Low Down May 2013

MAY 2013

The definitive Liverpool listings guide

EDDIE IZZARD MARATHON MAN

SOUND CITY FESTIVAL ERIC STEWART EXCLUSIVE BASTILLE

FREE

Chris Wood

Thea Gilmore

with strings and special guests Friday 10 May 8pm £15-£24.50

Steve Earle & The Dukes plus The Mastersons Friday 31 May 7.30pm £26, £34

Tuesday 21 May 7.30pm St George’s Hall Concert Room £15

Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald

Saturday 15 June 8pm The Blade Factory at Camp & Furnace £10

After 8

Pink Martini

with the Royal Liverpool Nasher Philharmonic Orchestra

Loudon

Gretchen Wainwright III Peters

After 8

Elvis Costello & The Imposters!

13 Revolvers Tour

EXTRA DATE ADDE

D

Jimmy Carr Gagging Order Saturday 13 July 8pm £25, £31

An Intimate Evening with

7.30pm £26.50-£42.50

Reginald D Hunter

In the Midst of Crackers

Dead Belgian Friday 14 June 8.30pm Rodewald Suite £12

Friday 14 June 8pm £23, £29

SOLD OUT

Stewart Lee Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells ‘For Two’ Saturday 20 July 7.30pm £21, £27

Tuesday 21 May 7.30pm £22.50, £28.50

Saturday 11 May 8.30pm Rodewald Suite £12

Friday 12 April Wednesday 8 May 8.30pm £12

Tuesday97March May Saturday 7.30pm The Epstein Theatre £22.50,£19.50 £28.50 7.30pm

Monday 10 June 8pm £37.50-£47.50

Lizzie Nunnery

Lee Nelson

Much A-Stew About Nothing

Sunday 13 October 8pm £20, £26

Lucinda Williams

Thursday 27 June 7.30pm £19.50-£29.50

ON SALE NOW Box Office 0151 709 3789 liverpoolphil.com

WELCOME

Welcome to another bumper issue of Low Down, the interactive listings and entertainment guide.

May is an absolute belter and we have literally struggled to fit everything in this month. You will have seen our exclusive cover star and you can read our fantastic interview with the wonderful Mr Eddie Izzard.

There is an absolute wealth of major talent visiting the city this month including Alicia Keys, Mark Knopfler, Roger Hodgson and loads more.

We have a chat with Dave Pitchilingi about the first big festival of the year and feature a whole raft of bands who are taking part. We also talk to the elusive rock legend Eric Stewart about his amazing ongoing career.

Finally we are pleased to welcome some new monthly talent to the Low Down stable in the form of Saeed our new resident fitness guru and Laura our new fashionista. We look forward to their new monthly columns about health, fitness and fashion.

Don’t forget we have even more of everything over at the Low Down website www.thelowdownmagazine. com and you can sign up for our new weekly newsletter and have the latest news and competitions emailed to you every week.

If you haven’t already then download the free Layar app and scan the pages, we have interactive content embedded throughout the magazine.

PAUL

The pages in this magazine have been enriched with Layar and contain digital content that you can view using your smartphone. Use this simple guide to see how it works.

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2

3

4

THIS MONTH HIGHLIGHTS 04

Lowdown selections for May

NEWS & PREVIEWS 06 FOOD & DRINK 12

Nolita Cantina/Archers Ice Cream

SPORT 14 COMPETITIONS 19

Win loads of stuff!

ARTS & CULTURE 19 COMEDY 26 Eddie Izzard Interviewed

MUSIC 28

Bastille, Eric Stewart, Noah and the Whale

ALBUM REVIEWS 31 FILM & TV 50

Trance/Spring Breakers

FASHION 52 HEALTH 53 LISTINGS 55

EDITORIAL

Paul Tsanos, Jen Perkin, Toni Garden DESIGN

Jason Powell view this page

with

LISTINGS

Aline Dornbrack

Scan

CONTRIBUTORS

Step 1: Download the free Layar app for iPhone or Android.

Step 2: Look for pages with the Layar logo.

Step 3: Open the Layar app, hold the phone above the page and tap to scan it.

Step 4: Hold your phone above the page to view the interactive content.

Anna Kennedy, Ryan Kenny, Ian Prowse, Dave Bullen, Janie Phillips, Adam Coxon, Dave Monks, Saeed Olayiwola, Laura Richardson

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES T. 0151 538 5224 ads@thelowdownmagazine.com LOWDOWN MEDIA LTD T. 0151 538 5224 www. thelowdownmagazine.com twitter.com/thelowdownmag facebook.com/thelowdownmagazine E: info@thelowdownmagazine.com PHOTOS LFC/TRFC images shutterstock.

Jon Byrne photo by Amanda Coplans Printed by Custom Print.

