Issue 49 / October 2014

12
Bido Lito! October 2014
"Quality, Fun, Chaos"
Words: Jack Graysmark / @ZeppelinG1993
Illustration: Gareth Arrowsmith / garetharrowsmith.com
Though the last edition of LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK in 2011
might seem like a blur for the many thousands who attended,
the event will always throw up personal memories. Maybe you
attended one of a plethora of free shows that have characterised
the extravaganza since day one. Maybe you lost your mind at one
of the legendary Closing Parties. Maybe, just maybe, you saw your
favourite band during a particular edition, or found your new one.
Three years might not seem like a long time, but in between bands
have risen and fallen, venues set up and closed down, and giants
have walked our streets (twice). When news broke that the largest
indoor winter festival in the UK was being resurrected for its tenth
instalment after a two-year hiatus, it wasn’t just the usual wave of
excitement that permeated the air: there were smiles warmed by
nostalgia, as if an old friend had come back to town.
This autumn, Liverpool Music Week entices us in from the
windswept streets to gorge upon its very special tenth-edition
treats. Camp and Furnace is where it all begins this time round,
with a thrill-packed opening party on 23rd October which features
the snakily funky electronica of CARIBOU, which acts as the
perfect re-introduction of a festival that’s been a beacon of quality
to regular gig-goers since its inception. The following night sees
leftfield rock titans MOGWAI headline the same venue for a show
with ATP curated by (and featuring) FOREST SWORDS, with a trio of
Liverpool’s own avant-garde creators MUGSTAR, EX-EASTER ISLAND
HEAD and CLINC (DJ set) also on show. The party then stretches
to the O2 Academy as Liverpool Music Week plays host to WILD
BEASTS (30th October, in association with Evol) and THE WAR ON
bidolito.co.uk
DRUGS (4th November, in association with Harvest Sun). Add in
to this the ubiquitous Closing Party (more on this opposite) and
we’ve the prospect of over 250 acts across 50 events. That’s a far
cry from the handful of shows in one venue that launched the
event in 2003; yet, eleven years later, it’s good to know that the
same vision that started the process burns just as bright.
Given that such good momentum had been built up over nine
consecutive years, why pull the plug? Well, even Glastonbury
pulls in the reins every now and then but, with new commitments
demanding his attention, organiser Mike Deane decided to put
Liars
Hookworms
things on hold – and he reckons the event is all the better for
it. “I have pretty much run Liverpool Music Week as a one-manband
for a few years; if I stop working on it, the whole operation
shuts down! After the last edition, I began working for a London
talent agency called Elastic Artists, and I certainly didn't want to
be running the tenth edition of a festival I've worked on with
blood, sweat and tears at a fifty per cent work-rate.” He remains
adamant that letting the grass grow back has worked wonders
for the event, even though a very tempting offer last year nearly
broke the silence: “We actually had My Bloody Valentine lined-up
for a 2013 headliner, which almost pulled us out of our hiatus.
But the band dragged too long, and ultimately we decided it was
better to hold off and go full-throttle in 2014.”
It’s now back to business as usual; sure that sounds mundane,
but why change such a successful formula? With each edition,
Deane and his team endeavour to curate a line-up that balances
acts that will deliver the most exhilarating performances with
artists that have yet to tread on Scouse soil. In doing this, each
event encourages a higher calibre of live performances, along
with enticing gig-goers to open themselves to new bands, genres
and live experiences. There are all kinds of emotions that burst
forward when finding a new favourite band, and for ten days
Liverpool Music Week is the ignition behind the flames.
For those who aren’t as enthusiastic as others to try something
new, the free shows step into the picture. A trademark staple
across each edition, these events aren’t merely a taster, but a
full five-course meal with a sparkler in your knickerbocker glory.
“It’s proven to work extremely well for the venues, artists and
sponsors over the past decade,” Deane enthuses about the free