Ok, here’s all the info for this year’s Festival…
Liverpool Mathew Street Music Festival 2009
* Record 11 themed stages at 2009 Mathew Street Music Festival.
* China Crisis, The Christians, YES drummer Alan White and Phil Easton tribute stage among highlights.
* MSMF Fringe expands to 3 days with double the number of indoor venues on 2008.
* New interactive website launched today: http://www.mathewstreetfestival.com
Liverpool City Council today unveiled the most diverse programme in the 17-year history of the Mathew Street Music Festival.
Highlights of Europe’s biggest FREE annual music festival includes shows by legendary Liverpool bands China Crisis and The Christians plus special guest appearances by famed rock drummer Alan White, formerly of 70s supergroup YES, who also performed on John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’, and Grammy-Award winning guitarist Albert Lee.
And for the first time at the festival there will be stages hosting Country and Irish music, with a record 11 different themes programmed across six outdoor stages over the Sunday and Monday of the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 30-31).
On Monday the Williamson Square stage will pay tribute to Radio City DJ Phil Easton, featuring the late broadcasters favourite bands and music (including China Crisis) – musical influences that shaped Liverpool over the past 30 years.
Launched last year the MSMF Fringe has grown to cover three days (Saturday-Monday) with 45 indoor venues – double the number last year – hosting Liverpool’s hottest new bands.
* A new, more interactive festival website was also launched today http://www.mathewstreetfestival.com with full listings and band information and links the festival for the first time to the biggest social networking sites – Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.
Over 80 hours of live outdoor music has been programmed for the city council funded festival, with 95 of the best original and tribute acts bands from as far as USA, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Switzerland, Russia, Sweden and Scotland covering hits by greats such as Queen, Blondie, Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Kings of Leon, Paul Weller and the Scizzor Sisterz.
The outdoor stages will operate from 11am to 6pm on both days, with indoor venues offering live music from 12 noon until the early hours.
This year’s MSMF Fringe contains highlights such as Dave Monks’ BBC sessions at Chavasse Park on Sunday afternoon to all day gigs at the Zanzibar and Masque on Seel Street, from acoustic sessions at the world famous Parr Street Studio 2 to music and film with Urban Strawberry Lunch in St Luke’s bombed out church.
Seel Street will also be transformed by live pavement art from Urban Canvas and overrun by camera crews taking part in the Fringe 48-hour film challenge.
More than 200,000 people are expected in Liverpool for the festival, which is organised by Culture Liverpool at Liverpool City Council, and acts as the climax of International Beatles Week.
The themed outdoor stages on Sunday for the 2009 Mathew Street Music Festival are:
* Queensway Tunnel – Rock
* Derby Square – Beatles
* Superlambanana stage (Tithebarn Street) – USA
* Exchange Street East – Merseycats Then – Sponsored by Liverpool Echo
* Water Street – Country – Sponsored by BBC Radio Merseyside
* Williamson Square – 80’s – Sponsored by City Talk 105.9
For Monday 31 August 2009:
* Queensway Tunnel – Contemporary – Radio City
* Derby Square – Beatles
* Superlambanana stage – Ireland
* Exchange Street East – Merseybands Today – Sponsored by Liverpool Echo
* Water Street – HMS Garlands
* Williamson Square – Tribute to Phil Easton – Sponsored by Radio City
The official programme for the Mathew Street Music Festival 2009 is due out by the second week of August and can be downloaded from the website.