Published by LowDown Media LTD

LOWDOWN MAY

HIGHLIGHTS 1st May Mickey Flannagan Philharmonic Hall

2nd May Samsara Capstone Theatre

3rd May Russell Kane Philharmonic Hall

9th May Star Trek Into Darkness FACT

5th Eddie Izzard Echo Arena

4th Midnight screening Pulp Fiction Plaza Cinema

11th May Alt J O2 Academy

14-18th May Blue Remembered Hills Liverpool Playhouse

05

18th Alicia Keys Echo Arena

19th May Mark Knopfler Echo Arena

18th Jon Byrne

28th May Roger Hodgson Philharmonic Hall

18th May Laurel and Hardy Woolton Cinema

Studio 2

20-25th May Priscilla Queen of the Desert Empire Theatre

29th May The Boy With Tape On His Face Unity Theatre

LOWDOWN MAY

NEWS

Hope Street Cancelled

The Hope Street Feast released a statement late last month to announce the sad news that this year’s feast has been cancelled.

In a heartfelt statement they shared their disappointment at not being able to obtain the funds needed to put on the festivities. Another victim of public spending being tightened in all the wrong places, it seems the shortfall was approximately £10,000 which was needed for traffic management. Despite calling in as many favours as they could, organisers just couldn’t ignore the gap in their budget.

Liverpool Central Library Re-opening

After what seems a lifetime, Liverpool Central Library will finally be opening its doors to the public once again this month. After a £50m refurbishment the building has undergone a full facelift, restoring the grade two listed parts of the building which date back to 1850. There have also been some new features added to the building, including some snazzy new computers, wi-fi and some fancy gadgets to get the kids back in the library.

Coinciding with Liverpool Light night, the Library will opening its doors and starting the festivities for a month long literary festival, placing a carousel container outside the library containing some of history’s best loved novels that will spring to life when selected bringing Alice in Wonderland and other characters of fiction to life on the outer walls of the Library. Rob Vale, from digital projection experts Illuminos, said: “Through the projection artwork we’re hoping to bring the building to life, to catch some of that sense of wonder that we can all experience when we open a book and our imaginations run wild.”

Doors open at 10am on May 17th and the wonder begins outside just after 9pm, staying open til midnight.

On Your Bike!

Mayor Joe Anderson is set to get all our hearts pumping this autumn with the introduction of up to 1,000 bicycles for hire in the Liverpool.

Available from over 100 access points across the city, the scheme has been likened to the ‘Boris Bikes’ that Boris Johnson introduced to London in 2010. Lovingly dubbed “The Scouse-Cycles” our new scheme is yet to confirm who they will be getting into bed with but have apparently been courting 6 big investors and are hoping to secure a 10 year partnership.

Costs to set up and keep the bikes in shape have been reported at £1.5m, £1.3m of which will come from Merseyside’s Local Sustainable Transport fund and the other £175,00 will be funded by Liverpool City Council. Here’s hoping that some of that money will go to making cycle proficiency and road safety a priority, as we all join the bicycle race .

Liverpool’s oldest independent bookshop a not-for-profit workers’ co-operative & women’s collective

Laugh Your Way Around Liverpool

Launching on May 4, a brand new comedy show will be hitting the road and taking their audience on a laugh a minute tour of some of the city’s most interesting locations.

Guests will enjoy a welcome glass of Bucks Fizz - or orange juice - at the popular Spice Lounge restaurant at Albert Dock, before boarding the Comedy Coach Tour for an hour long trip around the city, complete with comic impressions, tall tales and plenty of wry wit.

Providing the comedy commentary during the tour will be local comedian, Mark Langley, who is well known among Liverpool’s comedy scene and has worked with some of the the country’s biggest comic stars including Steve Coogan, Jason Manford and John Bishop.

“Liverpool is known the world over for its cracking sense of humour” says Langley “As a city we have probably produced more great comics than anywhere else, from the likes of Ken Dodd to John Bishop.

Comedy Coach Tour is one great idea which makes you wonder why it hasn’t been thought of before!”

Tickets are £18 with a discount for groups of four. For more information visit www.comedycoachtour.com

GIT Awards Winner

Last month saw Baltic Fleet take home the GIT Award Trophy. Quietus editor John Doran and Merseyside music journalist and former Q editor, Andrew Harrison presented the award to Baltic Fleet, the project of Paul Fleming, touring keyboardist for Echo & The Bunnymen.

Baltic Fleet played a powerful short set along with many of the other 12 nominees on the night. The Farm’s Peter Hooton collected The Inspiration Award on behalf of the Justice Collective who took a version of He Aint Heavy, He’s My Brother to UK Number One last Christmas.

SHOP WITH THE REAL AMAZONS! Books on politics & social justice – including feminism, antiracism, the environment, anti-capitalism, LGBT... ...and fiction & poetry, children’s books, health & wellbeing, & more! magazines, cards, posters, gifts & an extensive range of world/roots/folk music CDs

we can order any book in print!

