contributors: Bill Elms Pauline Daniels Ian Prowse Lyn Staunton Amy Chalmers Richie Noonan Alex McGrath Christopher Kelly

28 // Birkenhead Fake Festival

16

Front page: Cal Ruddy Photographer: Jamie Evans

Disclaimer While precautions have been take to ensure the accuracy of the contents of our magazine, neither the editors, publishers or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise there from.

Mouse Media reserves the right to edit comments or choose not to publish selected comments, whether in printed, mobile or digital format. No part of any of our publication, whether in print or digital may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

31 // Factory 32 // Public Image Limited (PIL) 34 // Christopher Kelly 35 // 12th Wirral Folk Festival 36 // International POP Overthrow 38 // Bill Elms 40 // The Paul McCartney Anthology 42 // Lyn Staunton

19 44

43 // Introducing: In Cahoots 44 // Wirral Festival of Firsts 46 // Pauline Daniels

To advertise email: sales@thebuz.co.uk For features email: hello@thebuz.co.uk The next issue will be JUNE 2016. All adverts and payments must be completed by 20th MAY. If you would like to be featured in a future edition feel free to contact us via email, website or telephone.

3

4

ian prowse The thing that elevates the Monday Club up from a simple open mic night is the opportunity the setting provides for the artists. A real stage with a top class PA as well as proper monitoring.

Couple this with 2 top of the range Orange guitar amps and a superb bass rig and you have all the hallmarks of a genuine gig.

Rock and Roll singer and songwriter with Amsterdam. Formerly with Pele. Infected with the Celtic soul.

Amsterdam are: Ian Prowse Vocals and guitar Johnny Barlow Guitar Dave Mastracola Bass Kevin Spurgeon keyboards Anastacia Worrel Violin Fiona McConnel / Helen Maher Accordian Eimear McGeowan Flute

Since the beginning Monday Club has specialised in having bands come and play. From 3 piece bands to 7 piece bands we’ve had them all up there. Bands tend to come in waves and its rare for a band to just play once, we find many groups perform 3 or 4 weeks on the run as the use MC to hone their performance, test out new songs or (if they’re brand new) get that valuable first gig under their belts without the glare of a headline spot on them.

Recently we’ve had great new bands Red Rum Club (from North Liverpool) , The Racket (from Widnes), The Johns (From Walton), Leap Of Faith & Bad Stones. Lost Faces (from Anfield) have rocked the place recently as have Ladies who are actually from Peterborough but have all moved to a flat close by to The Cavern (like The Young Ones! Just to be close to the music!

West but also a mighty fine songwriter. Realtime Revolution is a belter and we await his return with the new album in the works.

Marc Kenny has played his ‘What’s it like in Liverpool’ tune on many occasions down at Monday Club (maybe even made its début there?)

Jay Murray often makes the journey across the street from playing on the Cavern stage to join us at MC with his brand new band The Pages. The 4 piece have done all their practising down at our night and in ‘Hannah’ have a sure fit hit single (in old money).

Also local guitar legend Gary Murphy pops in to enjoy the atmosphere though we haven’t managed to get him up to play yet!

Poets, comedians, solo, duet, bands. You’re all welcome down at MC, all you have to do is turn up, no pre booking needed.

Mark Lacey

Despite the strict No Covers rule that has been in place since day 1 down at the Monday Club we are often visited by the incredibly talented artists who have made a name for themselves playing covers in this city. Such is the deeply inclusive nature of the evening.

Famous in the boozers of Birkenhead the great Mark Lacey graces the MC stage regularly and his song ‘Don’t Be Lonely’ has elicited many a sing song down the years.

Paul Kappa has also joined us recently to show he’s not just the fastest guitar slinger in the

/amsterdamuk

Local Live Dates Saturday 28th May - We Luv Festival (Ian Prowse acoustic) Friday 15th July - Philharmonic Hall Music Room (Ian Prowse Acoustic)

£12

Saturday 3rd December - Arts Club Ian Prowse & Amsterdam (14 piece band)

Available to buy from amsterdam-music.com

5

Cal

PHOTOGRAPHER: JAMIE EVANS

6

Ruddy For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure, could you describe your music for us and tell us what inspires your written words?

I’d describe my music as a bit of melting pot of influences really,I’ve got a wide range of genres that I listen to and love and elements of each bleed through into my writing and creative processes. A lot of people consider my music to be a mix of Alternative Rock,Blues,Rockabilly and Country with a contemporary modern feel. At the moment I’m listening to albums by Edgar Jones&The Stairs as well as Bill Ryder-Jones and the new record by The Coral so I’m taking inspiration from a lot of local names with the songs I’m currently working on.

I’ve had comparisons to such artists as Richard Ashcroft of The Verve,Paolo Nutini as well as people like Neil Young and George Harrison. A lot of people who’ve seen me live or have heard my stuff have referred to me as the Scouse answer to Jake Bugg which is quite interesting haha.

What have we missed if we have just discovered you?

If you’re late to the Cal Ruddy party? Haha well, 2015 was a great year of building up my reputation and honing my live act on the Liverpool music scene and beyond. I made the finals of The Best of Liverpool and Merseyrail Soundstation Competitions, I performed for Bay TV twice and I did some filming for TV stations down in South Wales.

We did a shoot in Cardiff for a program called Busking TV and then in Swansea for the Cornerstone Sessions. Local press were really positive about both sessions and it was a great experience for me as a developing artist. I was relentless with gigs last year as well. Countless shows in Liverpool, Chester, Manchester and Blackpool to name but a few places. I’ve done a few really memorable headline gigs in Liverpool both solo and with my band too. Brilliant

memories. I’ve had quite a bit of radio play on unsigned radio shows across the UK and Europe as well so I can’t complain haha.

2016 is all about building on what I’ve done and there’s a few really exciting things in the pipeline so watch this space, you’re going to love it.

Who have been the main musical influences?

For me personally my biggest musical influences are people like Richard Ashcroft and then fundamental obvious ones like Lennon/McCartney, Joe Strummer of The Clash, Bob Dylan and The Kinks. For me as an artist,as a songwriter I tap into anything I like the sound of and can identify with. A lot of the time listening to a song when I’m in the car or when I’m out somewhere will trigger ideas and I’m always scrabbling for my phone or a bit of paper to capture it before it flies.

Who do you admire on the local scene and why?

I love the local scene and I spend a lot of time of a weekend seeing as many acts as I can whenever there’s a gig I can get to. Bands like The Jackobins, The Dead Cassettes, Jo Mary and The Mysterines are acts I recommend everyone to see live.

Oh yes, you’re very welcome, haha. I just love the sheer passion and enthusiasm out there from bands like these. In it for the right reasons, for the art form and that’s plain to see, I love it!

If not liverpool where would be great for an up and coming singer/songwriter?

I’ve always enjoyed playing up in Manchester on the few occasions I’ve gigged up there. Gulliver’s in the Northern Quarter in particular is a great venue. I played there back in November for a showcase hosted

by Ugly Man Records and I hope to get back up to play in Manchester very soon.

Have you always played guitar? What would be your dream purchase if money were no object?

I’ve played guitar since I was 15 years old, I’m now 21 and I’m just getting into my stride as a guitarist I think in terms of technicality and experimenting with tones and sounds.

Oooh interesting one, I’d probably opt for a vintage Gibson or something like that. My Gibson Hummingbird Acoustic is my main guitar for live use and for recording and I use a Gibson Les Paul for a lot of my electric work along with a Gretsch Hollowbody so yeah definitely something along those lines.

What do you do outside of music?

I do music outside of music,I’m a music student as well so there’s literally no escape from it. Good job I love it dearly isn’t it eh haha.

Rumour has it that you are producing a single, tell us more.

I’m writing so many songs at the moment which is obviously a good thing, the hard part is deciding which ones I want to put out there as an official release as they’re all really good quality. I’ve got to the point where I’m starting to become happy with my output as an artist and I’m confident in my songwriting ability which is ultimately something you need to achieve in order to move forward in the best way in music towards success. I’m hoping to head back into a studio environment to start work on that very soon so keep an eye out on social media for updates and news on that.

What is next for you?

The future and all the positive things that are coming. I’m very lucky I’ve got a great support network of friends,family and followers who believe in what I do and encourage my growth as a performer. It’s very humbling and I’m so grateful for that, means the world to me.

7

You can keep up to date with my music over at: Facebook: /calruddy Twitter: @Cal_Ruddy Instagram: calruddy Soundcloud: /calsmusicfeed Upcoming Gigs: May 13th- Studio 2,Liverpool Supporting Isaac Gracie May 19th-Arts Club,Liverpool Supporting Emma Pollock May 21st-Grosvenor Ballroom,Wallasey, Yes We CAMHS Fundraiser Event PHOTOGRAPHER: JAMIE EVANS

8

with CAL RUDDY What make was your first guitar and what was the first song you learnt on it?

My first guitar was a Farida acoustic bought for me by my grandad when I was 15. The first song I learnt was Good Riddance ( Time Of Your Life) by Green Day. If you could have anyone sing one of your songs who would it be what song would they sing?

Oooh! That’s an interesting one! I’d love to hear a version of my song Confessions sung by Nick Cave as he’s a massive inspiration to me and my songwriting!

Is there one particular song you wouldn’t tire of playing?

To be fair most of the songs from my EP: How To Rewind Life are pretty exciting to play but to narrow it down I’d say Limbo would be a tune I’d never really get tired of playing! It always goes down really well in a live setting, That’s definitely staying in the setlist for the foreseeable future haha!

What is your favourite chord sequence and what song is it from?

I really love the chord progression from One by U2!

That Am/D/Fmaj7/G progression is really simple but it works so well, which just goes to show that you can write great songs with simple chords! You don’t really need to make a chord sequence complex for it to sound good!

5. If you could play in any band, worldwide, which would you pick and why?

I’m so happy with what I’m doing right now that I wouldn’t change anything at all, I take influence from other artists of course but I love what I’m doing at the moment with my songwriting and live performances.

6. Who is/was your greatest musical influence and why?

My greatest musical influence is probably Richard Ashcroft from The Verve, the strength of his songwriting and the rich tonal qualities of his voice have really inspired me to be more emotive with my singing and with my songwriting in general!

I’m always covering a Verve tune at gigs haha! Absolute genius!

9

NIGHT WHISPERS

MARC KENNY Every Friday Cavern Club 6pm - 8pm

CATCH US IN MAY AT THE FOLLOWING VENUES: 1st May Saughall Pub 6th May The Armchair, Moreton 7th May The Ship Inn, Hoylake 13th May The Bears Paw, Frodsham 14th May Farmers Arms, Moreton 28th May The Swallows Nest, Conwy

8th & 22rd MAY CAVERN CLUB 2pm (PAPERBACK WRITERS) 13th MAY CAVERN PUB 10pm (BAND) 21st MAY TITANIC HOTEL 9pm 27th MAY LFC EURO SHOW - LUTON 28th MAY WE LUV FESTIVAL

Full gig listings and all enquiries www.marckenny.co.uk Available Solo or Band Weddings & Corporate Party bookings

nightwhispersband.com

Tw: @nightwhispers4 FB: nightwhispersband

Buy or download new single whatsitlikeinliverpool.com

Supporting local, live, music Find us on Facebook: /liverpoolbandspage

10

IN CAHOOTS GIGS IN MAY

Sunday May 1st is ‘Larks In The Park’ at Central Park Walled Garden from 12 6pm. (In Cahoots on at 2pm).

Saturday 14th May at The Corner, was Tallulahs, New Brighton from 9 - 11pm.

For Booking enquiries contact Danny on 07780835618 or Tequiladuo@yahoo.co.uk

For details of where Tequila are performing add them on social media Facebook.com/ tequilawirral and @tequiladuo on Twitter.

In Cahoots are a unique five piece band covering almost every genre of music from contemporary pop to soul, easy listening to R&B, rock, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and stomping Irish tunes!

Something for everyone!

Available for pubs, weddings and special occasions.

Contact: 07854571991 or 07740972229 Facebook: /InCahoots

indigo moon Indigo Moon formed in Liverpool as only observers to the local music scene, and what was seen was an opportunity to create modern psychedelia tailored to the 21st century portrait of their

new found city. Progressive, dynamic rhythm is soaked in washes of hazy ambience and fierce, soulful vocals, interrupted only by aggressive hooks and triggerhappy riffs.

