Any passing readers who happen to be artists (there are regular readers, right?) might be interested to know that the Liverpool branch of Top Man/Shop is offering the opportunity to decorate one of their walls.
Abandon all Hope – another fucking Tesco
You know, Tesco isn’t all bad. Well, OK it is – but a new Tesco store isn’t the end of the world.
However, a new Tesco store on Hope Street – slap bang in the middle of the ‘cultural quarter’, connecting two astonishing cathedrals, host to the iconic Philharmonic Hall, Everyman Theatre and Philharmonic pub and blessed with its own street festival – is a bloody awful prospect.
Announced at a time when the city council has somehow allowed a developer to destroy Josephine Butler House, the prospect of another sodding Tesco store blighting the otherwise-stunning thoroughfare is a depressing one.
Crucial playlists: Bunnymen, Wah! and Teardrop Explodes
On a particular online message board I frequent, author, journalist and pop-culture know-it-all Keith Topping holds forth on all matters pertaining to footy, cricket, music, Hammer horrors, TV and curries. Keith’s knowledge of music, film and TV is encyclopedic, but coupled to a obvious love, or sometimes loathing, of the subject matter.
The subject of essential playlists for punk and new wave bands recently cropped up, with some serious muso knowledge being thrown about. Keith knows his shit, so he allowed me to reproduce them here. I dare any Liverpool music types to attempt to better them.
Sadly, my brilliant idea to replicate the playlists on Spotify hit a hurdle with Wylie. The music jukebox has a few blank patches going back over the years, rather like…well you can probably see where I was going with that.
But, there’s Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes playlists to listen to, and if you’re of a mind to you can fit them on a CD. Until Spotify catches up with Liverpool’s three wise men, here’s the playlists.
Go to Friend Or Foe this Friday
I wouldn’t normally do this sort of thing, but Uncle Ross Charnock has been in touch to let me know about a Friend or Foe gig at the Ship & Mitre, Dale Street this weekend (Friday 7 August).
The Wild Swans at Static Gallery
Formed in 1980 by ex Teardrop Explodes keyboardist Paul Simpson, The Wild Swans cut a stylishly epic swath through Liverpool’s fertile post punk scene.
Along the way they spawned two revered splinter projects in Care and the Lotus Eaters, while all manner of other Merseyside luminaries ventured into their orbit (the Lightning Seed’s Ian Broudie, Pete DeFreitas of the Bunnymen and the Icicle Work’s Ian McNabb to name but three).
Blessed with Simpson’s Bowie-esque looks and voice, an alchemic guitar sound and a lyrical sensibility that seemed to predate Britpop’s romantic mythologizing of England by about 10 years, the Wild Swans inexplicable lack of success was a mystery that looked very unlikely to be solved.
Thankfully their recent decision to reform 21 years after their split has put forward a whole no case for them being one of Liverpool’s most underrated, seminal and downright brilliant bands.