Many available in 2-3 days! (others usually 7-10 days) · Order online or by phone/email, etc. · Mail–orders welcome– postage charged at Post Office rates

96 Bold St Liverpool L1 4HY Open 10am-5.45pm Mon-Sat

www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk nfn@newsfromnowhere.org.uk 0151 708 7270

LOWDOWN MAY

PREVIEWS

08

MAMA Group’s David Laing, MD, with Archie McIntosh, MD of Property

The East Village Arts Club The building formerly known as The Masque is back. Taken over by the MAMA group, and with £1.5million worth of refurbishments poured into it, it has now reopened as The East Village Arts Club. With an entirely new look, a new restaurant and vision to be a multi-faceted hub for creativity and culture, we spoke to MD David Laing about the ambitious new project…

SO TELL US DAVID, HOW DID THE GROTTY OLD MASQUE BECOME THE EAST VILLAGE ART’S CLUB AND WHAT EXACTLY, DOES THAT MEAN? There’s one approach whereby you say, well we’ve got this big venue called the Forum lets open a bunch of chain venues and call them the Forum. But our venues are really different - not just a different name like in a Wetherspoons sort of way but in a way that we recognise an exciting or original opportunity, or building or situation or gap, and we look to custom build what’s exactly right for that.

So the Arts Club has grown from what I found when I came to see in the building; its musical history and Liverpool’s artistic flare. I didn’t start out with a particular idea, but this venue and Liverpool are so different from the likes of The Ritz in Manchester. This requires a lot

more investment in the elements, and that’s very much why I think it’s the right position for us to be in.

SO THE BUILDING DICTATED WHAT IT BECAME THEN? 100%. It’s all about looking and seeing what we find in that building and saying ‘what does this then lead us to think is the right thing to do?’. I’d been looking at various cities around the UK for a while, but this started with someone saying “There’s this great building, if someone would spend enough money and went about it the right way to really sort it out properly, it could be really great.”

At first, to be blunt I didn’t know if I wanted to take over someone else’s failed dingy nightclub.

But when I started looking into it, I thought, ‘this is a bit more interesting than just a nightclub’.

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND WORKING IN LIVERPOOL? I’d known Liverpool quite well but I hadn’t been here for awhile and just the atmosphere and this little network of streets around the venue (Seel St, Parr St, Bold St) are so appealing to me. It’s such a nice place to be doing a project and a great place to be spending time. Plus, it’s such a vibrant city culturally too, every taxi driver; every journalist; every guy that’s in a band, everyone you talk to at every level will tell you it’s really buzzing. So if you’re passionate about venues and events like I am, then you can’t help but get really inspired.

WHAT WILL THE VENUE BRING TO THE AREA? The strengths of the building are that it is so flexible and it’s such a multi-faceted space.

There are all these different rooms and areas

that are all made for different things. We’ve also refurbished it in a way that it can all stay very flexible, so we’ll be able to cater to a whole range of activity. Some of those things are things we’ve already planned to do; booking bands, booking talks on art, science and culture, artists, and authors. Big Club nights and DJS as well.

Having all that in one space I think is really unique. But also a lot of things will come from it later. We’ve have already started to generate ideas from conversations we’re having right now; with the School of Art and Design, with music photographers, with universities, with other art collectives and other creative groups.

Some of that will be a slower process because these things grow from organic relationships, but I want the East Village Arts Club to become ingratiated and embedded into Merseyside’s creative community.

YOU’VE ADDED A KITCHEN TO THE BUILDING TOO. WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM THE NEW RESTAURANT? The aim is to show how high quality you can do quite simple things, in a casual environment and in a casual way without compromising on quality So if we’re going to do a burger, making sure we source the beef locally and of the best possible quality. Our ketchup is made fresh for scratch, we don’t buy it in.

We’ll make our own brioche and our own bread. There’ll be things like pulled pork, Reuben sandwiches, and also vegan options like nasi goreng. One of my jobs now is tasting coffee beans, so we’re looking at beans that are single estate, coming from just one field.

Back to Back Dodgy Dodgy may be a London band but their heart lies in Liverpool. The band rose to popularity with their 93 debut ‘The Dodgy Album’, recorded at Low Down HQ, Parr Street Studios, and will be playing this month to commemorate that 20 year anniversary.

Drummer Mathew Priest explains: “We purposely haven’t done a gig in London on this tour as we wanted to do this Liverpool show. You know how normally on a tour the London show is the big one for the press and all that. We thought fuck that, let’s make Liverpool the centrepoint, the hometown gig.” Speaking within the hallowed walls of the Parr Street building, he recalls the fun they had while making that debut with Ian Broudie at the helm.