11

Contact the band:

www.facebook.com/IndigoMoonOfficial twitter.com/indigomoonmusic

@indigomoonofficial - Instagram

indigomoonofficial@gmail.com - email soundcloud.com/indigomoonmusic

They have found that gigging relentlessly for the past few months in Liverpool has worked in their favour so they are planning to release new tracks over summer then hit the September - December gig season even harder - hopefully kicking things off with a mini tour.

Their plans for summer include playing some acoustic festivals, filming some live lounge sessions as well as working on a music video.

One of our aspirations for the next gig season is to team up with other

12

well known psych bands and put on their own nights as well as host an EP launch in a local venue.

and wash over you in a haze of rhythmic psychedelia, whilst keeping one foot firmly in its roots of Blues and Soul” Fred Perry Subculture

Their place amongst the plethora of innovative Mersey artistes is being eagerly eyed.

“Filthy psychedelic rock monsters Indigo Moon combine a wide range of influences into their signature sound. Expect power, fuzz and soaring vocals.” Monster Sound Collective

“Nailing them down to any specific style is disrespectful, the often ambiguous nature of their instrumental jerks keeps you on your toes in ways that only their sound can. Luscious groover ‘Running Circles’ brings things down a notch from the punchier, guitarled sound of previous EP snippet ‘Uncertain’ and is another bow to Indigo Moon’s creative variety.” Jake Marley (Getintothis)

“Progressive neo-psych music here, soulful soaring vocals stand out

13

JADE

STANLEYS CASK

TREMARCO and

WALLASEY T: 01516911093 Facebook: Stanleys Cask Five Cask Ales

GLYN

Every Tuesday QUIZ NIGHT 9.30pm Sky Sports, BT Sports

WILLIAMS are

All Friday and Saturday gigs are 9.30pm Sunday 6.30pm

GLADE

Sunday 1st May SWAMPDOG MILLIONAIRES

Sunday 1

JADE TREMARCO

Pinch, Liverpool 2-4pm

Friday 6th INSANITY BEACH

Friday 6

GLADE

Oxton Bar & Kitchen 9.30-11pm

Saturday 7th FREAK OUT!

Saturday 7

GLADE

Sunday 8th THE PHILOSOPHERS

The Willows, Saughall 9pm

Friday 13th THE EXILES

JADE TREMARCO

Friday 13 Argyle Ale House, Birkenhead 9-11pm

Saturday 14th CIRCUS FREAK

Sunday 15

GLADE

Sunday 15th THE SPACE CADETS

The Ship, Hoylake 9-11pm

Friday 20th YUE WHO

JADE TREMARCO

Thursday 19 Tanks Bar, St. Helens 9.45pm

Saturday 21st THE SWILLERS

Saturday 21

GLADE

Oxton Bar & Kitchen 9.30-11pm

Sunday 22nd MULE TRAIN Friday 27th THE BITE

Oxton Bar & Kitchen 9-11pm

Saturday 28th GROUNDHOG

VESBIM FLOYD

Sunday 29th XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES Every Tuesday RECKLESS ELBOW at 9pm

14

Thursday 26

JADE TREMARCO Friday 27

e

Lechlade Festival 9pm tickets Sunday 29

JADE TREMARCO

Rocks, Liscard 6-8pm

TO BOOK: 07983208887

Richie Noonan CD Review | Rivercityology by Gerry Ffrench For fans of live music in the Merseyside area and beyond, the name of Gerry Ffrench is one that needs little or no introduction.

With frequent appearances at local folk clubs, festivals and prestige venues such as New Brighton Floral Hall and beyond she has now established herself as not only a highly accomplished performer but also as a songwriter of considerable quality. Having witnessed a number of her solo gigs, and taking in a number of her outings with other musicians, I looked forward to her debut CD with great anticipation.

Recorded locally at the Lem Mellor-run Angel Valve studios in Birkenhead, apart from one traditional Irish song My Laggan Love, ‘Rivercityology’ is an impressive collection of self –penned songs that bear testimony to Gerry’s songwriting skills and lyrical prowess. In terms of the recording itself, Gerry sang lead vocals on all tracks while also playing a selection of instruments including acoustic guitars, banjo, penny whistle and bodhran. On a number of tracks she was ably supported by Rose Sims on fiddle, Vlad Brown on accordion and Lem Mellor on bass and octave mandola.

The recording was engineered by Lem Mellor.

As a product, the CD is exceptionally well presented with comprehensive sleeve notes and background information as to the inspiration behind each of the songs. The sleeve photography is by Karen Richards.

Conceptually, the album is a beautifully cohesive collection of songs that have as their dual central themes the formative aspects of Liverpool waterfront and dockside life from days gone by and also the Great War of 1914-18. Where Gerry succeeds magnificently is in not only her ability to capture, via her wistful lyrics and

haunting melodic phrases, the vagaries and hardships of Liverpool life and the working conditions prevalent at the time, but also to convey an often-heartbreakingly poignant insight into the personal suffering that many Liverpool residents and dockworkers alike had to endure.

The album opens with The River Song, a track with an underlying message of hope and optimism that is carried along by a beautifully crafted melodic line. This is followed by an insight into the Great War, with the track The Calm Before The Storm. While this was written, as Gerry alludes to in her sleeve notes, on the sixtieth anniversary of the event, the passing of the years has done nothing to dim or diminish its powerful sentiment. The companion piece to this track, The Liverpool Irish, is also presented here and both songs complement each other superbly. These themes of the Great War and Liverpool life are continued throughout the album on the remaining tracks. With consummate skill, Gerry’s innate ability to convey and enhance the message of her work with an often-heartbreakingly personal view while simultaneously keeping the attentive listener focused on the essence of the song is, for this reviewer, a skill attained by only a select few writers.

In terms of musical performances on this album, the overall impression is one of an exceptional songwriter and performer showcasing her work magnificently. Entirely befitting to the themes explored, the recording sees Gerry opting for a tightly arranged production that showcases her work very well. Her vocal delivery throughout is flawless while her consummate guitar and banjo work is a delight. Overall, this is an excellent body of work and comes highly recommended.

Website: GerryFfrench.com Twitter: @GerryFrench Facebook: /Gerry-French-Folk-Singer

15

The Fireflys are a UK-Americana/Alternative band from Runcorn, North-West England.

Based on the songwriting of Singer/Guitarist Lee Wylding, the bands line up is completed by Bassist Sam Bramhall, Piano player Chris Tann and Drummer Andie Packer.

Marking the beginning of a new generation of UK Americana/alternative guitar bands, The Fireflys are indebted sonically to the likes of Neil Young and Tom Petty, to more recently R.E.M. and City & Colour.

Fireworks Magazine has labelled them “The UK’s answer to Counting Crows”, whilst Mike Peters of The Alarm recently said on live TV that the band “are a good mix of REM and The Gin Blossoms”.

After the cult success of “Embers Of The Autumn”, The Fireflys 4th LP “The Illumination Of Everything” was released in April 2016 and will be distributed through Townsend Stores (The Who, Noel Gallagher) on the Canadia Records label.

Three singles have already been lifted from the album “Release/Repeat, Branches & Illumination”, and have enjoyed airplay on BBC Radio, Old Trafford Stadium, MUTV, Bay TV Liverpool and many other various stations, with each single peaking at #1 on the Amazon charts and top 10 on the iTunes Country & Alternative charts respectively. The band tour the uk this April.

OUT NOW!

16

Website: thefireflys.co.uk Twitter: @thefireflys Soundcloud: the-fireflys Facebook: /thefireflys Reverbnation: /TheFireflys

17

Re-introducing...

STANLEY'S 83 SEAVIEW RD, WALLASEY CH45 4LE

Doug Abraham Liverpool based singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Abraham has been performing for over fifteen years as a professional in one capacity or another. He has toured and recorded with various bands, the main one being Free Parking of which he was a member for six years.

“I did the instrumental thing for a while, then it was the funkrock inspired Free Parking gig and in recent years it’s been all hands to the deck with the solo stuff.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

FEATURING TOP LOCAL BANDS EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT

MAY BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL SATURDAY 30TH APRIL TELEGRAPH ROAD SUNDAY 1ST MAY MAD MEN

SATURDAY 7TH MAY GRAY WHITFIELD

SATURDAY 14TH MAY GADDO

SATURDAY 21ST PAUL GEE

SATURDAY 28TH MAY JEDI

WE ARE BACK, FULLY REFURBISHED AND UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP 18

“The one constant throughout however has been the song writing. Whatever I’ve done, i’ve been the songwriter so I’m fortunate in that respect because at the end of the day the song is what it’s all about”.

Doug has recently completed his latest opus ‘Better Late Than…’ Initially involved in the project was legendary Cream / Jack Bruce writer / arranger Pete Brown (Sunshine Of Your Love, I Feel Free etc.).

“I’d been working on the solo stuff for a few years so I had a whole bunch of tunes to let him hear, Pete picked the songs he liked the best, we fine tuned them and then I went into the studio to record them.”

Shortly after these tracks were recorded Doug’s Focal Dystonia, a condition which he developed three years earlier but was able to keep in check, deteriorated to the extent that he was unable to play at all and was forced to put his career on hold. While still able to maintain his vocal chops he spent the next five years attempting to cure himself of FD. “I put a hell of a lot of effort in but ultimately it didn’t happen so I’ve had to force myself into a different mindset, which is basically focusing on what you can do and not on what you can’t.”

The result of this new mindset is the new album “Better Late Than…” featuring some of the top players on the circuit today; Paul Waltham and Wayne Proctor on drums, Dave Hadley, Ray and Paul O’Shaughnessy on bass and Paddy Milner on keys, coupled with an eclectic list of influences.

It’s certainly a varied listen, but as Doug says himself he never lets you forget that the song is indeed king. website: www.dougabraham.co.uk Email: dougtable@googlemail.com Tel: 07971 907 975

Raising funds for Liverpool Cathedral’s 24 for 2024 appeal

GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH Sat 25th June 2016 | 7.30pm - 11pm Tickets £24 www.cathedralshop.com or 0151 702 7255

ELVIS Multi award winner Gordon Hendricks is

In addition to his recording success, Gordon has recently completed a sell out run of UK theatres including the O2 with his ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ replication concert and is currently touring with his ‘Spirit of Elvis’ show to packed houses and standing ovations. He will be backed by a talented five piece band and there will be backing vocals from Liverpool’s own - The Passionettes - Dionne Moss and Louise Hartley.

Dionne and Louise who have been working together since graduating from Liverpool in Drama & Theatre studies and started backing Elvis tributes after being spotted in a club singing when they were asked to back Tony Crane & The Merseybeats in a one off show. This lead to them being asked to become resident backing singers for the European Championships for several years. In 2008, they were asked to perform with Shawn Klush, and it was here that they met and worked with Gordon for the first time.

The partnership with him was something special - it was an instant connection that developed into a great friendship and they have been working with him closely ever since. It was around the same time that they first worked with James Burton, Elvis Presley’s very own guitarist, when he was flown in to perform at the Wirral Guitar festival. The event was hugely successful and the girls became regular fixtures whenever James was brought over each year.

The associate organist, Daniel Bishop has also kindly agreed to play the 2001 theme on the Cathedral organ (largest in the UK).

The Cathedral is a hugely iconic building and a draw for tourists from all over the world and has proved a great source of support and comfort over the years. Liverpool Cathedral (the biggest in the UK and 5th biggest in the world) has enormous running costs and as a hugely important building and house of worship, needs regular work to maintain the building and keep it in good repair. People may be surprised to discover that Liverpool Cathedral and in fact Cathedrals across the country do not receive any Government funding so they have to sustain themselves in terms of every day operational costs and maintaining the building itself. Liverpool Cathedral have currently have launched a fundraising appeal entitled 24 for 2024, the aim of which is to raise £24 million by the year 2024 for the upkeep and maintenance of the building and to develop educational outreach projects. The front line artistes, Gordon, Dionne & Louise are all doing this event free of charge to raise maximum funds. We also have on board the services of Simon Grainger of GS ProAudio, a Wirral based audio visual specialist who is donating his own time and resources free of charge - which is a massive help to the cause! All profits after expenses go direct to support the 24 for 2024 appeal.

