Just back from 3 days in Liverpool for the enormous pop-slog that is IPO 
Liverpool.  Liverpool is, in a way, the ideal site for the festival - 
Matthew Street contains several venues to showcase the various bands, 
the historical significance of "The Cavern" is enough to draw in passing 
tourist trade AND the locals also seem happy to investigate what's on 
offer (undoubtedly helped by the free admission to all gigs).  These  
factors tend to ensure that venues are more consistently fuller than at 
the equivalent IPO gigs in the States.

On the down side, the free admission factor also seems to drag off the 
streets the unappealing uniquely British phenomenon that is the stag (or 
hen) weekender.  Now the hen girls tend to be harmless, out looking for 
a good laugh. Most of the stag lads are the same and interact in a good 
natured way with the bands who are trying hard to engage their audience, 
but some only seem to want to clown around with scant regard for band or 
spectators - I had to leave Farrah's gig at the Cavern back-stage 
because of some arseholes messing around with an inflatable sheep, 
completely disrespecting the band's efforts .  A blot on humanity in the 
UK, I'm afraid.

Luckily I managed to catch Farrah later at the Cavern Pub across the 
road - again they were dogged by more stag antics, but this time at 
least more good natured than before. The material off their upcoming 
"Cut Out And Keep" album sounded great, especially the song, "Awkward 
Situation", which is about "shagging your best mate"... hmmm.

Kelly's Heels rocked the Cavern Pub and Club with some oldies + a 
selection from their new album,  "Neither Use Nor Ornament".   Enjoyable 
as ever of course.
 
Pezband also contributed a couple of sets, the first at the Cavern Pub 
was a bit too loud for the size of venue, the second on the front-stage 
of the Cavern Club was just right.

Highlight of the festival for me was a stunning show from the Mellowmen 
on the Cavern front-stage.  Here is my review of it:

"I picked up these guys' album (Tomorrow's Sound Today) recently, and 
was really stoked about seeing them live.  But nothing prepared me for 
the tour-de-force of their performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool - 
they blew me and the rest of the audience away.  Set up in a diamond 
formation (drums to the rear, twin guitars and bass  in the middle and 
keyboards at the front, centre-stage), I couldn't take my eyes off the 
blistering, totally committed performance of the singer, Andreas Nyberg 
on keyboards.  Man, the dude was like Mozart on speed, Bach on 
benzedrine, Elton on E: rarely have I witnessed such intense communion 
between a man and his instrument (if you pardon my expression).  He 
Jerry-Lee'd his way through a blistering set, bug-eyed, stabbing at the 
keys, at times looking like he wanted to assasinate them should they 
fail to do his bidding. Ably backed up by his band-members, he wrung 
every last drop of pleasure from every note struck:  audience and 
performer fed off each other's pleasure in a a perfect symbiosis.  I'm 
not normally  given to hyperbole but it was THAT good.  Don't miss up on 
the chance to see these guys in action."

Finally how can I wind  up  without mentioning The Ronelles,  a 
Glaswegian  Strokes whose between-song banter was more incomprehensible 
than I could ever be! They did rock the Cavern though and got the girls 
up dancing.  A happy end to my visit.