“We spent 3 months here, this was back when record companies had money. And they gave us unlimited phone calls and an unlimited bar tab. I don’t know why they did that- maybe they just thought ‘Musicians, they want to go and have a shandy or a glass of chardonnay at the end of the evening’. And of course we came in, found out about the bar tab and within 3 days they’d closed the bar tab. I think we’d run up £600 in 3 days.”

THE MASQUE HAD QUITE A FOLLOWING, DO YOU THINK THE OLD CROWD WILL LIKE WHAT YOU’VE DONE? I think they’ll be happy to actually have a clean toilet. And I don’t think they’ll be unhappy about the change.

As well as making many musical connections in the city, the band were also involved with the dockers strike and have played Hillsborough benefits. Priest is adulutary about Liverpool; “We have a huge affinity for the city”. The band released their first record in 11 years last February, Standing Upright in a Cool Place, to widespread acclaim. Their show at the Lomax promises to be a special one, with the band performing the entirety of that album along with the debut; highlighting the now and then of Dodgy.

SO WHAT ABOUT THE NEW PEOPLE YOU WANT TO ATTRACT? Obviously everyone is welcome and there’ll always be a certain audience who’ve always been happy to come to the venue because of the lineup, but a lot of other people that perhaps wouldn’t have been comfortable coming to any event in the building.

See Dodgy play at the Lomax on May 23. www.dodgyology.com

And I suppose those are the people we have in mind. Also in terms of producing visual art exhibitions, lectures, poetry, comedy, book clubs, life drawing classes and burlesque and all these other things; we want to encourage people who love those sorts of events to feel welcome, in addition to the people coming back.

A slew of exciting gigs and events have already been announced at the EVAC, for more information and to get involved see: mamacolive.com/evartsclub/

Jon Byrne Winner of the 2009 Glastonbury ‘Best New Artist’ will be be doing a one off show at Studio 2 to celebrate the launch of his new album ‘Built By Angels’ in the UK alongside the launch of his debut album It’s ‘Boring Being In Control’ in USA. Admirers of Jon’s alternative, anti-folk musings include Billy Bragg, Johnny Bramwell, John Cooper Clarke and Clash legend Mick Jones.

Jon has strong links with Liverpool after using local musicians and faciities to record his critically acclaimed debut.

Studio 2 Saturday 18th May. Tickets available from Seetickets or Studio 2

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…is probably the most unique hotel in Liverpool a boutique hotel within a recording studio and home to Coldplay’s first 3 albums Parr Street Studios & Hotel 33-45 Parr Street Liverpool L1 4JN tel: +44151 707 1050 web: www.parrstreet.co.uk

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12

LOWDOWN ON FOOD & DRINK

NOLITACANTINA

They promised substance over style and by the tightness of my waistband and the heat in my face that can only be described as the “meat sweats”, it appears the act of eating at Nolita Cantina has been nothing but meaty, delicious substance.

A Pickled Revolution – When I visited New York I was treated to an afternoon at the famous Katsz Deli, where Sally showed Harry exactly how to fake it, and it was eating on a whole new level.

Those New Yorkers take food very, very seriously and are the perfect example of good eatin’. So When I heard that NoLIta Cantina had taken its foodie influence from Katsz Deli, I arrived fully prepared: Stretchy pants, empty stomach and a friend to dine with.

One thing that was obvious is that these guys have ploughed all their money into the food.

The décor will come in time, but for now it’s stripped wooden tables and chairs, a few interesting paintings on the walls and some printed menus. It’s very Bold Street.

Liverpool owner’s and former chef’s, Jen and Grace, have created a menu that could easily rival any authentic american eatery.

One of my fondest memories of American Deli eating, is the pickled foods. Be it an artichoke, an onion, a gherkin, a cucumber or even a pickled egg (not for the faint hearted) so when i enquired as to whether Nolita offered anything pickled, i was stunned when they offered me something i hadn’t tried before: A Frickle, that’s a fried pickle to you and i, is a taste sensation and worth the visit alone.

With the Frickled starters, i wasn’t sure Nolita could out-do themselves anymore, but the menu promising fillings that could tickle any carnivore’s taste buds, we opted for the pulled pork, beef and bacon cheese burger and the a

tender beef brisket, rub cooked slow and low for six hours. Both served with with the classic slaw, seasoned fries and peppered BBQ sauce and both deliciously waist expanding.

The official line for Nolita Cantina reads “An american-Style bistro on Liverpool’s Bustling Bold Street, offering a refined take on Deli-Style sandwiches, Southern cuisine and traditional cocktails in a stylish, relaxed setting” and each of these delicious little promises have been fulfilled to the highest degree.

Nolita Cantina 81 Bold Street Liverpool L1 4HF nolitacantina.com

ARCHER’S ICE CREAM PARLOUR

With the sun finally breaking through the melancholy of a very long winter, a little later than usual perhaps, but we think it’s safe to finally say, Spring has sprung and for the residents of Lark Lane it’s brought a new character to Liverpool’s most eccentric street.

