Issue 49 / October 2014

30
Bido Lito! October 2014
Reviews
But the night is not merely geared around
performance, and in between sets presenter
STEVE LEVINE invites the artists onto a smaller
stage, set up to resemble a recording studio, to
add parts to a rendition of Ferry 'Cross The Mersey.
It is a nice touch that offers those unacquainted
with the recording process an inside look at the
operations of a respected producer.
The theme of the sessions is collaboration,
and as TIM BURGESS of The Charlatans takes
to the stage he is joined by a host of other
talents including backing vocals from McCool,
singer/songwriter MARY EPWORTH and reggae
musician HOLLIE COOK. The ensemble provide
the highlight of the evening. Burgess is arguably
the more interesting songwriter present at the
event, straying furthest from the pop sensibilities
of the other artists, and the combination of this
indie legend and the sumptuous female backing
vocals creates an enjoyable aesthetic.
After a solo outing from Cook, headliner BOY
GEORGE emerges, clad in a full camo-jumpsuit,
to rapturous applause. Boy George is pretty much
guaranteed to pull a crowd wherever he goes,
but it is also his career-spanning collaboration
with Levine that sees him here tonight. The
two worked together on the majority of Culture
Club's albums, including the highly regarded
Colour By Numbers.
With a backing band consisting of all
of tonight's performers, George puts on a
somewhat light-hearted but highly enjoyable
show. His reggae-infused songs suit the voice
and movements of his goddaughter, Hollie
Cook, perfectly.
The peaks of the set are, perhaps predictably,
hit singles Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? and
Karma Chameleon. Both songs are delivered
and received with great enthusiasm, making
for a pleasant atmosphere inside this most
grand of venues.
After a heartfelt speech from Steve Levine
espousing the city’s many virtues, it is time to
leave. A concept that was at first glance hard to
imagine working has been successfully realised
tonight, and it is a credit to Levine and the
performers that it came off so smoothly.
Alastair Dunn
Seven Streets Presents
You Are Here
The Palm House
While there is a smattering of tribute acts on
the bill at LIMF, the event seems to be moving
in the right direction. It is heartening to see
that it has tried to represent the contemporary
throughout the line-up, and perhaps the most
intriguing offering of the bank holiday weekend
is YOU ARE HERE, a Seven Streets commission
that commemorates a hundred years since the
beginning of World War I. Given a theme of
‘Home’ to set against the sombre backdrop of
conflicts past, artists from the UK, France and
Russia collaborated on a performance piece that
was, to say the least, extremely ambitious.
Understandably, given the nightmarish
amount of organising required for such an epic
undertaking, the event doesn’t go off without a
hitch. However, You Are Here is as much about
creation and communication as it is about
the final performance, and the wide range of
influences that blend of nationalities brings
together creates something special.
BILL RYDER-JONES begins the piece with a
lilting, fragile piano melody, which is eventually
Boy George (John Johnson)
complimented with a string quartet from the
MANCHESTER CAMERATA. The performance ebbs
and flows, with all the performers bringing their
own distinctive sound. MOONGAI follow for a
further development, adding rich Gallic vocals
and a glitchy electronic soundscape to the more
traditional musical elements already present.
KOF comes on next and, once his sampled,
erratic beat is matched by the strings, he
delivers a powerful performance. An emphasis
on the vocals at this point draws attention to his
incredible lyrical ability, as he sings of war and
memories. NOONWRAITH introduces a much
heavier element with her initial contribution,
again bringing another dimension that makes
the music richer. At times there are lulls,
falling back to the strings, piano or samples of
recording, before the next section of the piece,
each led by a different member of the ensemble.
All three vocalists sing in close harmony towards
the end, mixing languages and musical styles
with an almost precocious air. The music is
powerful and, within the context of World War I
and the wider backdrop of current world events,
emotionally charged. Given the furore over the
council’s use of G4S for this event, it is at times a
little uncomfortable as well. However, as those
who participated in the event have said, this
has made the show that much more relevant.
Politically aware events in Liverpool do not sit
comfortably with questionable council policies,
but it is to be hoped that the former helps to
overcome the latter for future events in the city.
Overall, the switching of languages really
encapsulates the collaborative spirit of You Are
Here, a project that celebrates creativity. Poetry
and art installations also help add to the feeling
of a wide-reaching artistic effort, rather than
just another gig. Blurring the lines between
nationalities and blending such diverse musical
styles was a brave vision, and a difficult one to
achieve, but it has come off in the end, achieving
something memorable and praiseworthy.
Migration Music
The Everyman Theatre
Paul Riley
Liverpool is a city that has become
synonymous with new grassroots musical
You Are Here (Glyn Akroyd)
bidolito.co.uk