September 2007 Archives

Things are back - mostly - to normal at the Philharmonic Hall after its watery scare last weekend.
You may recall a drain on the roof became blocked and the torrential rain caused a waterfall that cascaded down the passageway to the corporate bar and into the hall's balcony and circle - taking out the electrics in the process.
It also soaked new carpets that had been laid only a couple of weeks before, much to the horror of hall managers - and apparently the carpet layers who found themselves back there much sooner than they imagined.
It also meant the RLPO had to rehearse to the sounds of the air con going full pelt to try and dry things out, although Petrenko joked to me that it improved the acoustics! It just meant you couldn't hear the music.
But it obviously didn't cause too many problems for the orchestra who put on another quality performance on Thursday night.
As someone with their own leaky roof, I can empathise! I suspect we're both praying for a dry winter.....

So, they finally managed to secure the two living Beatles for Liverpool's culture year.
Within minutes of the Echo coming out on Thursday revealing Macca WOULD play in 2008, emails started coming in to me.
And if the number of requests I've had for ticket details is anything to go by, the Liverpool Sound concert is likely to be oversubscribed by about 10:1 at least.
I even had an agent on the phone to me yesterday asking how he could get his client (a rising young Merseyside singer - and no, it's NOT Ray Quinn) on the bill.....

Jimmy McGovern's tale of slavery and the ties - physical, emotional, familial, economic - that bind man to man has arrived at the Liverpool Empire.
It was given pretty glowing reviews by the press during its run at Salford, and now at Liverpool - including yours truly after a treat of a night out last night.
I hope people get along and see the original cast in their droves before London no doubt wakes up and beckons, and the show heads south for a West End stint.

Alas the RLPO.
Only a week into its autumn schedule and it's had to cancel concerts this weekend after the Philharmonic Hall was flooded in yesterday's torrential rain.
I was due to attend the afternoon concert tomorrow. Now there's no excuse not to do that vacuuming I've been putting off.
They say there is no lasting structural damage, but apparently the carpets (some of those new this season) and seating are sodden.
The next major concert is on Thursday - and I'm supposed to be reviewing. Will things be dried out by then I wonder?
If not, it will really start to hit the Phil in the pocket.

Despite the monsoon rain, despite the building site rubble, Liverpool should be proud of the reception it gave the QE2 yesterday.
It may not be the ship's actual 'home' (technically, as one emailer pointed out to me, that is Southampton), but Liverpool is the Cunard liner's spiritual home.
And people turned out in their thousands to see her at her berth by the new cruise liner terminal.

I hope you've all had a chance to take a look at the Liverpool Saga which the Beeb has put online.
Much of it was read by Roger McGough at a special launch in the Small Concert Room at St George's Hall at the weekend.
He reworked the verse to give a flavour of the epic - complete with the odd groan and many laughs from the audience.
The Beeb is now looking at whether the 800 verse poem could be printed in a booklet form for people to buy and keep.

If it's Wednesday it must be a 1938 Soviet film scored by Prokofiev.
Alexander Nevsky tells the stirring tale of how the Russians led by Prince Alexander fought back against German invaders and emerged victorious, proving if a man fought on his own soil he was going to win.
Alas, as we sat at FACT munching our popcorn, the Russians were losing 3-0 against England at Wembley.

I remember 'clearing' all too well. Too much watching Worcestershire play cricket at New Road left me with less than impressive A level results.
I was that close to going to Manchester Poly who bless them, offered me a place after several sleepless nights.
But in the end I opted to retake a couple of exams, come out with an A and B, and head for the university I really wanted.
Of course, Phil Redmond's idea of Cultural Clearing - revealed in today's ECHO - is slightly different and hopefully less agonising all round.

I went on a tour of the Liverpool Clipper yesterday in bright sunshine at the Albert Dock.
The crew are all so enthusiastic about what lies ahead of them, and their enthusiasm is infectious.
Not infectious enough to want to sign up though!

First there were 25. Then there were 14. Now the Culture Company board has been whittled down to half-a-dozen.
Warren Bradley, Phil Redmond and NWDA chairman Bryan Gray are heading up the new-look body and promising to deliver a corking Capital of Culture.
Well, I will be the first to congratulate them if and when they do it.
But of course the proof of the pudding will be what we end up with in 2008.