Archer’s Ice Cream Parlour fills in a spot at the heart of the Lane offering a new colour to the canvas of the street, it’s violet exterior promises something sweet inside.

Proudly serving real Jersey Ice Cream, Nicholas Blair is the owner of this and another parlour in Heswall and it’s clear just from talking to him how proud he is to be serving Archer’s. I’m told it’s made with the milk of the “happy Jersey cows” that makes it so delicious. Said, “Happy cows” can be seen frolicking on a loop on a dvd in the parlour and although slightly odd, it fits with the quirky Lane character that Blair is going for.

Offering everything from delicious waffles and the great knickerbocker glory this is a parlour that any candy man would be proud of. And of course there’s the ice creams. Oh the ice cream. You really can taste the difference, the milk isn’t thin and watery it’s rich and delicious but never overpowering the desired flavour be it the traditional strawberry, banana and vanilla or the more exotic liquorice, jaffa cake or my personal favourite, The Gin and Tonic sorbet. A perfect combination for the family treat and the Lark Lane summer slurpers.

Archer’s, 41, Lark Lane archersjerseyicecream.com

LOWDOWN ON SPORT

You’ll Never Bite Alone Liverpool’s inconsistent Premiership form has continued throughout March and into April. After coming from behind and beating Aston Villa at Villa Park at the back of March, the club were expected to push on and try to climb the league table, and with 2 winnable games to come (at home to West Ham United and away to struggling Reading) we were expected to be in with a shout of the European spots.

The harsh reality is that Liverpool only managed 2 draws and didn’t even score a goal against either team. The fight for any European spot ended there, and even a race to catch our Merseyside rivals Everton, who are sitting in 6th, is now looking tough.

Yesterday Liverpool played Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea (that seems so strange to write).

Although Liverpool rescued another draw with a 97th minute header from Luis Suarez, there was a biting incident that over-shadowed a great last minute equaliser. Suarez was caught on camera biting Branislav Ivanovic’s arm during the match.

At the time of writing, Suarez, manager Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool Football Club have issued apologies for the Uruguayan’s actions. The F.A. are sure to look at the incident and ban the striker for the rest of the season and maybe beyond.

Although I do agree he deserves a good 3 or 4 game ban, I think the F.A. will come down hard on him because he is Luis Suarez. Last season

Suarez was banned for 8 games for an alleged racial abuse of Patrice Evra, although if he was guilty he surely deserved that, but the fact John Terry was caught on camera racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, and only received a four match ban, is frustrating and inconsistent. I wouldn’t quite say it is a witch hunt, and I know Suarez does not help himself, but I still think Liverpool have to keep him at the club as he is undoubtedly the best player we have.

The question now is whether he has played his last game for LFC and whether that header equaliser was his last touch in a Liverpool shirt.

If he gets a big ban and a big offer comes in during the summer, will Liverpool sell? Can they afford to let their best player leave? Will Suarez want to stay at a club which offers him no European football? A lot of questions need to be answered this summer. I’m sure the planning is well underway to secure key target players into the club.

Lastly and most importantly, it has been a bigger week for Liverpool off the pitch, as last Monday the service for the 24th Anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster was held at Anfield.

Another great turn out to show respect to the 96 people who lost their lives that day, to show just how important they are, and that they will never be forgotten. It was (as always) an extremely emotional day, and one that united football fans, whatever team you support. Since the memorial Anne Williams has sadly passed away, Anne’s son Kevin died at Hillsborough and his mum has fought tirelessly since then to find the true details surrounding his death. Anne was a credit to Kevin and to Liverpool Football Club – without her, and the other families’ constant devotion to seek the truth, we would not have come as close as we are today towards Justice. RIP Anne, with your son x RYAN KENNY ||

15

London Calling…

After a successful March (I’m talking Premier League, not FA Cup), the chase for Europe was still on and Everton’s next three games were all against opposition from the nation’s capital.

First up was a trip to Spurs who were without, amongst others, player of the season candidate Gareth Bale. Pitying their predicament, we decided to give them a goal start after just 34 seconds.

Everton then turned the game around with a Jagielka header and another fine individual goal from Mirallas only to concede an equaliser with just three minutes left – sound familiar?

It was back to Goodison Park next for the visit of QPR. Now I must confess I’m not keen on QPR. Why? Well in a time where loyalty in football is as common as rocking horse excreta, QPR’s set of mercenaries set the bar at a new level, a prime example of money not buying success.

Most relegated teams, and QPR will soon be one, go down fighting but not these journeymen millionaires.

Without a single player in their starting line up from the corresponding fixture last season, they did as expected - turned up, rolled over, conceded two goals and three points then went home to count the contents of their not inconsiderable pay packets.

Paint drying, grass growing, take you pick but that’s what the game was reduced to.

