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| From | "Carol-Anne Lennie" <awsg@tlennie.freeserve.co.uk> |
| Subject | IPO Liverpool |
| Date | Wed, 22 Oct 2003 20:16:21 +0100 |
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What an incredible week! For the last several years I've hovered on the
brink of coming to the US for the fest but never could make it for various
(mostly financial) reasons. So when Jean mooted the idea of maybe bringing
it Liverpool-bound, well, I could only egg her on in her enthusiasm! And so,
thanks to the combined efforts of Jean, David and Cavern City Tours it
finally happened last week - and I had a blast, there for the whole kit and
kaboodle, seeing 95% of the bands - and feeling very privileged to be able
to do so. For someone whose adoration of good pop knows no bounds, it was a
dream experience. And meeting so many cool people (many residing here) made
it all the more memorable!
I hope to write a fuller appreciation of it all at some point (my eyes are
still sore from too much smoke and too little sleep!) but for now I'll just
mention a few of the highlights: Wendy Ip; Shiner22 (had heard some stuff
from their site beforehand - and they didn't disappoint!); Bailey (the band
most likely to break into the 'mainstream' perhaps); the Harmony Grass
'collective' who did a great job and reached some real 'moments' with those
arrangements - got a dedication before 'Mrs Ritchie' which made my day!;
Cheese (most impressed with their guitarist/drummer - great songs); General
Store (cool country-rock with a few interesting musical connections lurking
in there); Lucky Bishops; Sean Macreavy/Landys (along with Pugwash who
played Sunday afternoon the band most worthy of an 'evening top spot' next
time around?); The Singles (the Merseybeat sound haunts the Cavern with a
vengeance. Wonderful band!!!); The Protones; Pugwash; Bronco Bullfrog;
Jeremy (what a night THAT was!!); Rockfour (in fact the whole Rainbow Quartz
evening was great); Stingray Green; The Mighty Stars (short and sweet Mod
tunes with a young guy doing his best Dennis Waterman impression. How could
they fail?!) ... last but not least Spain's Winnery's who achieved the
impossible (what with Mr Bash with his finger poised and all that!) and got
TWO encores!! Perfect Beatlesque pop so cheeky in its execution the crowd
getting off on the endless musical in-joke(s) could do nothing but stand
there in awe. THE band of the week for me. If you like that sort of thing
(and who doesn't), check out their album 'And... The Winnerys'. You won't be
disappointed.
Finally hellos to the folks I met - some of whom may be here - the lovely
Bob Kelly and Katy, Bob Hutton, Mark Herschberger; my fellow Marc Bolan nuts
Bruce Brodeen and Bob Mootz (and Karen); of course David and Jean. And
anyone I've forgotten! It was good to share the music with you guys.
Happily it seemed like Cavern/IPO combo was a winning one (the staggered
starts worked particularly well, the arches were great to lurk in and
watch - and there was an all-round great atmosphere) - let's hope it's an
annual thing!!!
Rics rule!!!
Carol-Anne x
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