Liverpool '99

Page 1

(Don't forget to check out the photo's on page 3)

The end of August every year sees the annual pilgrimage to the ‘Holy Land’ – Liverpool. Beatles Ireland was better represented this year than ever before with some 30 odd (and I do mean odd!) members travelling and it must be said we definitely made our presence felt - and heard! The craic, as they say, was mighty and the focal point was the music.

Beatle week began on Thursday with a tribute to Paul McCartney in his old Alma Mater, now known as LIPA - The Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts. The audience was very hushed and respectful which felt a little weird, but the opening act, a Swedish band called Swing - who did just that - were absolutely brilliant and played Macca songs that even I had not heard; they were followed by a weird German who was what I would describe as a kind of cross between Karaoke Paul and Cabaret Paul!! ‘Nuff said!!

Next our old friend Lawrence Gilmour came out for his first ever-solo performance. Was he nervous? You bet!! Then when Bob Bartry and his famed ‘Wings’ tribute group ‘Banned On The Run’ played, the house rocked to highlights from ‘Band On The Run’ and a few from other lesser-known albums. Bob tends to play the more obscure songs in the Macca repertoire, but eventually he had to play Soily or the audience would have killed him! And a fantastic job he did too. A great opening night.

Friday afternoon there was a strange concert in The Adelphi Ballroom. First we had the usual polished show by ‘Clube Big Beatles’ from Brazil, and then the worst band of the convention ‘The Punkles’ performed, who figured that how they played was how The Beatles would have sounded in the 70’s!!!! I don’t think so, guys!

Friday night.

The Royal Court Theatre and possibly one of the highlights of the week was a performance by the impossibly good-looking and incredibly talented Beats from Argentina. These guys are so good that they even have their own little fan section in Beatle Monthly! (read the messages section). The Beats brought the full show to Liverpool this year - from Hamburg to the Apple Building - and anyone who has ever seen this band will not be surprised to hear that there were tears in my eyes when they played ‘The End’. They are SO GOOD! (And I know I was not the only person touched by the performance that night).

Friday – late

Party at The Adelphi; it transpires that someone has burned down the nightclub!! What about the rest of the bloody place!!!! I still think that The Adelphi has to be the WORST hotel I have ever stayed in, giving credence to Beatles Ireland’s favourite haunt, The North Western! Anyway, I can’t remember the party - it must have been good!!!!

Saturday morning.

Another highlight (yes, there WERE that many highlights!). It was the 40th Anniversary of The Casbah Club, Pete Best’s hang-out, and the Best family were holding a garden party in their home to celebrate the event. It was a glorious summer’s day and when we arrived in West Derby - a beautiful area of Merseyside (very posh!) - we chilled out in the garden and listened to the wonderful music being played by many of the bands which were to feature during festival week. It was a lovely lovely day, and we made the most of it. Beatles Ireland made a special presentation to Pete Best of a Waterford Crystal dish together with a plaque commemorating the day and, I kid you not, there was definitely a tear in his eye which really took me by surprise.

He is a lovely man and I feel privileged to have met both him and his family. Meanwhile Pete Brennan was driving me mad!! He was like a cat on a griddle! - so many Celebs. - whom to talk to - whom to video!! I chilled out with Tess, Tony (x2), Nigel, John, Neil and all the rest of the Beatles Ireland gang and let Pete get on with it, since he seemed to be enjoying himself!!

There was a really good art gallery opposite our Hotel - The George Gallery - a beautiful imposing building, and Harry Prytherch, (friend of Beatles Ireland and former Remo Four stixman) had told us about a Beatles Art Show which was taking place at the gallery, so we decided to check it out. It was really good; all pieces were for sale, most of them done by local artists. I bought a lovely painting of Paul that now has pride of place in my home.

Saturday Night - Royal Court Theatre

Headlining: Gary Gibson and Anthology whom we all know and love; but the show opened with ‘Clube Big Beatles’ doing an unusual acoustic set together with a couple of their own numbers thrown in - and very nice it was too after all the hectic Rock n’ Roll we had heard earlier. It was very soothing. The next band was introduced, a group of four session musicians from New York. Sounds good so far! The Bass player came out wearing the meanest mustard suit I have ever seen, looking cool, and when the drummer came on wearing a pork-pie hat and a purple velvet shirt I knew we were in for a treat. I wasn’t wrong! This band, ‘Fab Faux’ were the hit of the convention. They were hot, tight and they knew the stuff backwards, and ‘though I hate to say this, their version of Helter Skelter was better than the original!

Honestly, the hairs on the back of my neck were bristling!! They were brilliant. I was to see them twice more, and they never disappointed. After that Gary almost seemed like an anti-climax, but of course his show was terrific and included a little cameo by Howie Casey who played a lovely saxversion of Macca’s ‘My Love’. Somehow Gary managed to pull off another triumph with a really good tribute to John.