SHOW PERFORMED AT THE CATHEDRAL ST. JAMES MOUNT, LIVERPOOL L1 7AZ

19

amy chalmers

There’s a lot on in Merseyside this May. Here are my top concert tips for this month…

Amy is a violinist and vocalist who works with a variety of acts that play folk, country, pop and classical music.

She is currently writing and recording an album with her acoustic duo.

She also works in music education on the Wirral.

@AmyVChalmers

1. “Pleasure” by Mark Simpson, starring Lesley Garrett @ Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool. 7.30pm, Wednesday 4th May. This new chamber opera tells the story of Val, who works as a toilet attendant in “Pleasure”, a hedonistic gay club in the north of England, presided over by a Bacchanalian drag queen. It’s exciting to see brand new classical music being given a platform in the Playhouse.

2. A Gala Concert to Celebrate H.M. The Queen’s 90th Birthday @ St.George’s Hall, Liverpool. 2.30pm, Sunday 15th May. This fabulous concert features Northop Silver Band, Haydock Male Voice Choir and Stephanie Guidera.

3. Nigel Kennedy @ Philharmonic, Liverpool. Tuesday 17th May. An evening of music from this world-renowned violinist. As a young violin player, I was greatly inspired by both Nigel’s talent and his down-to-earth attitude. He made classical music accessible to all. No doubt this will be a wonderful evening of entertainment

4. Russell Watson @ Floral Pavillion, New Brighton. 7.30pm, Friday 20th May. I went to see Russell perform several years ago, when he was backed by the wonderful Sense of Sound choir in Llandudno. He’s a real pleasure to watch; a true pro and a born entertainer.

5. Bohemian Night with the Liverpool String Quartet @ Nordic Church, Liverpool. 7.30pm, 28th May. My favourite quartet in my favourite venue! The Liverpool String Quartet performs Smetana String Quartet No. 1 and Dvorak’s String Quintet No. 2 in G major Opus 77. They are joined by Spanish former principal RLPO Double Bass player, Damian Rubido Gonzalez. You can book tickets through their website – www.liverpoolstringquartet.com

My month will include….

Playing fiddle with country band Wire County at the Whitby Club, Ellesmere Port on 4th May and at the Hobo’s Retreat, Heywood on 19th May. Playing Irish tunes and drinking Guinness with “Tony Q & The Twocans” on 8th and 22nd May in Shenanigans, and Friday 20th in the Irish House, Liverpool.

Gigging and promoting the new “Two Black Sheep” single (see www.twoblacksheep. co.uk) at the Acoustic Lounge in Poynton on 12th May. The single is called “Be Mine” and is available on iTunes and Google Play now. All proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK. We’re

20

also going to be spending every spare second at Whitby Studios this month trying to get the album finished. Info about this coming soon…!

Watching “Footloose” at the Liverpool Empire on 13th May. Can’t wait!

Backing Britain’s Got Talent stars “Richard and Adam” at the Marina Theatre, Lowestoft on 21st May.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Will Bracken

Last month….

April was AMAZING!! I managed to attend two of the best concerts I have seen in a long while.

Firstly, I was lucky enough to watch Robert Vincent at the Epstein Theatre. Backed by a magnificent band, Robert’s voice and songs were simply beautiful. He was just back from Nashville, where I can imagine he fits right in. He’s a regular at Thornton Hough Village Club, so I suggest you catch him locally while you still can. I expect he’s destined for great things... Also on the bill was the lovely Frankie Davies (a talented LIPA graduate) and Rosenblume (another superb country act with great, catchy tunes). All the artists were on top form, and managed to keep a Liverpool crowd focused on the music, even when LFC were down the road performing the greatest comeback of all time against Dortmund…!

I caught up with rising star Will, a piano soloist with an exciting future ahead, to find out about what he’s up to at the moment…

Tell us a little bit about what you’re doing at the moment.

I attend the junior department of the Royal Northern College of Music where I go to study joint first study classical and jazz piano.

I am also on a scholarship with concert pianist Richard Meyrick which involves me traveling to London for lessons every month all expenses paid.

You must have to work really hard! What inspires you to keep practising?

I practice piano most days for up to 7 or 8 hours – it’s the only way I can keep up with the continually increasing workload! Currently I am preparing for an international piano competition in Wales and a potential piano competition in Ettlingen in Germany this summer, plus preparing for recitals in the coming months. I never get bored though, it has become almost routine, even though I enjoy every second of it. My teachers and personal goal of becoming a concert pianist never cease to inspire me to practice, along with going to hear as many pianists as I can. I am in a very fortunate situation being able to acquire tickets to Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra concerts because my parents are both cellists there. I also love to tackle greatly challenging pieces to make good use of my physical energy as a young person, as I have been advised to by many pianists I have played to!

So what have you got coming up?

I am very excited to announce that I will be performing the notorious 3rd piano concerto by Rachmaninov next year in the Royal Liverpool philharmonic hall with the Crosby Symphony Orchestra. Two lunchtime recitals in the summer I have coming up are one in Hoylake on the 27th of June and at the Williamson art gallery in Birkenhead on the 3rd of July; please come along!

My second April concert was one I mentioned in last month’s column; watching critically acclaimed folk act Bellowhead at the Liverpool Philharmonic on their last ever tour. It was a bittersweet night, full of joy, dancing, singing and then a little bit of sadness as they concluded their second encore of the night and said their final goodbyes. I’ve seen this band four times now, and am always amazed by both their energy and virtuosity. The fiddle players are of particular interest to me of course – perhaps I too will one day be able to play complex folk tunes on the violin whilst pogoing up and down…? (But probably not!) Thank you Bellowhead for the music and the great times. Here’s hoping for a reunion tour in the not-toodistant future.

I certainly will! Finally, I heard a rumour that you will be appearing on television in the near future… Tell me about that.

Most recently I accompanied my colleague from the junior RNCM Andrew Woolcock in the BBC Young Musician percussion final, which was televised in April, and the semi-final will be televised on the 7th of May on BBC4. We play a piece called Piazonore by Alexej Gerassimez for piano and vibraphone. I had a fantastic time and it was fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes in the television world!

Best of luck for the future, Will. We’ll be watching your career with interest.

21

RETURNING SOON To

The Olde Red Lion The closest tribute to

THE AMAZING

THURSDAY 26th MAY

Tickets Available NOW !!! £7.50 22

APRIL GIG LISTINGS SUNDAY 1ST SPEAKEASY BOOTLEG BAND FRIDAY 6TH LOCAL LADS MAKE GOOD SATURDAY 7TH SPACE CADETS SUNDAY 8TH DANSETTE ALLIGATORS THURSDAY 12TH JOKE CLUB COMEDY NIGHT (TICKETS £5)

FRIDAY 13TH DR STRANGELOVE

THURSDAY 26TH DIZZY LIZZY

SATURDAY 14TH SWEET BABY JANE

FRIDAY 27TH STRIDER

SUNDAY 15TH SWAMPDOG MILLIONAIRES

SATURDAY 28TH FIREFLY

FRIDAY 20TH FREAKOUT DISCO BAND

SUNDAY 29TH INSANITY BEACH

SATURDAY 21ST THE VINYLS SUNDAY 22ND TBA

onday Every M

The Olde Red Lion, 307 Chester Road, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port CH66 1QQ

0151 339 2496 23

9 MATHEW STREET LIVERPOOL L26RE 9 MATHEW STREET LIVERPOOL L26RE

LIVERPOOL’S BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE LIVERPOOL’S BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE LIVE MUSIC 7 NIGHTS A WEEK TILL LATE FREE ENTRY LIVE FREE MUSICSHOTS 7 NIGHTS A WEEK TILLPROMOTIONS LATE FREE ENTRY AND DRINKS

FREE SHOTS PROMOTIONS SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 9PM AND TILLDRINKS 2AM FRIDAY & SATURDAY 7PM TILL 3AM SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY 9PM TILL 2AM FRIDAY & SATURDAY 7PM TILL 3AM

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHTOUR OUR HOUSE BAND EVERY FRIDAY&&SATURDAY SATURDAY NIGHT HOUSE BAND IS IS “CHICKEN FEATURINGETHAN ETHAN ALLEN “CHICKENFRIED" FRIED" FEATURING ALLEN FROM 11PM FROM 11PMTILL TILL3AM 3AM

THE ONLYVENUE VENUE WHERE WHERE THE STOPS THE ONLY THEMUSIC MUSICNEVER NEVER STOPS

DAVE DUTTON

DAVE DUTTON

KARL SWEENEY

KARL SWEENEY

BARRY BRIERCLIFFE

JESSE EIGEN

PETER AARON

CAL WILLIAMS

CAL WILLIAMS

24

alex mcgrath Tales from the Frontline May 2016

Alex forms one half of the duo Rigsby’s Cat, that’s Rigsby’s Cat. Steve Lloyd and Alex have been performing on the Merseyside circuit since their teenage years and are well respected both on and off the stage.

Alex has a out-andout quality, stadium rock voice and Steve is the technical guru of the guitar. Together they are magical and extremley funny. A must see.

I’d like to address a serious matter this month.

It’s something you may have been told about, witnessed firsthand or even be one of those unfortunate ones who suffer from, and not in silence I might add, on a regular basis. (At this point I could name names but you already know who you are.) To say that the people who have this are the ones who suffer is not strictly true.

It’s really the people around them and especially the poor musicians, to which the effects of this affliction can be quite devastating, are the ones who truly suffer. There are no “A-list” celebrity-driven campaigns to raise awareness, accompanied by the obligatory 44 Ultra Marathons in a week or swimming the Atlantic with one hand tied behind their back or even walking to the shop in pyjamas to buy energy drink and crisps style fund raisers. There are no soft focus TV ads with a bunch of unknown actors (who probably have done tons of extra work, maybe some local provincial theatre work “darling”, and regard this as their break into the “big-time” not realising they will never work again because they will always be associated with this) trying to look sorrowful or concerned when their loved one/family member/friend is diagnosed or lost to this disorder. There are no “just-giving pages” or plastic bags, to put clothes in, being posted through your door. There isn’t (and this one surprises me) a Facebook page or online forum/ blog spot to inform, educate or bring sufferers together.

Well it’s about time this was brought out from under the rock ‘n’ roll it’s been hiding under and is shown the light of day. “JUKEBOX TOURETTES”! Yes, you read that right, Jukebox Tourettes. What on earth could this be I hear you collectively ask? It’s a condition that has been around for as long as the Heckle but has only recently been diagnosed as a separate issue.

There are two main types of J.T. sufferers (by J.T. I mean Jukebox Tourettes...if you didn’t get that

then don’t worry, there are some pretty pictures on the next page).

Firstly there are the “Randoms”! These are the punters who shout out random song titles at regular intervals throughout the show. (See what I did there? I don’t just write these after a bottle of wine the night before it has to go to print you know...ok maybe I do...but that’s not the point... now where were we...oh yes I remember). A lot of the time they have no relevance to the type of music you are playing. They don’t even care if you know the songs or not. Not totally sure what song they want, they uncontrollably blurt out whatever song comes into their tiny minds at that exact moment in time. Try as you might, there is no real sure fire way to deal with strain of The Talking Dead. As amusing as it may seem at first, trust me, it can and will only get worse! After the first few episodes and trying to laugh it off and engage in witty banter, there is only one solution and that is a great big dose of “IGNORE”. While it may not cure the problem, it will lessen the symptoms over time.

Secondly there are the “OTM’s” or “One Track Minds”. These singularly thought driven obsessives will only shout for one song or one artist and it doesn’t matter how many times you say don’t play it, they still insist on asking for it. Here is a sample conversation that can be heard at many a gig.

“Eh lad, have you got (insert band/song here)?”

“No sorry we don’t do that one.” Band member politely replies.

“Yes you do, everyone knows it!”

“No we really don’t know that one.”

“Yes you do.”