No heart, no fight, and no inclination - no doubt they’ll all be staying to fight it out in the Championship next season. No? No - me neither!

on Pienaar went similarly unpunished. I can’t help thinking the Arsenal players would be better suited directing their energy towards their undoubted footballing abilities rather than their insidious bleating and pleading towards the referee!

Old London Town beckoned again and it was off to take on the slick passing, free scoring Gunners. Moyes took the Corporal Jones approach and it seems it is true - “they don’t like it up ‘em!” Everton played a tough tackling, pressing game that prevented Arsenal from establishing their rhythm.

It was especially sad to see that Seňor Arteta has now added this tactic to his “arsenal”.

After our own half time Watergate, some fine defending meant the game remained goalless and we left The Smoke with another hard earned point.

Apparently this is considered unsporting in that part of North London and to listen to the usually myopic Monsieur Wenger (who on this occasion saw everything) you’d think the Everton players took to the pitch armed with cosh and knuckleduster.

The statistics, however, show we committed twelve fouls to their eleven and received three yellow cards to their two and, whereas there was a case for Gibson receiving a second yellow, worse offences by Giroud on Coleman and “the best little Spaniard we used to know”

So unbeaten again and five points from the three games but will it be enough to achieve European football next season? We’re certainly underdogs but that’s a title Everton seem to relish. With five games remaining it’s making for an interesting season’s end and we still await Moyes decision regarding his future. For now, it’s still “should I stay or should I go?”

DAVE BULLEN ||

LOWDOWN ON SPORT

TRFC – Bargain Hunters With just one game to go the League One table makes for painful reading.

We are tenth. Yes, tenth. My 17 month old baby daughter has learnt how to clap and sing to the first two thirds of what was a glorious season. ‘We are top of the league, we are top of the league’ I’d sing and she’d join in clapping every time.

Obviously she still needs to learn and I sometimes try and sing it to her but it feels terribly empty, despite the fact she still enthusiastically joins in. You see I know we are tenth. Tenth. It’s the severity of the fall that smarts so.

I did my grieving for this season a month ago, it was clear we weren’t even going to make the play offs back then (see my last column). We’ve lost the last five games 1-0, ‘lack of desire’ has featured in most post match comments.

However, if we look at the bigger picture there are some very real positives. It’s been the best season for over ten years, no question.

The football at times was fantastic, ideas and goals flowed in from all over the pitch. Cassidy, Wallace, Robbo, Zoom, Gibbo, Akpa Akpro. Skill, desire and solid defending were we. Once most of the players either returned to the club we loaned them from or fell foul to long term injury it was over. A club like Tranmere can’t sustain those sorts of blows.

So it’s onwards and upwards. Next season sees the longest running sponsorship in British football come to an end, no longer will we proudly have ‘Wirral’ emblazoned across our shirts. Always loved that our shirts proclaimed where the club was from, I had some of the best moments of my life, far from home, cheering

on the Rovers to immense wins, somehow the Wirral logo was part of it all.

If, however, I was going to chose a company to take over I’d chose our new one. For a number of reasons. Home Bargains is a very successful local firm, it also enables people like me to live frugally whilst we are being crushed by ever increasing domestic bills. Tranmere should note that no one ever calls it Home Bargain though, it’s Home and Bargain and that’s that.

Next season it is then, after this years taste of the highlife, next year we demand the big prize.

IAN PROWSE ||

“The Lowdown magazine does everything a local listings magazine should, open the page and there is loads of things happening each night, yes each night in our home town all displayed in easy to read, straight forward sections. The rest of the magazine is a boss read too!”

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All you have to do is tweet @ Bloomfm & @thelowdownmagwith the name of the LSC Thursday headliner with the hashtag #BloomLSC

We have an amazing prize of full set of brushes worth over £150! To win all you have to do is tell us:

Which famous busty Kelly uses the brushes on her brunette locks? (head over to facebook.com/thebigbrandcomany if you need a hint) Send us your answer on a postcard by 21st May. Alternatively, email toni@thelowdownmagazine.com or if you’re feeling feisty, throw your weave in a postbox with our address and your contact details on.

Merchant’s Bar and Restaurant We have a two course meal for two up for grabs this month courtesy of 62 Castle Street Bar and Restaurant, so grab a pal and go enjoy some good food and a few glasses of cheeky vino.

All you have to do to win is tell us what famous building is situated at the top of Castle Street?

Answers on a postcard before 31st May or if you’re down with the kids, email toni@ thelowdownmagazine.com

Sound City We have 2 delegate passes and 2 regular passes for the most exciting music festival Liverpool can offer, Sound City.

To win a first class weekend tweet a picture of yourself with this issue to @thelowdownmag NOW!

