THIS bank holiday weekend will see more than 150 live acts, from 20 countries turn Liverpool’s Sefton Park into the free music mecca of the North West.
'Liverpool is the place to be for music lovers this August'
The Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) has already kicked off with a sell-out MTV gig at Camp and Furnace which saw chart-toppers Ella Eyre, Jess Glynne and Becky Hill perform in an intimate gig which will be featured on MTV later this year.
But the council-run event, now in its second year, has not been without its froth already.
Pete Wylie has pulled out of a LIMF event with the exciting promise of a "full live set from Boy George" this Thursday. The "part time rock star, full time legend" said his protest was in response to library closures and to Mayor Joe Anderson's announcement that the council would not be sacking security company G4S, which has contracts with the Israeli government, from its role patrolling LIMF at Sefton Park this weekend. See panel below.
But the show goes on. Assembly Point Sessions conducted by Grammy award winning producer Steve Levine, takes place at St George's Hall and includes Bernard Butler, Tim Burgess, Hollie Cook Mark King and, of course, BG.
Jess Glynne performs
Highlights of each day:
Friday (22 August) – Event opens at 6pm – 9.30pm
Performance by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Starting at 7.30pm, they will be joined by Ian Broudie and The Lightning Seeds. This concert will be hosted and broadcast by Classic FM.
Saturday (23 August) – Noon-6pm
Central Stage tribute bands. All you Need is Love (The Beatles), Rocks Off (Rolling Stones) and Who’s Next (The Who) are some of the acts taking to the stage
Throughout the rest of the park Stylo G, Bird, Jus Now, Science of the Lamps and Swindle. Sophia Ben-Yousef, who scooped the title of LIMF One to Watch in 2013, also takes to the bandstand.
In the evening the Palm House will house ‘You Are Here’ which brings together musicians from the UK, France and Russia. £5 tickets can be bought on the LIMF website.
Sunday (24 August) – Noon -6pm
Central Stage: Shaggy, Kid Creole, Goldie and BBC Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Robbo Ranx.
Throughout the rest of the park: Vancouver Sleep Clinic, By the Sea, Taylor Fowlis, Full Crate x Mar and Kate Tempest among others.
Monday (25 August) – Noon -7pm
Juice FM will bring a pop edge to Central Stage. DJ Fresh will headline with what he describes as ‘future jungle’. Foxes will play tracks from her top 5 album, electro-girl group Neon Jungle, Lemar, The Hoosiers and local favourites Tea Street Band will perform. There will also be a special homecoming for Grammy nominated artist Marsha Ambrosius.
The It’s Liverpool Stage takes on the ‘legends’ mantle. Expect The Farm, John Power, Clinic and Ian Prowse and Amsterdam. On the International Emerging Sounds Stage Rustie and Evian Christ will perform.
LIMF Music Curator, Yaw Owusu, said: “We’ve already had a fantastic start to this year’s LIMF with the success of MTV and there’s a huge amount of anticipation around the events still to come.
“It’s clichéd but there really will be something for everyone. It’s safe to say, Liverpool is the place to be for music lovers this August.”
Full information on everything LIMF related can be found at www.limfestival.com or follow @limfestival on Twitter or Liverpool International Music Festival on Facebook.
The site also includes a Festival Rules section which advises festival-goers that glass of any kind is not allowed on site, along with other items including barbecues, air horns and fireworks.
The FAQ section also advises there is no parking available around the park, and visitors should use public transport. Good luck with that.
Wah! is over: That Pete Wylie statement
Pete Wylie"Further to recent revelations about Liverpool Council's decision to continue with the security contract with G4S, combined with their destructive stance on the city's vital library service I am withdrawing my involvement from this year's Liverpool International Music Festival.
"I cannot condone or work with a Council that sees fit to engage with G4S, a company allegedly complicit in Israeli human rights abuses. The Council has been given an opportunity to make a positive stance and to end its association with the security company and no sufficient reason has been given not to take this opportunity.
"As a musician and artist I absolutely condemn the proposed closures of 11 of Liverpool's 18 libraries. This is a move that is in direct opposition to the ethos of a creative festival, and I cannot subscribe to the utter hyprocrisy that all is well and thriving in a city that sees fit to destroy the essential educational, social and cultural service that the libraries provide. Liverpool Council's desire to show a positive public image conflicts absolutely with the policies it adopts at grass roots level, which show no regard for the actual fundamental needs of the city."