“NO we don’t!” At this point, unless you can break the cycle and distance yourself, two possible things could happen. This can go back and forth ad nauseam or they will start singing it to you (usually very badly) in the hope that it will trigger something in your brain. It will trigger something, either the urge to straighten your arm in a rapid motion at about head height or, and this is my preferred method, SARCASM! It may not be the universal cure all or “moron repellent” but it will make you feel morally and mentally superior and hopefully immunise the crowd from further re-occurrence. An example would be: “Sorry, we don’t do that one.

We didn’t do it when you asked before and we still won’t do it when you ask again in ten minutes or after the break when you are even more pissed. We are not Bill and flipping Ted, we don’t have a time machine and if you don’t get the reference then I suggest you go and watch the film, preferably the next time we are playing so you won’t keep asking for stuff we don’t do!”

So if you are a sufferer then spare a thought for your friends and the band you are watching and take a very large dose of SHUT THE F**K UP before you go out.

Have a safe journey home!

Alex

25

with ROSIE MUNDY 1. What make was your first guitar and what was the first song you learnt to play on it?

Terada Guitar. Japanese I think. Jumbo size, lovely sound.

2. If you could have anyone sing one of your songs who would it be and what song would they sing?

I always loved Freddie Mercury. I would have loved to hear him sing STORMY WEATHER. Otherwise, I would love to hear Bonnie Raitt singing NO VACATION FROM THE BLUES, (which is now sung by Travis Tritt ).

3. Is there one particular song that you would never tire of playing?

The song I will never get tired of singing is DINAH. I think the first time I heard it , it was sung by Fats Waller. One of the first records I got when I was young was Fats Waller singing WHEN SOMEBODY THINKS YOU’RE WONDERFUL, and DINAH was on the B side. I started singing this song in about 1985, but I didn’t know the introduction until I got a recording of Ethel Waters singing it about ten years ago.

4. What is your favourite chord sequence and what song is it from?

It is from “ AM I BLUE “ and the chord sequence is on the words “Ain’t these tears in my eyes telling you? “G...C A7 D7 G7 C....G 5. If you could play in any band, worldwide, which would you pick and why?

The band I would most like to sing and play with is ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. I love Western Swing more than any other music. I love Bob Wills and his band, and The Wheels do quite a lot of his music. I find the music is exciting, toe-tapping and makes people want to dance. It is mostly happy music.

6. Who is/was your greatest musical influence and why?

My greatest influences go back to before I was born.

For 1920s music, I love Annette Hanshaw, for Blues I love Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. I also listened a lot to Al Bowlly who was one of the first crooners.

Bessie Smith is well known for the “double entendre “ (double meaning ) in her songs, and I like to bring a bit of comedy into my music.

26

Unit 17 Westminster Industrial Park, Ellesmere Port, CH65 3DU

PA AVAILABLE OPEN ALL WEEK 8AM -11PM RATES £6 P/H FOR ROOM ONLY £8 P/H WITH PA

DAYTIME NO. 07971389655 EVENING NO 07876 594720

BIRKENHEAD 3 TOP ‘FAKE BANDS’ HEADLINE:

TRIBUTE: FLASH

TRIBUTE:

OASISH

TRIBUTE: KINGS OF LYON

+ 5 LOCAL SUPPORT BANDS: DR STRANGELOVE,PROBLEM CHILD, THE CLAN, THE HAVOCS, TABLE 73

SAT 09 JUL 2016 12.3011.00PM  BIRKENHEAD PARK INSIDE GIANT MARQUEE  INFO/TICKETS: www.fakefestivals.co.uk

27

BIRKENHEAD FAKE FESTIVAL SAT 09 JULY 2016 | 12.30 - 11PM BIRKENHEAD PARK | www.fakefestival.co.uk The UK’s only touring tribute festival is coming to the Wirral for the first time this summer, and is celebrating its 10th anniversary. All the fun kicks off at Birkenhead Park on Saturday, 9th July, with five local support bands hitting the marquee stage from 12:30 onwards.

Birkenhead Fake Festival is a brand new date on the Fake Festivals tour, and licensees Gary Hunt and George Thomas are excited to be part of it.

“I decided to become involved after attending a festival and seeing people having such a great time,” explains Gary. “I imagined developing a new event in a new area as fun and exciting.”

“We’ve been amazed with the response from all areas of the Wirral since bringing the tour to Birkenhead. It’s got people talking and has brought an air of excitement to the whole area. Birkenhead has a great community spirit, and the event will encourage people to get together and meet friends they may not have seen for years.”

The 10th anniversary celebrations will be going on all day and night. The festival will take place inside a massive marquee, ensuring everyone is protected from the elements of the British weather.

There will be the main bar inside the marquee and a variety of food

TRIBUTE BAND INFORMATION Kings of Lyon are widely acclaimed as the most authentic tribute to the original band. Having featured on Channel 5, Q Magazine and the NME, the band have played shows worldwide from Dubai to Belfast.

The band play an untouchable, exciting live set encompassing all the hits and fans’ favourites from Kings of Leon’s last five albums.

Oasish have fine tuned their show so much so, that fans are now hailing them as being better than the real thing. Unlike other Oasis tributes, Oasish are a full 5 piece band and also play every single song note for note as it is on all of the albums. They have the look, the sound and most of all the ability to make any venue rock to the sounds of one of the most influential bands in history.

28

and entertainment stalls within the outside arena will ensure a true festival atmosphere.

“We hope that by holding the Festival at Birkenhead, we can create an annual live music event that is suitable for all ages and families, and that will benefit the whole community,” continues George.

“It will give the Wirral a chance to experience a live, outside festival atmosphere with music from some of the top tribute bands in the UK.” 2016 will see world-class tributes to Queen, Oasis and Kings of Leon hit the stage, along with five local support bands.

“Fake Festivals is pretty well represented in the north of the UK, but the Wirral seemed to represent a gap in the market, hence why we chose to put a festival on for the local community. We hope everyone will embrace it, and come along and have a great day.”

Our well maintained, clean toilets and a highly experienced security team provide the comfort and peace of mind to ensure that the day can be enjoyed by both the young and more senior members of the Wirral communities.

FLASH are widely regarded as the UK’s most authentic live QUEEN tribute act.

Our headline act have worked with some of the World’s leading brands, including: Hard Rock Café, Chevron Texaco, Mercedes Benz, Ford, Visa and are still the only Queen tribute band used by Harley Davidson, Europe.

Flash were also the band chosen to perform on BBC Television’s primetime programme ‘The One and Only’ presented by Graham Norton.

When these guys hit the marquee stage you could almost convince yourself you were watching the real thing…

For more information and ticket sales, please visit www.fakefestivals.co.uk

SUPPORT BAND INFORMATION

FREE BAR DRINK Please have a drink on us!

Enter the festival before 2pm to receive a free drink token that can be exchanged for 1 bar drink or 2 soft drinks

A plethora of Wirral talent will be showcased throughout the afternoon commencing at 1:00pm with “Table 73”. This 5 piece Rock outfit hailing from West Kirby blend old school Classic Rock and Modern Punk riffs with an energy and vigour that keeps the audience captivated! With influences from AC/DC to Oasis, Green Day to Biffy Clyro, “Table 73” are guaranteed to blow the Festival crowd away!

Next in line are ‘The Havocs’. A young indie 4 piece from Liverpool. Influenced by The La’s, The Stone Roses and The Doors their style can be described as raw garage rock but with a jazz element seeping through giving them their unique sound. Already backed by Dr Martens the band are on the edge of big things in 2016.

The third mighty support act at the Birkenhead Fake Fest are ‘The Clan’. Formed by Birkenhead’s own Craig McDonald, the Clan’s stated aim is put the fun back into Live Rock. Influenced by bands such as Status Quo, ZZ Top, Slade and T.Rex; the Clan perform classic rock songs which will have the marquee crowd rocking and singing along...

The fourth support act to hit the marquee stage are the amazing ‘Problem Child’. This 5 piece rock outfit hail from Ellesmere Port and play classics from the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Green Day, The Cult, Stereophonics AC/DC, Led Zepplin, Metallica and Feeder amongst others. Problem Child are not your average covers band, they’re as mad as a box of frogs and like to have fun and lots of it. With crowd involvement being a big part of their performance we can guarantee the audience will be bouncing and having a night to remember.

All of which leads us to our headline support band, who are the amazing...

‘Dr Strangelove’. Inspired by the classic rock trailblazers of the 70s & 80s Dr Strangelove smash out classic covers by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Prince, Eagles, Aerosmith & the Faces. This 5-piece outfit have carved themselves a niche, and strong following on the Merseyside music scene.

Dr Strangelove are guaranteed to wrap up an unforgettable afternoon of live music… before three of the UK’s major tribute acts to Queen, Oasis and Kings of Leon, turn up the heat for the evening session.

Discounted early bird tickets are already on sale until 9th June from the Fake Festivals website www.fakefestivals.co.uk and are priced as follows: Adult £16.50 Young Person (10-17 years) £9.00 Family (2 Adults, 2 Young Persons) £42.00 Under 10’s are FREE Tickets also available from: Co Operative Store, Mount Road, Tranmere, CH41 6RE Co Operative Store, Laird Road, Birkenhead, CH41 8EN Co Operative Store, Wallasey Village, CH45 3LE The Dee View Inn, Heswall, CH60 0DH Fake Festivals wish to express their gratitude to the above outlets for their support.

29

HEIDI

(Solo) Performing Modern Covers

Quality 4 piece vocal harmony group specialising in vintage Swing/ Jazz/ Big Band of 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

Available for weddings, private functions and parties Check us out on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ TheNightandDays or call

THE LAW OF THREE

Acoustic Trio Performing Modern Covers

For Bookings M: 07584 194497

E: heidi@thepurpleroom.com Facebook:/HeidiPurpleRoomWirral SoundCloud: /heidisingerwirral

07786 100258 for further details

BRIAN HARDMAN 07429590575 Every Tuesday The Tap, Charing Cross 6pm till late Every Thursday The Beerkeg, Liscard 10pm - 1am Check Facebook for updates

Marshall Hearts

BAR & GRILL at

OPEN M C NIGHT FREE ENTRY! Starts at 8pm.

Have you got talent? Come & show it off here.

Make sure you bring your family & friends to support you!

IVAN STAX

THURSDAYS ‘One free drink for every performer’.

T 0151 328 5690 | F 0151 327 4601 | W theocclub.co.uk 28 BRIDLE ROAD, BROMBOROUGH, WIRRAL, CH62 6AR

30

VOCAL ENTERTAINER BARRY WHITE NEIL DIAMOND AND LOTS MORE CONTACT 07758 639 273

ROCK, POP, MOTOWN & SOUL Pubs, Weddings, and Parties T: Mark Whiteley 07719454559 or Steve Lawson 07906246241 https://www.facebook. com/themarshallhearts/

FACTORY

Factory are a four piece British Rock and Roll band from Runcorn. Their main influences are from bands like The Doors, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, The Rolling Stones and The Libertines.

They have played countless gigs/festivals in and around Liverpool at venues like the Epstein Theatre, O2 Academy, The Cavern, as well as packing out pubs in their home town. Miguel Doforo, director of MD productions, claimed they were “The best act to come from the Liverpool area in a long time”, whilst Scruff of the Neck Records claimed they are “One of Merseyside’s most promising acts”.

Factory’s gigs have been described as “intense, energetic, passionate displays of raw rock and roll infusing 60’s blues with a modern rock edge”. They have a growing and notoriously loyal fan base that follow them in numbers all-over the country.

More recently, they recorded their debut ‘Tomorrow is Now EP’ at Parr Street Studios, and launched it at a sold out gig in Bumper (Liverpool). The EP was received incredibly well selling many copies and having great reviews. They are now looking to share their music with as many people as possible and do for others what their favourite bands did for them.

31

PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED After fronting the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed post-punk originators Public Image Ltd (PiL). Widely regarded as one of the most innovative bands of all time, their music and vision earned them five UK Top 20 Singles and five UK Top 20 Albums.

With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album ‘First Issue’ in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’, before a 17 year hiatus.

Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, releasing the critically acclaimed album ‘This is PiL’ in 2012. The band continues to challenge and thrive and released their 10th studio album ‘What The World Needs Now…’ in September 2015.

Following on from highly successful 2015 dates in UK, Europe and North America John Rotten Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (PiL) are pleased to announce a further UK/Europe summer tour kicking off in Valencia, Spain on Friday, May 6th (see below for all dates). Several of the 2015 dates were sold-out and regarded by many as the best performances the band have ever played.

