Review - Day one of Soundcity 2011

On the first day Liverpool created Soundcity and they created over 300 bands at various venues around the great city and they saw that it was good. I started my 3 day pilgrimage at the bombed out church to see Ragz only to find out the she was no longer playing.

So it was with heavy heart, that I decided to head across to the Masque theatre to see the Wicked Whispers only to find an empty theatre and the band still setting up long into when they should have been playing. I was beginning to think someone had played a grand practical joke and no bands were actually playing the festival. Luckily in the Ink room I finally found a band that were on stage playing and this happened to be a London band called Jimmy's Parade, who turned out to be a little gem. For a young band they had a lot of confidence and the tunes were upbeat and infectious.

My spirits rose. So I headed over to Mojo to catch The Liberty Vessels, the Liverpool band making quite a stir on the scene and I can see why. There guys are about 17 or 18 but they sound and play like people twice their age. Lead singer's voice sounds like it should be emanating from a 30 year old man. The energy pouring out of him as he leaps and bounds around the tiny Mojo stage, kicking glasses across the stage and reaching out to the audience pleading for them to join him in his angst and them mesmerised at what they were witnessing. For me though.it was time for a quick dash over to the o2 to see another band getting rave reviews,The Rialto Burns. A great band that I've been meaning to catch for some time now.They played a storming set though far too short in my opinion.

Then it was time to hot-foot it to the Bombed out church to see The Kooks. I was greeted with the site of a queue going half way round the church Once inside the place was only half full. Not sure what the deal was there but I put it down to that old faithful, health and safety.
The Kooks though didn't fail to please. In the glorious surroundings of the bombed out church,Soundcity surely have a gem in a location here.The Kooks played a lot of their new album which they informed the the ravenous crowd was the first time they had played it live. Their were a few epic songs from the new stuff but overall a more sombre collection of songs. The old faithfuls were pulled out though in the form of Naive and Ooh-la-la much to the screeching pleasure of the crowd.

Last, but not least, it was over once again to The Masque Theatre for Steve Mason. The last time we saw him he played a storming set at the Kazimier and this time round only the decor had changed. Steve emerged in a heavily padded jacket to start off with a solo acoustic track and once completed the other members of the band joined him to kick into "am I just a man" and "Lost and Found" but not before urging the crowd to move forward towards him "come to water,come to water" he chanted. The crowd warmed up,Steve warmed up and I relaxed, knowing that day one had been completed and from a jittery start had been a great first day at Soundcity

To be continued......