LOWDOWN ON ARTS

The Victorian in the Wall Unity Theatre 5th April

Writer and director Will Adamsdale’s latest production on the surface, seems ordinary enough, but as the title of the play suggests not everything is. (Ordinary, that is).

Guy is a middle aged, has-been writer who lives in a flat with his girlfriend. They have it all; organic toothpaste, houseplants, recyclingboxes. Despite this, they cannot figure out what to do next, marriage, babies or home improvement? When the idea of a knock through from the kitchen into the living room comes along, they hire a builder and a plan is made. But when Guy is left alone after his girlfriend is called away to work, under strict instructions just to open the door to the builder, he gets carried away, and discovers a Victorian man is living in their living room wall.

As Guy discovers who the mysterious Victorian man is (Mr Elms) and listens to his story of love and loss, can it help put Guy’s relationship and career back on track? With the help of his new friends, it seems that not everything is as hard as it first appears to be and Guy manages to turn everything around. With his new - found gusto what could possibly go wrong?

Not only does this show have a strong script, it is supported by the cast who are responsible for all of the sound effects as well as throwing

a few songs in and the odd dance. Clever use of the set means that there are no gaps for scene changes. Everything is seen in the space and any costume changes that the cast have are done in front of the audience. They have nowhere to go as you see them running around trying to reach for the next sound effect. This leads to a very busy performance but one which works as all the elements are brought together to deliver a solid performance all round.

There are many poignant moments in the story as we learn about the different characters and what worked well was the musical support given by Chris Branch whose skills on the piano fitted in beautifully with the story.

A sterling job done by all of the five strong cast, which led to an enjoyable ninety-five minute show. The Victorian in the Wall is a funny, often moving and visual show that will certainly do well in its current tour around the country.

JANIE PHILLIPS ||

21

LOWDOWN ON ARTS

The Day In The Death of Joe Egg Liverpool Playhouse, 10th April

Written in 1967 by Peter Nichols, The Day In The Death of Joe Egg had a hard time hatching before finally passing stage censorship and debuting at the Citizens Theatre Glasgow in the same year.

Although 45 years old the play still holds its own in today’s plethora of theatre culture. The writing and directorship of the script are both handled with such care and honesty that it is easy to see how this play still delivers a punch of its own. It leads you into an avenue of issues that most theatre’s choose to avoid, or indeed, are perhaps as not as delicately handled as Joe Egg has been.

The story is a straightforward one - Bri and Sheila are a young married couple who have a ten-year daughter, Joe, who has cerebral palsy. These two tell us the story of how they meet, when they had Joe, up to the present time in the play. Nichols use’s the fourth wall technique to deliver the story and so the play opens with schoolteacher Bri, (played by the delicious Ralph Little), ordering us all ‘to be quite and to put your hands on your heads’.

Little plays the role of Bri as well as it has been written, with humour and drama where needed and bags of energy. Little is very good at addressing the audience and there is naturalness as he plays alongside Sheila

(Rebecca Johnson). These two bounce off each other comfortably and provide some of the more poignant moments in the play.

To write about a disability, and then to transfer that disability onto stage whether it be mental or physical, is one that has changed profusely in the story of this play. In order to pass stage censorship, many decisions and suggestions about seeing Joe at all on stage had to be made. Could Joe not be seen at all? It would certainly add to the drama of the story, it was said. Other ideas included a life-size doll and a puppet or marionette. However, thankfully, common sense prevailed and an actress was finally cast to play the part.

The role of playing Joe landed in Jessica Bastick-Vines lap. And what a performance.

From the very start she was and continued to be immersed throughout, no lines delivered but a whole character spoken through her physicality alone was enough to steal the hearts of all. A truly memorising feat and one that will stay with me for a long time.

The second half introduces Grace, Bri’s mum who is played by the lovely Marjorie Yates, and who delivers some of the funnier lines in the show. Owen Oakeshott and Sally Tatum play married couple Freddie and Pamela.

These three complete the line up and add much colour, and humour to the stage. These characters are very exaggerated and do well to balance out the gravity of the issues tackled, but do not take anything away.

In the capable hands of director Stephen Unwin, whose own son has profound and multiple learning difficulties, it is theatre that asks many questions and pushes the boundaries for many; ultimately, what would you do? This show takes you on an emotional roller coaster, laughing one minute and crying the next. It is very real and honest theatre and one that tackles people’s attitudes towards disability. It is the most talked about play today, and will not disappoint.

JANIE PHILLIPS ||

LOWDOWN ON ARTS

The Eyes Have It: Look 13 Festival May is not just for sound (Sound City) and word (Writing’s on the Wall) festivals – it will also mark the start of a month-long feast for the eyes known as the Look 13 Festival. A biannual photographic exhibition, it will utilise venues across the city for a series of events and exhibitions. We asked one of the exhibitors and festival chairman Adam Lee to tell us about the festival and his work in it...

