Liverpool Pride announces full artist line up

THE ONLY WAY IS LIVERPOOL…PRIDE

TOWIE STAR JESSICA WRIGHT, 2 SHOES and LIZ MCCLARNON JOIN MARCUS COLLINS IN LIVERPOOL PRIDE LINEUP

At an exciting launch event, held aboard a Mersey Ferry river cruise this evening Liverpool Pride organisers announced that TOWIE star Jessica Wright, Essex Girls 2 Shoes and Liverpool’s own Liz McClarnon will also perform on the festival’s Waterfront Stage on Saturday 4 August.

The acts join Marcus Collins on the bill in addition to a river pageant load of other fabulous acts who will all perform when the UK’s biggest FREE LGBT Pride festival outside of London returns for its third voyage later this summer. 

Liz McClarnon, who attended the launch celebrations, was one third of Britain’s biggest girl band; Atomic Kitten. Liz travelled the world with the band on sell out tours, performed for the Queen at Buckingham Palace and has countless awards and number 1 singles and albums under her belt, sold 10 million records globally as well as bringing pop music back to the masses in 2001 when the band released “Whole Again” which spent 4 weeks at number 1 in the UK chart, 6 weeks at number 1 in Germany, and was number 1 in 17 other Countries. Since then, she’s gone on to launch a successful solo career and won Celebrity Masterchef. Now, she comes home to Liverpool Pride to perform some of hers and Atomic Kitten’s biggest hits.

Liz said:  "I'm so excited to be performing at this year's Liverpool Pride festival. The festival is doing a lot to raise awareness of Homophobia and break down any barriers that may exist in our city, It's such a worthwhile event. I always love coming home to sing in front of a home crowd and I'm sure that this time will be extra special – Bring it on!"

Jessica Wright shot to fame as part of ITV’s BAFTA winning series The Only Way is Essex. Since then the aspiring pop princess has landed a record deal and having written her debut album in Liverpool is now ready to share her exciting new venture with the world. She’ll be performing her debut single ‘Dance With Me All Night’ at Liverpool Pride. Who knows, maybe even Nanny Pat might join her…

Totes Amaze X-Factor duo 2 Shoes will also take to the stage to perform on the day. The bubbly Brentwood ladies made it through to the live show stages of X-Factor 2011 before being sent home by mentor Tulisa. Since then one of the pair; Charley, has gone on to have a baby named Beaux and they’ve signed a record deal! 2 Shoes are now ready to tear up the UK one step at a time including what is bound to be a fabulous Liverpool Prideperformance. 

This year’s Liverpool Pride line up also includes girlbands The Bon Bonz, a Yorkshire based rock-pop group and Concrete Rose;managed by Lee Latchford-Evans of Steps fame.  Single ladies getting in on the act include Maltese teen pop sensation Sophie and beautiful singer/songwriter Katrina Heenan.

Boybands feature heavily in the line up with sets from Wigan boys On The Line, who have supported multi platinum selling artists including Texas, Ronan Keating, Westlife and Lemar to name only a few. Rewind, who have worked with producers such as Pete Kirtley, Tim Hawes, Ian Curnow and LA super writer Andrew Lane.  Retro/acoustic boyband Concept, who take their influences from the Beatles, Motown, Ed Sheeran, Duran Duran and Labringth and Forbidden Juice, who are based at the same production house as Mcfly, Busted and George Michael. Rounding off the boyband line up is Future Kicks who BBC Radio 1 described the band as “the next kings of pop” after they played the stations Big Weekend festival in Carlisle.

Also taking to the Waterfront Stage is Jnay (John Adeleye), a MOBO award winner and 2010 X Factor finalist, currently working on his forthcoming EP ‘POLAROID’, drawing inspiration from Prince, Stevie Wonder, Tom Vek and Nirvana. Also hailing from reality TV, Sarah Whatmore rose to fame in the first series of the British television show Pop Idol. Simon Fuller signed her to RCA Records including a worldwide management deal with 19 Entertainment. But manufactured pop is the antithesis of Sarah’s soulful creative expression. Now a singer/songwriter, Sarah has collaborated with various artists around the world, experimenting with eclectic styles and sounds, and ultimately developing a rich and unique territory beyond genre.