The 22 date tour includes a return to London’s, Indigo at 02 on Saturday, June 4th (which PiL previously sold-out in December 2014). The tour takes in festival and club shows in Spain, Germany, Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine before heading to the UK on Tuesday, May 24th for a re-arranged show at Coventry, The Copper Rooms at Warwick University.

The band will also headline the Bearded Theory Festival in Walton-on-Trent on Saturday, May 28th and play shows in Wakefield, Wrexham, Cardiff, Sunderland, Lincoln, Blackburn, Oxford and Sheffield; as well as the previously mentioned Indigo at O2 show in London.

Last year the band released their 10th studio album ‘What The World Needs Now…’ which peaked at number 29 in the official UK album charts and picked up fantastic acclaim from both press and public.

(The album also peaked at number 3 in the official UK indie charts and number 4 in the official UK vinyl charts). ‘What The World Needs Now…’ was self-funded by PiL and released on their own label ‘PiL Official’ via Cargo UK Distribution.

Widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time, PiL’s music and vision earned them 5 UK Top 20 singles and 5 UK Top 20 albums. With a shifting line-up and unique sound, John Lydon guided the band from their debut album ‘First Issue’ in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’. After a 17 year hiatus, Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009 by taking them back on the road worldwide.

John Lydon, Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith continue as PiL. They are the longest stable lineup in the band’s history.

Public Image Ltd: John Lydon - After fronting the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed Public Image Ltd in 1978. Outside of PiL John has released several solo records and collaborations. He also brings quality TV to the masses and has recently released the autobiography ‘Anger is an Energy: My Life Uncensored’.

Lu Edmonds - Multi instrumentalist and former guitarist in The Damned, Lu joined PiL in 1986 recording and playing on the album ‘Happy?’ and co-writing the album ‘9’, adding yet another dimension to the PiL sound.

Bruce Smith - Drummer in The Pop Group and formerly of The Slits Bruce became percussionist for PiL in 1986 playing and recording on the albums ‘Happy?’ and ‘9’. Seen as a drumming virtuoso, Bruce brought his unique style into the fold.

Scott Firth - A bass player/multi instrumentalist that has collaborated and played with a variety of top musicians and bands including Steve Winwood, John Martyn and Elvis Costello.

For further information on PIL, check out the following website / social media links: Website - www.pilofficial.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/pilofficial You Tube - www.youtube.com/pilofficial Twitter - www.twitter.com/pilofficial @pilofficial Instagram - www.instagram.com/pilofficial

32

Above: (left to right) Lu Edmonds, John Lydon, Scott Firth, Bruce Smith (photo Tomohiro Noritsune) Š PiL Official 2015

33

christopher kelly This month I’d like to highlight, Caz Kraft’s Open Mic Night at The Stork Hotel, Birkenhead.

Chris Kelly, is one half of the duo, Tippin’ it Up, with his good friend of many years, John Marshall. They mostly play traditional music and song, but mixed in with contemporary and origional songs on a variety of instruments, including guitar, tenor guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, tenor banjo, bodhran and the human voice. /ChristopherKelly

It’s held every Thursday night in a small room with soft lighting which creates a wonderful atmosphere for the performers. The sound engineer is The Buz’s very own album reviewer, Richie Noonan who creates a great balance for all the musicians/singers.

Caz has occasional guests, but its mainly open to musicians/singers of all abilities. It’s worth a visit if you want to strut your stuff.

New addition this month...

Song of the Month is Follow me up to Carlow, written by Patrick J McCall.

In 1580 Fiach McHugh O’Byrne completely overthrew the forces of he crown at, The Pass of Glen Malure, County Wicklow. It’s been recorded by Planxty, Christy Moore, Jim McCann & many more.

Follow Me Up To Carlow Lift MacCahir Og your face,brooding o’er the past disgrace, that Black Fitzwilliam stormed your place and drove you to the Fern.

Grey said victory was sure,soon the firebrand he’d secure, until he met at Glen Malure Fiach MacHugh O’Byrne Chorus: Curse and swear Lord Kildare Fiach will do what Fiach wll dare. Now Fitz William have a care fallen is your star low. Up with halbert down with sword, on we go for by the Lord. Fiach MacHugh has given the word,follow up to Carlow.

See the swords at Glen Imayle flashing o’er the English Pale,see all the childres of the Gael beneath O’Byrnes banner.Rooster ofhe fighting stock,would you let a Saxon cock crow out upon an Irish rock,fly up and teach him manners.

Chorus: From Tassagart to Clonmore flows the stream of Saxon gore, oh great is Rory Og O’More sending loons to Hades. White is sick and Lane is fled,now for Black Fitzilliam’s head. we’ll send it over dripping red to Queen Liza and her ladies.

Chorus to end.

Folk Club Guest dates for May Sunday The Bothy Club, Souhport May 8th,Janet Russell, 22nd Clive Gregson, 29th Residents Night.

All other Sundays are singers nights.

Wallasey Folk & Acoustic Club Check website.

Wooden Horse Folk Club - The Junction,Rainford May 1st closed because of the Upton Festival also closed 29th, Bank Holiday, all other Sundays,singers nights.

Monday Folk at The Prospect, Runcorn May 9th Greg Russell, 23rd Bob Fox, All oher Mondays singers nights.

Mucky Duck, Ewloe, Flintshire May 2nd Timberwolf, all other Mondays are singers nights.

Tuesday Cornmarket Acoustic, Liverpool May 3rd Singers Night and Big Spot, C K for Mental Health Week.

Cross Keys, Llanfynydd May17th Finnan & Chrimes all other Tuesdays are singers nights.

Maghull Folk Club All Tuesdays are singers nghts during May. Wednesday The Everyman, The Cross Keys, Earle St. Liverpool Mostly singers nights

and occasional guests.

The Gild Hall, Church Road, Formby May 4th Time Ashore Thursday Formby Folk Club, Formby Sports & Social Club No programme available.

Hungry Horse, Ellesmere Port May 5th Big Spot with Iain Paterson, 12th Reg Meuross, All other Thursdays are singers nights.

Lymm Folk Club May12th Nelson Peach, 26th Big Spot with Sam and Tony, All other Thursdays singers nights.

Parkgate, Wirral May 26th, Ritchie, Parrish, Ritchie.

Friday Frodsham Folk Club May 6th Richard Grainger, All other Fridays are singers nights.

Liverpool Acoustic, View Two Gallery May 27th The Squirrel Hillbillies (USA) and James J Turner.

The Arts Centre, Ormskirk Tom Robinson-Home in the Morning Tour.

The Atkinson-Southport May 7th Dervish, 21st The Hut People The Brindley-Runcorn May 10th The Sounds of Simon, 14th Calan, 19th Gilmore & Roberts.

Looking forward into July, John Marshall and myself aka, Tippin’ it Up, are venturing into our first folk concert promotion. We have Eoin O’Brien and Conor O’Sullivan in concert @ Maghull Community Association, Green Lane, Maghull, home to Maghull Folk Club on Saturday 30th July.

Tickets are £6 for visitors & £5 for members, 8pm start. Available from Chris Kelly, chrstphkel@ gmail.com or 07570116115 or John Marshall, johnmarshall479@btinternet.com or 0151 546 9279. More details next month

34

12th WIRRAL FOLK FESTIVAL Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June 2016

THE WHITBY CLUB Dunkirk Road / Chester Lane, Ellesmere port, Cheshire, CH65 6QF

On site ~ Caravan & Camping ~ Real Ale ~ Good Food ~ Showers This all-on-one-site festival of folk music, dance and poetry will again be held in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire at the excellent Whitby Club, (formerly Whitby Sports and Social Club or better known by locals as The Shell Club).

It sits in its own grounds, a very large acreage of sports fields, on the outskirts of the town centre, 20 minutes drive away from the Roman city of Chester. The venue is located close to the M53 and M56 motorways.

The festival is now recognized as one of the very best in the region and attracts folk music and dance enthusiasts from all parts of the United Kingdom, even Europe.

Events will take place in the large single-storey main building that has excellent wheelchair access. The festival campsite will be located in the grounds.

The festival begins on the Thursday evening with a ‘Sing in the Festival’ concert in the beautiful Oak Room. A nice way for early arrivers to show off their talents and to find their feet. Admission is free on this night.

As usual the main attraction will be five main stage concerts that will take place in the large main concert hall on the evenings of the Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the afternoons of the Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s headline acts are - the internationally renowned folk singer/ songwriter - “RALPH McTELL” (Fri), whose song ‘Streets of London’ is legend. Other main stage headline acts will be -- HEIDI TALBOT (Sat), OYSTERBAND (Sat), JEZ LOWE & the BAD PENNIES (Sun), with the final concert on the Sunday evening featuring Scottish singer EDDI READER (MBE), formerly of the band Fairground Attraction. Everyone who enjoys pop songs should remember her iconic hit song ‘Perfect’. Eddi is also a perfectionist in the singing of songs by Robert Burns.

In addition, top class support acts appearing on the main stage will be Flossie Malavialle, Becky Mills, BarlowCree, Joe Topping, Granny’s Attic, Calico, Welcomme, Finnan & Chrimes, Two Coats Colder, Gerry Ffrench and Chris Bannister (a John Denver tribute act). Just over 100 performers in all.

The Festival Fringe programme is diverse and will include a - Craft Fair, Mini-concerts, ‘Chance to Meet’ artistes sessions, Workshops in songwriting, traditional tunes, guitar playing, ukulele, bodhran, whistle, watercolor painting and poetry. There will also be Singalongs, Singarounds, Open Mic sessions, an ‘F’ (folk) Factor Talent Showcase, Ukulele concerts and Morris dance displays / workshops. Many events on the fringe are free. It is entertainment for all the family to enjoy.

Full information can be found on the festival website at www.wirralfolkonthecoast.com and tickets can be purchased by ringing the Box Office – 0151-652-0734 or online at www.wegottickets.com Tickets can also be purchased personally at the Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton or on line at the agency - www.ticketswirral.co.uk General enquiries can be made by ringing - 0151-678-9902 or email: folksingerjohn@aol.com

35

Tuesday, May 17 The Cavern Pub

Wednesday, May 18 The Cavern Pub

Thursday, May 19 The Cavern Pub

Friday, May 20 The Cavern Pub

3:30 The Housekeeping Society 4:15 Garfield’s Birthday 5:00 mylittlebrother 5:45 Neweva 6:30 SHIRR 7:15 Tytania 8:00 Affairs 8:45 The Jackobins 9:30 Alice & The Lovers 10:15 Mike Badger and the Shady Trio 11:00 The Arrogants 11:45 The Transmitters

3:30 Kyle Parry 4:15 The Arcadeans 5:00 Twister 5:45 Cardinal Jack 6:30 Mondo Frowno 7:15 Olly Neasham 8:00 Luke Potter 8:45 The Grande 9:30 Tray Full of Poppies 10:15 Lovely 11:00 The Ragamuffins 11:45 Velettes

3:30 The LaFollette Sisters (Cait Brennan Tribute) 4:15 The Shudders 5:00 Loor A Los Heroes 5:45 King Mojo 6:30 The Expected 7:15 Thee Wylde Fuzz Show 8:00 The Lost 45s 8:45 Eldoradio 9:30 The Theme 10:15 Adorned 11:00 Sly Antics 11:45 TBA

12:15 The Silver Furs 1:00 Harvest Moon 1:45 Duncan Maitland 2:30 Sunshine Bloom 3:15 Jose Estragos Band 4:00 Gavin Mee 4:45 Spygenius 5:30 COMPLESSO GLI ILLUMINATI 6:15 Ruca Souza 7:00 Millie Courtney 7:45 Bob’s Yer Uncle 8:30 Jake Bolt 9:15 B-Leaguers 10:00 Scott Howells (of The Broken Vinyl Club) 10:45 The Breakdowns 11:30 The Blue Lenas 12:15 The Strawberries 1:00 Jekyll

