April 2008 Archives

The ambitious 2008 Writing on the Wall festival starts tomorrow.
I say ambitious, because organisers have taken a leap of faith for Capital of Culture year and have extended the usual week-long litfest into a whole month.
Good for them and I really hope people come out and support the myriad of events.
Alongide the obviously big names such as Tony Benn and Stephen Poliakoff, there are a host of other very interesting talks, performances and literary competitions planned.
I'll be highlighting as many as possible in the diary section of the 08 Days a Week page, but WoW has also had 10,000 glossy brochures printed so grab one from the TIC, libraries or venues and go for it.......

What were you doing at 11.30 on Friday night?
I bet you weren't marginally merry and singing along to Lily the Pink while John Gorman made up rude lyrics.
That's where I found myself, at the 20th anniversary Scouseology awards over at the Crowne Plaza.

I think I may be becoming hooked on auditions.
Not doing them myself, but sitting in on them.
Maybe I need to start a branch of the AA - auditions anonymous?
After last week when we saw 92 hopefuls in our search for a cast member for Evita (then six of them back again for a second stint on Friday), yesterday I found myself back in the chair.

I went back to the Art in the Age of Steam Exhibition at the weekend.
It was free of marauding Michael Palin fans but full of families which was fantastic to see.
I also took the opportunity to pop down to the Conservation Centre where images from the vast Stuart Bale archive are currently on display in "Metropolis".
It was really fascinating - I loved the images of the digging of the Queensway tunnel, and the shop window displays from the 1930s.
The images show you exactly the reason we should be so proud of our wonderful city.
And if you go on a Sunday, there is live lunchtime jazz in the centre's cafe to boot.

The figures which keep coming out showing increased numbers of visitors to Liverpool arts and cultural venues are extremely good news.
But as a "professional tourist" myself in countries all over the world, I really feel for anyone turning up in the city these days - let alone those of us who live here 24/7, 365 days a year (366 in 2008!).
Because these blasted roadworks seem to be getting worse not better.
So apologies to the eternally optimistic or the non-drivers among you, but I feel on the edge of a rant!

We're all well aware in Liverpool of the "Petrenko effect" on the Phil.
But last night I witnessed the "Palin effect" on a room full of people at the Walker Art Gallery.
The former Python, actor, writer and travel guru was at the gallery to open the Art in the Age of Steam Exhibition.
And fans were out in force.

(Michael Palin moments before he was mobbed)

Apparently Paul McCartney is a dab hand at mixing a margarita.
Macca has been sunning himself in 98F degree temperatures in Morocco this week but also took time out to teach staff at his hotel how to mix the perfect cocktail.
Brother Mike explained what had been going on when we had a chat at the opening of the Walker Art Gallery's Art in the Age of Steam exhibition last night.

I've been meaning to write about the Evita auditions but we didn't finish until teatime on Monday and I actually had a day off work yesterday.
Having seen the Maria/Joseph/Pop Idol etc auditions on the TV, it was very interesting to sit in on something similar in the flesh.
And it certainly wasn't as heartless as some of those telly ordeals can be.
Musical director David Steadman, who led the audition panel, was so kind and encouraging.

After all the waiting, after all the preparing, after all the agonising over the reverse turn, the Viennese Balls came - and went - at the weekend.
And it all looked fantastic in St George's Hall as everyone gamely got on their feet and gave it a go.
Yes, including me, although frustratingly not as much as I would have liked.
I was really quite pleased with my waltz steps in the run up, but alas I couldn't find a partner who could take me on an entire circuit of the hall without either needing to stop for a breather or count out the steps.
That's my excuse anyway!

"You know who I'd really love to see at the ECHO Arena?" I mentioned to ACC's Emma McHarrie during a visit to the waterfront site a few weeks ago. "Duran Duran."
And today my request has been answered in a way Jim never did manage to fix!
Ladies of a certain age (and yes, I include myself in that category as well - I discovered - as a surprising number of other women in the office) greeted the news the former wild boys would be appearing at the Summer Pops with something approaching the squeals we used to emit more than 20 years ago.
It's our chance to re-live the heady days of the 1980s, just without the pixie boots, string scarves and John Taylor-inspired trilby hats.