Back to index of Nerve 13 - Winter 2008

Liverpool Working Class Music Festival

The New Picket, Jordan St.
19th - 21st September 2008

By Alun Parry

I’ve been organising music showcases within Liverpool for a couple of years now, and people know me almost as much for that as for my work as a performer. As such, people kept asking me what I’d be doing for Capital of Culture Year. I must admit that I had found the whole Capital of Culture thing pretty distant and elitist. I’ve not really kept an eye on how that developed as I went and founded AFC Liverpool. Yet certainly early on, there was a definite feeling that many shared that the Capital of Culture year was not sufficiently aimed towards people and our experiences.

Liverpool has a very proud tradition of political struggle and so it struck me that it would be an outstanding addition to the year’s events to bring the best radical songwriters to Liverpool for a weekend of subversive music.

Within one weekend of contacting the artists who I wanted to play, I had my lineup. Icons like Roy Bailey and Dick Gaughan and Leon Rosselson all replied immediately eager to be part of the event. Only Peggy Seeger and Billy Bragg were forced to decline due to commitments in the USA. In fact the only disappointment was Chumbawamba whose management agreed for them to play, only to pull out in favour of the Otley Folk Festival. Boo hiss!

The trade union movement backed the festival financially so big thanks to the North West TUC, Liverpool Unison, the Merseyside FBU, Unite, and the Communication Workers Union. Without their backing the event would not have taken place at all.

I decided to give it the title of the Liverpool Working Class Music Festival. It’s a name that caused some controversy in various quarters. Yet I felt it encapsulated the purpose of the festival, and also my motivation for founding it.

I’m glad I stuck to my guns, because As the festival approached and the media started giving it some coverage, the issue of what the term working class means was being discussed. Interesting political debates were being had in the media that simply wouldn’t have happened without the festival, and without the name. I fervently believe in music as a medium for storytelling. It was the songwriter and trades unionist Joe Hill who said that a great idea in a pamphlet may only be read once, but the same great idea in a song will be sung hundreds and thousands of times.

Radical song is part of OUR media and we should promote it. Whoever owns the airwaves these days, the Woody Guthrie style troubadour with a message to spread can still spread it with nothing more than a guitar and an audience.

Song has the power to tell our story and it has the power to educate too. There are so many issues and events that I know of as a result of hearing great radical songs.

Roy Bailey, described by Tony Benn as the greatest socialist singer of his generation, finished his set by explaining that the Liverpool Working Class Music Festival is only the second such festival in Europe.

He urged for it to be more than a one-off event and he is right. Liverpool is the ideal place to become the capital city of political song. I will be working hard to ensure that I am able to repeat the festival next September too, and make this a permanent part of Liverpool’s cultural and political calendar.
www.parryband.co.uk

Review of Friday Night by Sandra Gibson

The Friday evening began with Young Kof bringing the bite and rhythmic energy of rap to challenging effect. This scouse artist with plenty to say breaks free from the hip hop stereotype portrayed by so many wealthy rap artists. He played the audience superbly, and won over a largely folky audience with a mix of natural charm and great music. His song dedicated to Anthony Walker, 'Where Did We Go Wrong?' was genuinely moving.

Alun Parry - performing as well as organising and compering - was next with his customary blend of humour, compassionate observation and passionate political commitment to those who have no voice.

Attila The Stockbroker, whose passion for Brighton and Hove Albion formed as big a part of his public persona as his poetry, grabbed the audience by the throat with his relentless, uncompromising take on contemporary foibles.

Leon Rosselson provided an apparent contrast - or so one presumed. This slightly built and gentle troubadour was surely not the person the Daily Telegraph had in mind when they described him as 'possibly the world's most accomplished mischief maker' was he? Well any misconceptions the uninitiated might have concerning this artist soon bit the dust as his performance gained momentum.

The evening ended with Dick Gaughan - someone you'd definitely want on your side in any situation where persuasive power on any level was the issue. This impressively physical man delivered songs of brutal deeds with rigorous confidence and a passion for justice, his good-humoured, excoriating allusions to historical events bursting the bubble of cosy misconception. Although his voice did not lend itself easily to melodiousness, there was extraordinary, moving tenderness.

Review of Sunday Night by John Bohanna

John Lennon wrote about life getting in the way just when you want do something else. Never was that more identified for this writer than having to miss two of three evenings of ‘Working Class Song’ held in The Picket September/October. But I did attend the last evening which was part of an event that recognized something that has almost 100% been missed by Capital of Culture – the spoken word and song of the culture of struggle –and life. I caught the performances of Tracey Curtis who’s ‘Postcard From John Peel’ - and metaphorically speaking - was ‘read’ by all of us present, and wondered if John Peel ever did find her ‘green door- off the M4’ in Wales’ And if she ever did ‘Keep It Simple’ in teaching her children everything about the universe. As for Robb Johnson he informed us in song that he wore a ‘Real Cool Purple Shirt From the Charity Shop’ when out with his young lad (they were both chuffed when a young lady remarked on how good he looked) ‘Nice shirt Dad’ said his lad! The evening was varied in humor, hard hitting at times in lyrics, superb in music and singing with entertainment at the highest level for those who still value the sound of troubadours who carry the tradition of the telling of life and inviting the audience to engage in comment and singing. And nobody does that better than Roy Bailey - what a minstrel of his time he has been and is!

His telling of the ‘Burning Times’ when many women were tarnished with the title of witch and then executed – the never opening of the ‘Curtains of Old Joes House’ due to the prejudices of neighbours and the rousing end to the night by singing the laborers song ‘Rolling Home’ brought thoughts of how easy it is to understand difficult times and dilemmas through this art. And be encouraged not to turn away.

Alun Parry organiser of the event, Phil Hayes manager of The Picket, his staff and contributors to the three evenings, all deserve the thanks of those present and the thanks of Liverpool for while we are good at pop, and sometimes shanty, contemporary radical political/folk we are certainly short of. The last remark of the night was that ‘Liverpool/Merseyside should continue such an event for it’s been wonderful and you should make it tradition’ - Roy Bailey said that. I loudly agree – even if life does get in the way (I said that).

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Sorry Comments Closed

Comment left by Geoff on 5th December, 2008 at 15:21
Excellent! A brilliant review of a brilliant gig - thanks to everyone concerned. Liverpool continues to lead! Thanks Alun, Sandy and John.

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