The Cavern Club Front Stage 6:15 Evette Judge 7:00 Mike Badger and the Shady Trio 7:45 Garfield’s Birthday 8:30 The Transmitters 9:15 The Expected 10:00 Rogue Frequency 10:45 Joe Symes & The Loving Kind 11:30 Alice & The Lovers 12:15 The Arrogants The Cavern Club Back Stage 6:00 Luke Potter 6:45 The Corridors 7:30 mylittlebrother 8:15 The Housekeeping Society 9:00 The Armoires 9:45 Affairs 10:30 Tytania 11:15 Rogue Frequency 12:00 The Arcadeans Amazing Kappa

36

The Cavern Club Front Stage 6:15 Richard Batty 7:00 Cardinal Jack 7:45 Kyle Parry 8:30 Stacked Actors 9:15 The Corridors 10:00 The Jackobins 10:45 Velettes 11:30 Seeguls 12:15 Neweva The Cavern Club Back Stage 6:00 Millie Courtney 6:45 Evette Judge 7:30 Sue Hedges 8:15 The LaFollette Sisters (Cait Brennan Tribute) 9:00 SHIRR 9:45 The Ragamuffins 10:30 Twister 11:15 Eldoradio 12:00 Stacked Actors

The Cavern Club Front Stage 6:15 Fun of the Pier 7:00 Dave Lloyd (of The Suns) 7:45 Col Lewis 8:30 Tray Full of Poppies 9:15 Alison Green 10:00 Lovely 10:45 Thee Wylde Fuzz Show 11:30 The Lost 45s 12:15 Mondo Frowno The Cavern Club Back Stage 6:00 Harvest Moon 6:45 Alison Green 7:30 King Mojo 8:15 The Theme 9:00 Adorned 9:45 Mark Pountney 10:30 Spygenius 11:15 One Two DIE Four 12:00 Armchair Oracles

The Cavern Club Front Stage 12:00 Nigel Thomas 12:45 The Armoires 1:30 Armchair Oracles 2:00-6:00: Cavern Club tribute to Lennon & McCartney 6:15 Micah Gilbert 7:00 Toxic Melons 7:45 The Grande 8:30 Warm Morning Brothers 9:15 Bill Lloyd 10:00 COMLESSO GLI ILLUMINATI 10:45 The Strawberries 11:30 One Two DIE Four 12:15 Sunshine Bloom 1:00 Scott Howells (of The Broken Vinyl Club) 1:45 The Jeremy Band The Cavern Club Back Stage 12:30 Col Lewis 1:15 Richard Batty 2:00 Warm Morning Brothers 2:45 Micah Gilbert 3:30 The Silver Furs 4:15 Ruca Souza 5:00 The Amazing Kappa 5:45 The Blue Lenas 6:30 Jake Bolt 7:15 Nigel Thomas 8:00 The Shudders 8:45 Jekyll 9:30 Stray Mood 10:15 Steve Thompson & The Incidents 11:00 B-Leaguers 11:45 The Mayflowers 12:30 Serie B 1:15 The Breakdowns

THE CAVERN CLUB, LIVERPOOL MAY 17th - 24th www.cavernclub.org The purpose of International Pop Overthrow is two-fold: one aim is to give every worthy band who’d like to play their music in a festival atmosphere the chance to do so, and the other is to bring pop music the attention it so richly deserves. We have made great strides to that end, garnering press in several noteworthy papers and blogs in each city in which we hold the festival, and creating a very positive buzz about pop music within the independent music community. In addition, every artist who plays the festival feels as if they’re part of something fulfilling, being on bills with like-minded artists with whom they can bond, and playing in front of an audience who will “get” their music.

Saturday, May 21 The Cavern Pub

Sunday, May 22 The Cavern Pub

Monday, May 23 The Cavern Pub

Tuesday, May 24 The Cavern Pub

12:00 The Ratkellers 12:45 The Swagger 1:30 Serie B 2:15 The Junipers 3:00 Marco Rae 3:45 The Wellgreen 4:30 The Len Price 3 5:00-10:00pm: Regular Cavern Pub entertainment 10:00 Lannie Flowers 10:45 Hijinx 11:30 The Mayflowers 12:15 Stray Mood 1:00 Escapade

12:15 Las Annettes 1:00 Honeybug 1:45 The Blow Up 2:30 The Afternoons 3:15 Mark Britton 4:00 The Beat Movement 4:45 The Mourning After 5:30 Don Fardon 6:15 The Paper Trains 7:00 BUZZIE 7:45 Dlugokecki 8:30 Loopy 9:15 Cocktail Slippers 10:00 Hailee Rose 10:45 Sue Hedges 11:30 Dave Rave

3:30 The Mushroom Club 4:15 The Viewers 5:00 Joel Sarakula 5:45 Luke Gallagher 6:30 Deep Six 7:15 The Manics 8:00 The Rising 8:45 The Electric Stars 9:30 Captain Wilberforce 10:15 Silver Coast 11:00 The Jooles 11:45 The Recalls

3:30 The Shades 4:15 Rob Clarke & The Wooltones/Brown Bears 5:00 The Beautiful Art of Decay 5:45 The Newds 6:30 Steve Thompson & The Incidents 7:15 Junebug 8:00 Mark Pountney 8:45 Ash of Donkey Hot Pink, unplugged 9:30 Midland Railway 10:15 Reveller 11:00 Last Breath 11:45 The Bad Losers

The Cavern Club Front Stage 12:00 Jose Estragos Band 12:45 Bob’s Yer Uncle 1:30 Gavin Mee 2:00-6:00: Cavern Club tribute to Lennon & McCartney 6:15 Three Minute Hero 7:00 Marco Rae 7:45 Loor A Los Heroes 8:30 Las Annettes 9:15 Bebopalula The Cavern Club Back Stage 12:30 Lloyd & Daly 1:15 Fun of the Pier 2:00 Toxic Melons 2:45 The Jungfraus 3:30 Bebopalula 4:15 Honeybug 5:00 Joe Symes & The Loving Kind 5:45 Duncan Maitland 6:30 The Junipers 7:15 The Blow Up 8:00 Cocktail Slippers 8:45 The 286 9:30 The Len Price 3 10:15 Escapade 11:00 The Fast Camels 11:45 The Wellgreen 12:30 JLB & Villa Borghese 1:15 The Swagger Joe Symes & TLK

The Cavern Club Front Stage 12:00 The Jungfraus 12:45 The Fast Camels 1:30 Ulysses 2:00-6:00: Cavern Club tribute to Lennon & McCartney 6:15 The 286 7:00 The Dream Factory 7:45 The Ratkellers 8:30 Dave Rave 9:15 MR Bridger 10:00 JLB & Villa Borghese 10:45 Mark Britton 11:30 Matt Purcell & The Silverminers 12:15 The Amazing Kappa The Cavern Club Back Stage 12:30 The Jeremy Band 1:15 The Paper Trains 2:00 Dlugokecki 2:45 Hailee Rose 3:30 Bill Lloyd 4:15 The Afternoons 5:00 Three Minute Hero 5:45 Matt Purcell & The Silverminers 6:30 The Mourning After 7:15 The Magic Bus 8:00 The Beat Movement 8:45 Don Fardon 9:30 Ulysses 10:15 The Dream Factory 11:00 Loopy 11:45 Sly Antics

The Cavern Club Front Stage 6:15 BUZZIE 7:00 Lannie Flowers 7:45 The Jooles 8:30 Mark Frith (with guests, The Mayflowers) 9:15 Ash of Donkey Hot Pink, unplugged 10:00 The Viewers 10:45 The Mushroom Club 11:30 Magic Bus 12:15 The Manics The Cavern Club Back Stage 6:00 Joel Sarakula 6:45 Captain Wilberforce 7:30 Luke Gallagher 8:15 Jay Rehm 9:00 The Beautiful Art of Decay 9:45 Deep Six 10:30 MR Bridger 11:15 The Electric Stars 12:00 The Rising

The Cavern Club Front Stage 6:15 Rob Clarke & The Wooltones/Brown Bears 7:00 Olly Neasham 7:45 David Sayle 8:30 The Newds 9:15 The Gentle Scars 10:00 The Bad Losers 10:45 The Recalls 11:30 The Shades 12:15 Jay Rehm The Cavern Club Back Stage 6:00 David Sayle 6:45 Last Breath 7:30 Silver Coast 8:15 Mark Frith (with guests, The Mayflowers) 9:00 Junebug 9:45 Hijinx 10:30 Seeguls 11:15 Reveller 12:00 Midland Railway

37

bill elms What to see and do with Bill Elms this month...

Bill Elms has worked in the theatre and entertainment industry for over 25 years, both locally and nationally.

Since 2008 he has run a successful marketing and PR company, Bill Elms Associates based in Liverpool City Centre which specialises in the Arts and Entertainment industry. He has also successfully stepped into the world of producing with a growing portfolio of productions which have performed in theatres across the region and in the West End. /BillElmsAssociates @BillElms

Mouse – The Persistence of an Unlikely Thought at Everyman Theatre 17 - 28 May. Currently thirty-eight years old and still not entirely bald, Daniel Kitson returns to the Everyman with a massive white board (possibly), an angle poise lamp (probably) and the world premiere (definitely) of a brand new show about, friendship and loneliness, doubt and hope, a mouse, a phone call and the unfathomable repercussions of everything we ever do.

Catacombs of Liverpool’s Darkest History at St George’s Hall 23 - 29 May. Lovehistory are set to return with the next instalment of the Catacomb Tours. The increasingly popular tours will delve deeper into Liverpool’s dark history and bring to life some of the most sadistic and gruesome stories Liverpool has witnessed in The Killers of Victorian Liverpool.

The promenade performances take you around the building and deep into the catacombs below the famous historic hall.

magical, musical adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. She follows snowy tracks and encounters mysterious creatures – but the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist... does he?

Songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up and their grown-ups, in the hugely popular show that’s toured Britain and the world!

Looking ahead...

Liverpool Loves Festival at Pier Head 4 – 6 August Returning to the world-famous Pier Head on Saturday 6th August for the main festival day to celebrate and promote the best of Liverpool life under the themes of Culture, Food and Wellbeing.

Nina, A Dangerous Story at Unity Theatre 13 – 29 October Acclaimed actor Josette Bushell-Mingo meets Nina Simone in this new play about her fight against racism, the charge for civil rights and what became of Nina’s brave and daring legacy and features her classic music.

The Ruby Slippers at Epstein Theatre 5 November Fresh from its sell-out run at the Lantern comes an exciting new comedy drama that explores love, identity, friendship and prejudice within the LGBT community. Set in the Ruby Slippers drag club.

Shout! The Mod Musical at Royal Court Liverpool 20 May – 4 June.

Starting out as a LIPA production and a hit at Edinburgh fringe, this non-stop party through the infectious and soulful pop anthems and ballads of the swinging 60s. Shout! uses letters to an advice columnist, true confessions, quizzes and advertisements as a frame for new arrangements of chart-topping hits such as To Sir With Love, Downtown, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Son of A Preacher Man, and Goldfinger. Audiences will laugh, cry and sing along with the gorgeous girls of Shout! and reminisce of the decade of peace and love.

Physical Fest at various venues from 20 May. The international festival of Physical Theatre is back making its mark in the city with probably its best programme to date, it even has its own spin off festival for children at the Bluecoat on 7-8 May. Street theatre, workshops and events and with the main performances take place at Unity Theatre. This year’s emphasis is on comedy with Spymonkey, Blind Man’s Song and Nautilus being my personal highlights.

The Gruffalo’s Child at Epstein Theatre 17 – 19 May. Now one for the children, Join the Gruffalo’s Child on her adventurous mission in Tall Stories’

38

Nautilus

THEATRE LISTINGS THE EMPIRE THEATRE 0844 871 3017

The Last Tango – Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacache 4th-6th April The Illegal Eagles 7th April A Vision of Elvis 8th April One Night of Rock 9th April Thriller Live 11th–16th April Showstoppers 18th–19th April The Mousetrap 21st–23rd April The Bodyguard 26th April–7th May

THE EPSTEIN THEATRE 0844 888 4411

Coppélia - Vienna Festival Ballet 16th April The Glenn Miller Orchestra 17th April We’ll Meet Again 20th April The Wack Pack Live 22nd April ELO Again – A Night of ELO 23rd April Spotlight on Youth 2016 24th April Complete Works Performance – TEN 27th – 28th April Tap Factory – World Tour 2016 30 April

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves until – 6th April New Dawn Fades 7th–9th April Rosenblume and Robert Vincent – An Evening of Liverpool Americana 14th April Ruby Turner 15th April Chris Ramsey 21st April Lennon – Through a Glass Onion 18th–29th April Rising Stars UK Spectacular 30th April

The Singular Exploits of Sherlock Holmes 23rd April The Spirit and Sound of Steely Dan - Nearly Dan in Concert 24th April St Paul’s Operatic Society - Music! Music! Music!

