Mathew Street Festival

Colin and Mike and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon at the Mathew Street Festival. We stayed mainly at the Williamson Square stage which was hosting local acts - the "Made in Liverpool" stage.

We enjoyed Amsterdam and our favourite China Crisis that you may recall I met outside the Richmond one night. At that time I was not really familiar with them, but have now seen them twice - on the same stage - and really enjoy them. You wont be looking to me for a music review and anyway there  must be lots more out there on the net for you to read, but I will say that both acts were great. I do really enjoy watching Liverpool's own musicians on this special celebration weekend.

I am not sure this chap was all that impressed though, he spent the China Crisis set reading his paper and eating his sarnies.

From there we walked down to the Albert Dock to see who was playing on the floating stage. I had read about it in the paper but there was little publicity, if any, on the day, so it was a shame to see so few people watching the Mersey Cats. If you like to watch your music in lots of space and in a family-friendly atmosphere I can recommend this one for next year.

We walked from there past the Derby Square stage and popped into the Town Hall for a quick coke, taking the opportunity to stand on the balcony, where the Beatles once stood, and look out over the crowds. We also each bought a £3 wrist band to help fund the event.

From there we went back to the stage at Williamson Square for some more home grown music.

It was disappointing to read during the following week, complaints about yobbish behaviour by youths throwing bottles and causing trouble at the stage by the Mersey Tunnel entrance. All I can say is that at the stages that I visited and spent time at, there was no trouble at all. Everyone was very well behaved and pensioners bopped and sang happily next to parents with small children. It may be that the sheer size and scale of that particular stage and its setting makes it more difficult to control and manage, something for organisers to think about for next year.

We certainly had a marvellous time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Another great event from Liverpool City Council and its partners.