Liverpool’s own LGBT Choir will take to the stage to perform a wealth of songs both old and new before Dance Dynamix, who famously made it to the finals of Sky One’s Got To Dance in 2011 tear up the stage with their electrifying routines.

Other performances come from Neighbours heartthrob Sam Clark, whose debut single ‘Devastated’ went in at No1 in 6 countries,Thomas Teago who signed a major deal with Fierce Management at the end of 2011 and is currently working on his debut album. They’re joined by Liverpool ʻbad boyʼ turned ʻgoodʼ Bradley Johnson who gave the judges quite a shock at his first X Factor audition with his performance of ‘A Team’ by Ed Sheeran and Armstrong who has worked with many artists and producers over the years, from the likes of The Honeyz, JLS, Babyface, Soulshock  & many more.

Rounding off the line up is Click 22 An urban duo with a shared passion for music and an incredible talent for song writing and performing.  They’ll be taking to the stage to perform alongside club diva Nikki Belle.

There will also be DJ sets from Desperate Scousewives’ Danny Latimer and Ste Cocky.  The Stanley Street stage line

Jen Corrigan and Karl Connor of Fierce Management who programmed the line upsaid: "This is our first year programming Liverpool Pride and we're really excited about the line up! There's something for everyone and we hope everyone will enjoy the party! We've worked on some big events across the country but nothing beats working on something so important in your home city. We're so happy and proud to be part of Pride and working on such an amazing event. We've worked hard to give Liverpool the biggest line up it's had to date and we're looking forward to seeing the festival grow and be even bigger next year!"

Zoran Blackie, Chair at Liverpool Pride said ‘‘We set the programming team with a challenge to bring some of the best of Liverpool talent and up and coming acts to appeal to our broad range of tastes for our incredibly diverse audience. I am made up with what we’ve got - three stages of entertainment, all for free, allowing the gay community and the rest of Liverpool to have a brilliant day together… let’s hope we can book the sunshine too’’

Liverpool Pride is the UK’s biggest FREE Gay Pride festival outside of London. In just two years, Liverpool Pride has established itself as one of the major highlights in the city and the wider LGB and T community’s summer calendar. Bursting onto the scene in 2010, the inaugural Liverpool Pride festival attracted over 20,000people, which was doubled to over 44,000 in 2011.

For 2012 Festival organisers are promising the best event yet, a festival which Liverpool’s LGB andT community is proud of, attracting people from across the country to experience the diverse culture of one of Europe’s most exciting cities.

The festival came about following the launch of the LGB&T Network, at which the public voted for a Pride festival to engage, empower and involve the LGB&T communities within the city. This was fully endorsed by Liverpool City Council in January 2009. Following a number of high profile attacks in the city, the event was established in 2010 and now takes place each year to coincide with the anniversary of murdered gay teenager Michael Causer.

Liverpool Pride 2012 will take place at Liverpool’s iconic pier-head and throughout the Stanley Street Gay Quarter. In addition to this, there will be a weekend of cultural events taking place at some of Liverpool’s most influential arts and cultural establishments. The festival’s ‘Nautical but Nice’ theme, chosen in a ballot by 700 members of the local LGBT community, gives a nod to the city’s commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, whilst at the same time, celebrating the city’s rich maritime history and taking advantage of the main festival site, which sits on the banks of the River Mersey.

Applications are still open for the Liverpool Pride March. Individuals, groups and organisations are invited to take part by registering online at www.liverpoolpride.co.uk/march before 31st July. 

Make sure you check out liverpoolpride.co.uk, @LiverpoolPride on Twitter and search Liverpool Pride on Facebook to have your say and for all of the latest pride news.

Article posted by Musicmafia