28th–29th April Wirral Community Choir Big Band Concert - On Broadway 30th April

THE ROYAL COURT 0151 709 4321

Down the Dock Road 11th March–9th April The Golden Oldies 15th April–14th May

ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL 01744 756000

Peter Pan – Easter Panto 25th March–17th April The ELO Experience 22nd April

THE FLORAL PAVILION 0151 666 0000

The Blues Brothers Experience 1st April Tell Me On A Sunday 2nd April Ireland’s Call 3rd April David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny 6th – 10th April The Hot Club of Cowtown 12th April An Evening of Burlesque 15th April

FLORAL PAVILION BLUE LOUNGE 0151 666 0000

ST GEORGE’S HALL 0844 800 0410 (Ticketquarter)

Oh Goody! With Tim BrookeTaylor and Chris Searle 6th April BBC Radio Merseyside ~ Big History Show 9th-10th April THE BIG BAND FIVE STAR SWING 10th April The Three Degrees 11th April Rob Beckett – Mouth Of The South (SOLD OUT) 15th April An Evening With Wingates Band 16th April Chamber Music in Liverpool Vanbrugh Quartet 19th April Organ Recital 19th April THE BLOW MONKEYS 21st April Sing-a-Long-a Rocky Horror Picture Show 22nd April WALKING THE BARD: THE SHAKESPEARE EXPERIENCE TOUR 23rd April–28 April Shakespeare’s “MACBETH” 24th-28th April Gala Concert 30th April LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE 0151 709 4776

The 39 Steps 4th–9th April Mark Thomas: Trespass 22nd April THE EVERYMAN THEATRE 0151 709 4776 A Girl is a Half-formed thing 5th–9th April Iphigenia in Splott 14th–16th April THE PHILHARMONIC HALL 0151 709 3789 Viennese Masters 1st April Fazil Say (Music Room) 1st April Ray Mears: Tales of Endurance 2nd April Northern Dreams 7th April Kris Drever (Music Room) 8th April Jane Jones and Tai Murray (Music Room) 9th April National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 9th April Bruch’s Violin Concerto 10th April Yundi 12th April The Rieder Ensamble (Music Room) 13th April Frequencies (Music Room) 14th April Rick Astly 15th April Edward II (Music Room) 15th April Katherine Ryan: Kathbum 16th April Shakatak (Music Room) 16th April Gregory Porter (SOLD OUT) 17th April Bellowhead: The Farewell Tour (SOLD OUT) 19th April Emperor 21st & 22nd April Altan (Music Room) 21st April Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman (Music Room) 23rd April Symphonic Safari Family Concert 24th April The Solid Silver 60s Show 27th April Rhapsody 28th April Shalamar 29th April The Young ‘Uns 29th April Michael Bolton 30th April

April Shawn Klush Elvis World Tour 8th April (Auditorium) The Wizard of Oz 9th April (Auditorium) The Vamps 12th April Little Mix 14th & 21st April Noel Gallagher 25th April Harlem Globetrotters 26 April English Boxing 29 April–1 May THE LANTERN THEATRE 0114 255 1776 The Picture of Dorian Gray 7th -9th April Twisted 15th April Our Kylie’s Having A Bab 19th April Kenny’s Carpet 21st–23rd April Care Takers 29th April UNITY THEATRE 0151 709 4988 Dirty Pakistani Laundry 1st April Tinned Goods 2nd April Brakin’ Pad 5th – 9th April The Impossible House 8th – 9th April Stephanie Lang: Nincompoop 12th April Chris Stokes: Altruism in Birds 12th April Resurrection Half Price 13th April Double Bill 19th April Dirty Glitter 20 April The Odyssey 21st April The Lamella Project 22nd – 23rd April Scratch Night 26th April Mark Watson: I’m Not Here 27th – 28th April Error 404 28th – 30th April Going Viral 29th & 30th April

Sponsored by Bill Elms

THE ECHO ARENA 0844 8000 400 Smith Vs Mohoumadi (Boxing) 2 April Jeff Lynne’s ELO 5th April Artistic Gymnastics 8th–10th

39

THE PAUL McCARTNEY ANTHOLOGY If you missed Sir Paul McCartney’s recent Out There tour, then fear not!

The Paul McCartney Anthology is a fivepiece, Wirral based band, who aim to recreate that very same musical vibe.

Two hours of the best music that the legendary Liverpudlian has to offer, covering The Beatles, best of Wings and his solo cuts.

Fronted by Paul’s official music video doppelganger, Neil Tudor from Merseyside.

(Legends In Concert USA, Stars In Concert, Berlin.)

JED FLOWERDAY Guitars, backing vocals

STEVE CHAN Guitars, backing vocals

ANDY MCCOLL Piano, keyboards, backing vocals

LANCE DONNELLY Drums, percussion

Jed is a Wirral born and bred musician with a wealth of experience to call upon. He has been playing guitar since a young teenager and at the age of 17 toured throughout the UK and Germany. Jed has played in many local Merseyside bands notably 70’s glam rock band “Kookachoo” and 80’s Gold performing at festivals and venues throughout the UK. He also performers as a solo artist. Jed draws on many influences particularly from blues/ funk and rock genres.

Originating from Yorkshire, before moving to the Wirral at a young age. Since, his teenage years, Steve has played in a myriad of 90’s indie bands including Honey and Catapult. Chasing the elusive record deal led to recording at Abbey Road Studios, gigging the London club circuit, independent record releases followed, including the song ‘Everybody gets there in the end’ being adopted by Radio City as the 1998 World Cup theme.

Steve has also played in various Manchester based blues bands, recording a live CD at the Band on the Wall with the Raw Deal Blues Band and playing notable gigs around the North-West, such as the Burnley Blues Festival.

More recently plays with The Johnny Travis Band (Joe Cocker Tribute) and is the lasted addition to The Paul McCartney Anthology line-up.

Originally hailing from the seaside town of Bournemouth, Andy is a keyboardist of skill and experience. He toured extensively throughout Europe in the 80’s in addition to performng all over the UK in holiday centres, hotels, and bars. During the 90’s Andy worked with a variety of singers and bands in Scotland before relocating to Merseyside. Subsequently, he has performed with many bands (Goodfellas, The Firebird Smith Blues Band, Firebird Smith Trio, Freakout Disco Band) in a variety of venues from stadiums to front rooms!

Lance is a Liverpool born drummer,who began playing at 14 and did his first pro gig aged 16. Since then he has worked extensively in the studio and toured all over Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium,as well as the length and breadth of the Britain. Lance works with and has worked with other local acts such as FREAK OUT DISCO BAND, AFRAID OF MICE, THE A TEAM, CONNIE LUSH and BLUES SHOUTER, SUPERCHARGE, THE LAWNMOWER, and GAZ and the GROOVERS amongst others..

40

NEIL TUDOR Bass, guitars, mandolin, piano keys, lead vocals Neil is a native “Merseysider”, born in Liverpool England in June 1961, a Gemini like Paul, it is his home city.

A former firefighter, for 17 years, music was and still is his passion.

He is naturally left handed, although like many left- handed musicians, he spent many years playing right- handedly. (Mark Knopfler is notably in this group of people). For “authenticity” Neil re – learned left hand bass for his work as Paul.

Blessed with the “face” of Paul, he is the official “stand –in” for Paul, having doubled for him on two music videos: Dance Tonight 2007, and in a promo for JBL speakers, and his single “My Valentine” February 2012.

As the “go-to” guy whenever “Paul” is needed, he has worked extensively on TV around Europe, advertising anything from Croatian beers to blue-tooth head sets, from TV drama documentaries like “McCartney v McCartney” on channel 4, to comedy TV shows in Spain and Portugal.

Musically, Neil is as much at home portraying Paul as he is now in 2016, as he is playing the happy “moptop” of the 60’s.

In April 2011 he toured the USA with The Reunion Beatles, creating a fantasy concert scenario, where all four Beatles were alive and well, and playing music together.

In July 2011 he was honoured to play Paul, in the world renowned “Legends In Concert” show in Conecticut USA, at the Foxwood theatre.

With the Moptop Beatles.

Neil joined The Silver Beatles in September 2012, and was part of

the band that toured Germany from January til March 2013, with the successful, “Yesterday” show.

In 2014, Neil was officially affiliated with Hofner, the Bavarian company that makes Pauls iconic “Violin” bass guitar. their artistes roster. He has an increasing profile in Germany, as well as solo gigs there, In late 2014 he hooked up with the German based Beatle tribute band “The BE4TLES”, and travels to and from there to gig with them thru out the year. www.thebe4tles.com April 2015 he joined the tribute cast, in Germanys top show “Stars In Concert” in Berlins biggest hotel the Estrelle alongside some of Europes top lookalike acts.

He continues to play in England as well with his own group “The PaulMcCartney Anthology” a tribute to Paul, The Beatles, and Wings, as well as doing a “solo” act as Paul.

Clients include: Paul McCartney. (MPL) music video “Dance Tonight 2007, My Valentine 2012 ITV (Harry hill show) BBC1 (National Lottery) BBC radio 2 Reunion Beatles show USA San Fransisco “Legends In Concert” USA (Foxwood casino Connecticut) Channel 4 (Documentary, McCartney v McCartney) Spanish TV Globomedia Guiness Karlovacko..(number one Croatian Beer) 41 Stars in Concert. Estrelle Hotel, Berlin 2015

lyn staunton I start this month’s column with the column I wrote for the Buz in January 2008..Please read below:

All over the UK there are children who have to cope with sickness, disability or disadvantage. It’s tough. Really tough.

Variety, the children’s charity, provide practical, tangible help that makes an immediate difference to those children and their families.

If you can help in any way, please contact Lyn Staunton or one of the team at the North West office on: 0161 236 0500 or e-mail Northwest@variety. org.uk /VarietyGB

JAN 2008 - The biggest high of the month was the David Gest party that I put together at the Adelphi Hotel and after many months of blood sweat and tears getting everything and everyone in place it was one of the most surreal events I have ever done.

When I first met David Gest he dropped names like a child drops sweet wrappers and I took all this name dropping with a pinch of salt….but boy was I so wrong, you see David Gest talks about Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Russell, Gene Kelly ,and many more top Hollywood stars because they inhabit his everyday world, they are his family and most dear friends.

You see its hard for us mere mortals to imagine the world David comes from, but believe me he does know and frequent with some of the biggest stars of stage and screen and I know that now because I have seen it, and heard him speaking on his mobile phone most recently to the Legendary Jane Russell, who by the way is David’s Stepmother.

At the party were friends Matt Willis and his wife Emma Willis, Tito Jackson, Freda Payne (band of Gold ) Billy Paul (Me and Mrs Jones), The Stylistics, soap stars from Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, etc.

At the party there was an auction with prizes such as a trip around the Jackson family Home, Have a private dinner party with David and his friends at the Malmaison Hotel, a pair of Michael Jackson’s stage trousers, and many signed acclaimed memorabilia.

APRIL 2016 - David Gest Died. David became part of my everyday life, we worked so much together, we laughed so much, and we played tricks on each that only true friends can do to each other,and

42

get away with. David loved Liverpool, he loved the people, he sang Ferry across the Mersey all the time (badly ) and he lived here for many years after 2008,calling himself an adopted Scouser.

He made lots of good friends in Liverpool and most importantly he helped so many disabled and disadvantaged children in Merseyside by raising funds for charities close to his heart such as Variety, the Children’s Charity. David was like Marmite, you loved him or you didn’t, but those who truly knew him loved him. David was quirky, eccentric, crazy, lovable, kind, generous, maddening, frustrating, funny, vulnerable, religious, courteous and respectful…but most of all missed.

