LIGHTNING SEEDS SET FOR MERSEY FINALE
Pop legends The Lightning Seeds are to headline Europe’s biggest free city centre music festival.
Led by Ian Broudie, the band famous for hits such as ‘Life of Riley’, ‘Pure’, ‘Lucky You’ and ‘Three Lions’, will perform at the four-day Mathew Street Music Festival on Sunday, August 27.
The special one-hour greatest hits gig will be their first in Liverpool since the millennium and will be played at the world famous Pier Head in front of an estimated 20,000 people.
Broudie, who has not toured for seven years until this summer to promote the recently released ‘Very Best Of’ album, is preparing for an emotional homecoming. This is their final gig of the year and ”the last for some time”.
He said: ”I can’t wait for this one. Mathew Street is where I got my musical education, borrowing records off the owner of Eric’s club, then helping bands unload their gear to eventually DJ-ing there and then joining Big In Japan. For our final gig of the tour to be at this festival means I’ll be coming full circle.”
Currently producing The Coral’s new album and with plans on making his next album for 2007, Broudie added: ”To play on the shores of the Mersey in front of a home crowd of thousands is special. I’m really excited. We’ll be playing a selection of our biggest hits with some covers and hopefully the sun will shine to make it an unforgettable day.”
A self-confessed Beatles-fan who can uniquely claim have been born on Penny Lane and grew up in Menlove Avenue – childhood home of John Lennon, Broudie added he’s be hoping to catch some of the Beatles tribute acts over the weekend.
As well as The Lightning Seeds, festival organisers – the Liverpool Culture Company – have focused on showcasing home-grown talent, from the famous to the unsigned, to celebrate the 2006 Capital of Culture themed year – Liverpool Performs.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra will open the festival for the first time with an open-air concert on the Pier Head at 7.30pm on Friday, August 25.
And from Saturday to Monday there will be a dedicated new band stage at the Pier Head which will feature 31 new or unsigned Liverpool bands.
The first hour on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-12noon, will be dedicated to the winners of an X-factor style music competition called Streetwaves, held across the city’s seven neighbourhoods.