Later, back we headed to the Adelphi for a party, and then to our hotel for the after-party party! By this stage we had already established that no-one goes to bed until light!! So you could say that the parties were good!!

Sunday - Convention day.

If anyone has any energy left - and funnily enough we do – the Convention is where we are heading to spend any cash we may have managed to keep back on unimportant little collectors items, or that one album we need to complete our collection. Beatles Ireland was represented for the first time. We had our own stall in the latter half of the day and the interest that our Beatles Ireland magazine, and our by now famous Yellow Submarine Tee-Shirt generated, was way beyond our expectations. Well done Beatles Ireland members. It appears that they like us!! This day contained so much, it is impossible to describe - go there and see for yourself!!

We had live music all day, and since by this stage we had already seen any band that were to play, people began to drift in and out, staying to see the current faves or not, as the mood took them. We had the usual nonsense of the by now famous Eileen Downey (Adelphi Manager) trying NOT to let people into the VIP party, even those with prepaid tickets; so we didn’t bother, going to the bar instead for a sing-song. Bed at 9 as usual!!

Monday - Yellow Submarine Day.

With 350,000 people thronging the streets of Liverpool, and with three different music festivals happening in one day!!! Hats off to Cavern City Tours who organized the whole thing and who this year, for the first time, got the full backing of ‘Apple’. Rumours were abounding all day that there would be an appearance by an actual Beatle because the world premiere of the new digitally restored movie ‘Yellow Submarine’ was to be held in The Royal Philharmonic Hall that night; and Geoff Baker (Paul’s publicist) and Neil Aspinall had already been spotted over the weekend - some said to ‘suss out the scene’.

I cannot help feeling that they were impressed, as Beatle people from all over the world were having a party to beat all parties, and according to police, there were only five arrests, and all for drunkenness!! Not bad, eh? We drank in the atmosphere of the day - another glorious one - and Nicola, Alison and I went to hear the live music in Castle Street where The Beatles made their famous homecoming; and again the best band was rocking it up on a wonderful 60ft. ‘Yellow Submarine’ stage especially constructed for the day by Cavern City Tours. Well done guys - it was a terrific day.

After that it was back to the hotel at a dash to get ready for the film’s premiere. With electric anticipation we arrived at the theatre, our precious tickets in hand (it had long ago been a sell-out), and took our seats trying desperately to appear nonchalant!! Pete in the meantime was doing his impression of John Pilger!! With camcorder and honestly-obtained press-pass in hand (I don’t know who he charmed, but I am not surprised!!) he was hard at work and apparently got some really good footage of Sir George Martin, and all of the people who were involved in the making and restoration of the film, including Geoff Hughes ( formerly Coronation Street dustman!) who did Paul’s voice in the movie. We no doubt will be shown this world exclusive at some future date, won’t we Pete?

The movie was superb, with the audience singing along to the wonderfully enhanced soundtrack, and with ‘Hey Bulldog!’ getting a particular cheer. It was a magical experience, not to be missed. I understand from a reliable source that Paul phoned one hour before the film began to apologise for not being able to make it due to a family commitment he which couldn’t get out of (babysitting perhaps?). It was close folks - maybe next year?

After the film Lenny Pane came on stage to play the soundtrack, and were joined by Gary Gibson for ‘Hey Bulldog’ and for a couple of other numbers. I have to say that having heard all of the great bands (and Lenny Pane are said to be the best) that they were a little cold. The only time the show came alive was when Gary was on stage; it was a little disappointing and I wouldn’t be surprised were Lenny Pane to break up soon. Their hearts were just not in it.

Party! Yes, once again it’s back to The Adelphi Ballroom which by this stage has run out of drink!! We had told them that the Irish were coming, but would they listen?

Anyway, they only ran out of beer, so we made do with ‘shorts’ and danced another night away. Around 3ish we could hear the sound of Macca music from the main hall. Bob Bartry and his band were having a drunken jam session, so we stayed, had a whale of a time, had breakfast and collapsed into bed at 9 (well, at least we were consistent!).

Tuesday.

Yes, we were still alive – just - and we headed to The Cavern Club for another day of live music. Five bands played, including Lawrence Gilmour and the excellent Instant Karma. Another great day of music. Winding down was supposed to be the order of the day but, of course we danced the night away yet again!

Wednesday.

Pub! We went to The Cavern pub, and sat there as different friends from all over the world drifted in and out exchanging addresses, telephone numbers and e-mails, and generally (finally!) chilling out. Not even the knowledge that I had given up a seat in The President’s Boxfor the match between Ireland and Yugoslavia later that night could dampen my spirits!!! No greater love hath a Beatles fan than……….!

By Pat Moore

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