I am attending David’s funeral with his closest friends and family, and it’s always sad when we lose special people in our lives, but I know him well enough to say, that he will have ensured there is laughter at his final farewell. Good Bye David and thank you from the people of Liverpool who you loved so much.

Above: Jane Russell, David Guest and Lyn Staunton.

Introducing...

In Cahoots

In Cahoots are a unique five piece band with ages ranging from 21 to 50’s and they cover almost every genre of music. They have a female lead singer and three male singers in the band with very different styles; 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, rock n roll, soul, blues, contemporary and stomping Irish tunes. Something for everyone. In Cahoots have been regularly playing the Merseyside area now for over three years and have a good local following.

The line up includes lead vocalist Samantha Higgins, (Sam) who’s been singing since she was a child, performing on TV on several occasions. Her adult original music was used regularly on TV programmes such as ‘Eastenders’ and ‘Holby City’. As an experienced lead vocalist she sings with ‘In Cahoots’ because she loves truly great live music played by real musicians. A strong and unique vocalist. She lives in Wallasey and is a local community librarian.

Eric Smith is a highly experienced, talented drummer who has played for decades in high calibre bands performing every style of music. Although he’s usually shoved in at the back of the stage on his kit, you can never forget he’s there! He runs his own successful curtains/blinds business, Eric The Rails and is a professional in every area of his life.

Josh Fisher is the band’s lead guitarist, a powerful vocalist and the driving force of the band musically. Exceptionally talented and versatile. He hails from Liverpool and has played for years in various bands performing every style of music. Amazing range and knowledge.

Ciaran Fenders is on bass guitar and is also a brilliant vocalist. As the youngest member of the band at 21, he possesses a musical maturity way beyond his years and provides the Irish influence to the music of In Cahoots along with other styles. He’s a versatile, talented musician who gives the band heartbeat and energy. He recently returned to the band after a six month period in Australia working as a tree surgeon.

Mick Davies is the rhythm guitarist and has played for decades in many excellent Liverpool bands including Rubber Soul. He’s also a fantastic vocalist and performs classic 60’s, 70’s and contemporary tracks in his own unique, rich style. The ‘human juke box’- he has a vast knowledge of songs from ballads to rock.

43

WIRRAL FESTIVAL OF FIRSTS 9th - 23rd JULY 2016 www.festivaloffirsts.com 2016 Festival Announced - Still Going Strong at Six! This year’s Wirral Festival of Firsts takes place from 9th July to 23rd July 2015 in Hoylake, Meols and West Kirby.

It is preceded by a number of lead-up events across the whole of Wirral from April – June including photographic exhibitions, children’s arts workshops and poetry workshops.

Who knew when John Gorman created the first ever Wirral Festival of Firsts back in 2011, that this community arts festival “with a difference”, run entirely by volunteers, would still be going strong six years later? The entire Festival of Firsts volunteer planning team looks forward to welcoming people from all over the North West, particularly Wirral, to this year’s Festival. There is another exciting line-up of Art, Music, Theatre, Poetry, Storytelling and Community Celebration!

Wirral Festival of Firsts was founded to showcase innovative local talent and to encourage community participation. The Festival brings together artists, performers, poets and musicians to celebrate the talent and diversity of the Wirral art and music scene. Some established artists and performers are also invited to Wirral for the entertainment of local residents, while also helping raise money for charities, in particular Claire House. All the proceeds of ticket sales go towards the costs of staging events and the support of local charities.

Wirral Festival of Firsts creates a Razzle Dazzle “Joanna”!

Pianists! look out for the Wirral Festival of Firsts’ Razzle Dazzle Piano! The Festival invites everyone to tickle the ivories of their 44 unique Razzle Dazzle “Joanna” as she moves around Wirral in the next few months.

The project to “razzle” a piano is led by artist Barb Singleton.

The piano donated by Trevor and Sue Powell, is sponsored by Andrew Douglas of Newhall Publishing. The completed piano, an homage to Sir Peter Blake’s Razzle Dazzle Ferry, will soon appear in various places demanding to be played in aid of Claire House!

Mr Partload Removals, Hoylake and Morton Dairies have very kindly provided transport for the piano to enable her travel around the Wirral both in advance of the Festival and during the Carnival Parade on 16th July 2016 while West Kirby Library and Everite Windows Carr Farm, have hosted the piano while she is being decorated.

Festival of Firsts invites the public to “Join-in” Community Celebrations - Meols, Hoylake, West Kirby On each Saturday of this year’s Wirral Festival of Firsts, there will be a series of “join-in” day with lots of fun and activities for families and individuals and the public is warmly invited to join in.

Saturday 9th July 11.30am-2.30pm – A Children’s Festival day hosted by St John’s Church Meols with lots of activities, BarBQ, Punch & Judy, Arts and Crafts, stalls and open air musical performances, all in aid of Claire House. A special pop up theatre performance of Treasure Island for children will take place at 2.30pm (Tickets £2 for children, accompanying adults go free).

Saturday 16th July 12.00-4.00pm - Hoylake day! The fabulous Carnival Parade will move down Market Street to Queen’s Park at 2.00pm featuring the Wirral Pipe Band, Wirral Samba

and representatives of many local sports. At Queen’s Park, the Friends of Queen’s Park and Hoylake & Meols in Bloom will host a fun-packed family day with music from the Peninsula Jazzmen as well as from the arriving parade bands. Activities will spill over into Parade Gardens where there will be a wonderful display of Art in the Parade Gardens and an open mic music performance hosted by Home Grown Bananas from West Kirby.

Saturday 23rd July 12.00-6.00pm – Summer Craft Fair at the Concourse, West Kirby The popular craft fair organised by Wirral Arts Centre returns for a summer edition. Look out for local makers selling their wares, exciting artwork & a live stage of music and performance. Another . A special pop up theatre performance of Treasure Island for children will take place at 2.30pm (Tickets £2 for children, accompanying adults go free).

Community celebration and participation is an important feature and ethos of the Festival and there are lots of other “Join-in” activities and events, for example The Poetry Fair on Sunday 17th July at Hoylake Parade Community Centre welcomes all comers to its day of poetry and associated events with three open mic spots, book stalls, writing workshops and a range of activities for children including building a kaleidoscope and a children’s Poet Tree. West Kirby Arts Centre has workshops on Story telling on Sunday 10th July, and a special open mic event for young musicians on Friday 15th July.

A New Website for Wirral Festival of Firsts from Wirral Met Wirral Met has developed a new website for Wirral Festival of Firsts. Built with a robust underlying system that should stand the Festival in good stead for some years to come the new website has much greater capabilities than the Festival’s previous website. All Festival tickets can be purchased online through the new website, and people can register to take part in the poetry and photo competitions with ease, or register to exhibit art work, or read poetry, or offer their services as a Festival Volunteer.

Some 2016 Wirral Festival of Firsts events not to miss!

The Festival of Firsts proudly introduces the young and exciting music group Project Jam Sandwich (Wednesday 20th July), award-winning musicians from Manchester who play a dynamic mix of world, folk and fusion. From reels to rumba to reggae, expect beautiful melody, dizzying virtuosity, high-octane grooves and a tour-de-force of joy and performance. Whether you’re a hard-core folky, world music fan or simply curious, their eclectic approach means there is something for everyone and anyone.

Two contrasting poets also feature at this year’s Festival: Lemn Sissay with his amazing back story and even more amazing

Landmark Poems which are installed throughout Manchester and London. Lemn Sissay gives a short performance on Sunday 17th July. The other poet is Elvis McGonagall, Stand-up Poet and comedian who is appearing with local wordsmith Clare Kirwan and the North West’s Lynn Gerrard at Hoylake Social Club on Saturday 23rd July The Bibby Piano Duo return to the Festival after several years with a new and exciting programme at St Hildeburgh’s Church on Monday 11th July and Operation Lightfoot with Luke Moore, working with the Chester Poets hope to present a brand new performance piece inspired by the sights and history of a number of Wirral locations on Friday 22nd July.

Apart from these mouth-watering events, there are another 32 separate events during the two weeks of this year’s Festival of Firsts from 9th-23rd July, preceded by a number of lead-up events across the whole of Wirral from April – June. This year the Festival planning team is working with event partners like the West Kirby Arts Centre, Melrose Hall, Hoylake, Hoylake Community Cinema and the West Kirby and Hoylake Social Clubs to deliver a wide ranging programme featuring some of the best artistic talent from the Wirral and beyond. Many events are free.

Through Their Eyes 2015 – an exhibition of Wirral Festival of Firsts photographs curated by Mike Waring and Barbara Singleton, has already visited the Birkenhead Park Visitor Centre and West Kirby Library in April. Currently on display at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton the exhibit will then visit Wallasey Library from 9th-21st May. Through Their Eyes 2015 features the joyous festival photographs of volunteer photographers: Glyn Akroyd, Ian Chantler, Rob Devenish, George Evans, Ole Hansen, Barry Quatermass, Barbara Singleton, and Mike Waring. Their marvellous work gives a flavour of the wide spectrum of arts activities at the annual Wirral Festival of Firsts. Five of the exhibitors are members of Hoylake Photographic Society which has supported the Festival from the beginning.

Festival organisers wanted to share some of the fun and excitement of the Fsetival across the Wirral more widely and at the same time give a little bit of profile to the team of photographers who give up so much of their time to create a photographic record of each year’s Festival.

For more information, to participate or volunteer E: info@festivaloffirsts.com T: 0151 6322750 www.festivaloffirsts.com

45

pauline daniels Hi there, now I know you will probably be fed up reading about the Floral but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed every minute of hosting the night and well done to all the acts the show was brilliant. It was worth coming up from Essex for!!!!

Pauline Daniels is the first lady of comedy.

Her reputation goes before her when it comes to entertainment as she is also an accomplished actress and an incredible singer. /paulinedaniels

I know, well the thing is I was offered a play in the Queens Theatre in Hornchurch we open 18th April till 7th May, so it meant me coming home from rehearsals. I also came home to do The Elegance Bridal birthday bash which was great fun, apart from the obvious fashion shows there was a great spot from local boys Tequila, now I know I, getting old, because they are fully grown men now and I remember them so well when they were BOYS!!!!!

I have been telling everyone about my menopausal magnets and nobody believes that I have these magnets in my knickers well I’m putting a picture on this page this month to prove it, perfect for robbing cutlery.

Anyway more about the play, written by Nichola McAuliffe of Surgical Spirit and Coronation Street fame and it’s very funny, I was offered the job because the director is Glen Walford who

many years ago was the artistic director at the Everyman but since leaving Liverpool, I have worked with her on quite a few occasions and she said when she read the play I was the first person she thought of for the character of Cerise, who initially was a cockney Gangsters Moll, but although I offered to be a cockney they were over the moon with Cerise being a scouser and so there you go, she is now a very funny scouser.

During the play one of the cast does a radio interview and so Nichola asked her good friend Christopher Biggins to be the voice, so last week he came into rehearsals and after he had done his recording we all went to lunch, now I will be honest because I always am, I expected to dislike

46

the man with a passion but, no, I like him very much, he’s a real sweet man.

The thing about being in the south is so different to being here in the north, I really did think that in this day and age you can actually just control your career from wherever you are in the country but I’m afraid it’s not true, I’m afraid that you really do need to be in London for anyone to even bother to come and see you working. All the years. I have been working up in the north, not only as an actress myself but also with having the small theatre, I knew how hard it was to get casting directors to come and see your work or the work of an actor that you thought really had talent, and I was right, there is a list as long as your arm of “important” people coming to see this show because the actors all have agents from London, me, well sadly my agent can’t come, but then she’s in Manchester so if your own agent can’t be bothered what chance of you got of any Manchester casting directors popping in? Yes that’s right........None.

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to June and the Woman of The Year Awards again, I love hosting it we always have a great day but this

year will be a little sad because one of our winners Bernie Bucket, sadly passed away early April, the woman was a total inspiration I’m sure that most people will have met her, I had the great pleasure of doing many a show for her to raise money for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, sadly we were supposed to be doing a show at the Floral in July, that will no longer happen but my thoughts are with Keith and her family, thank you Bernie for being a part of my life.

Have a great month and remember get out and about and make sure that you see as much live entertainment as you possibly can.

47

48