TELL US ABOUT THE LOOK FESTIVAL AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT? The festival originally started as a small festival back in 2007 by the Redeye Network. They wanted to move it to Liverpool because as you know we’ve got a really good visual arts sector here. I’ve been on the board since then and worked on the development of the Liverpool festival and then on the development of 2013.

there’s lots of things going on in relation to photography - we have the Open Eye gallery which is one of the flagship galleries in the whole country. It has a really healthy scene and history of photography as well - we’re lucky to have some very important photographers who either live in Liverpool or in the kind of surrounding areas as well. So yeah, very healthy I think.

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE FESTIVAL? They want to highlight the festival as a key platform within the visual arts and also to promote Liverpool as a centre of excellence for visual arts. With all the galleries and institutions we have in Liverpool it sits really well with what we have already.

TELL US ABOUT THE SHOW YOU ARE EXHIBITING - IDENTITY DOCUMENTS. It’s a personal project I’ve been working on for a couple of years now, the basic premise of it is that I’m interested in the relationship between people’s possessions and their identities. I’m specifically interested in people’s books, and their bookcases.

DO YOU THINK THAT WITH THE RISE OF E-READERS SUCH AS THE KINDLE, THIS KIND OF PROJECT WOULD BE HARDER TO DO IN THE FUTURE? Well the kind of people who like to have their bookcases photographed are the kind of people who like to read books, as it were! But I think definitely younger people perhaps have less books now and are more used to reading things off screens.

I’ve been essentially photographing people’s bookcases and we’ll be exhibiting those as very

I was speaking to a writer who said there was somebody who was asking people to

IS THE VISUAL ARTS SCENE HERE A HEALTHY ONE? I think so, it’s on the increase really but

large scale prints, probably like a metre square.

The idea is to invite peope looking at the pics to be able to read the spines of the book, and form their own mental images about what they think the person who owns those books is like, and what it says about their tastes and interests.

send in screenshots of their computer desktops, which I think is a kind of similar idea. When I was first developing the project I was photographing peoples desks as well as their bookcases but in the end I decided to focus more on their book cases.

But I think the idea of using their computer desktop, looking at what they’re working on and what’s around them, it’s the same kind of idea.

And I definitely think the digital world is going to change things.

HOW HAS IT CHANGED PHOTOGRAPHY? One of the thing that the photo world has had to deal with - not only the way that people take pictures but also consume them, and now the printed picture seems to be the reserve of the artist.

AND DIGITAL CAMERAS CHANGE THE WAY YOU TAKE A PHOTO AS WELL DOESN’T IT? I think back in the day when you were shooting film you always had that idea in the back of your head that every picture that you take is using up money. If the film cost £3 every picture is the equivalent of 30p or something like that - so that has changed a lot.

It’s interesting talking to professionals maybe on the more arts side of photography, obviously you talk about that whole idea of slowing down the process of taking photos and being much more considered with each picture that you take. With the Identity Document project I’ve been shooting all that on film - and have enjoyed that process of trying to make each picture count whereas previously using digital you might take 100 pictures of a scene from a variety of different angles.

But with shooting on film you become much more considered, and try and get it right the first time.

In ways thats good because it encourages you as a photographer to really engage with the craft of photography and to understand the medium you’re working with. Whereas I think with digital, and I’m guilty of this myself, it is too easy to just reel off 1000 pictures in an hour.

IS LIVERPOOL A PHOTOGENIC CITY? We have some absolutely amazing architecture from very old building to new and contemporary buildings, and parts are very photogenic such as the waterfront. I also think that really, in terms of the culture of Liverpool and the society we live in there’s a lot going on.

From perhaps the way scouse girls might dress when going shopping through to the football, through to some of the history as well. I think it is a very photgenic city, and theres a number of different subject and themes you can explore through photography.

The Look 13 festival runs May 17 – June 15. For details of venues and exhibitions see; www.lookphotofestival.com

LOWDOWN’S THEATRE MUST-SEES FORMAY Liverpool Playhouse Theatre Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th May BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS

Even after his death, Dennis Potter’s script is still apt in our changing globe. He takes us to a world of long playful afternoons and never ending sunny days and reminds us that not everyone is innocent.

Liverpool Empire Theatre Monday 20th - Saturday 25th May PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

Direct from the West End and Broadway, this feel-good musical hits Liverpool on its current UK tour. If you like feather boas and men in drag then this is definitely the show for you. (Dressing up is not compulsory, however the Empire do encourage it).

Unity Theatre Wednesday 29th May THE BOY WITH TAPE ON HIS FACE

This award winning show is on a whistlestop tour and comes highly recommended. Comedian Sam Wills is The Boy and his routine has gone down well with critics and audiences alike all over the country.

Catch him while you can.

Playhouse Theatre 28th May - 1st June BEAUTIFUL THING

This coming of age play is described as ‘a glorious urban love story’.

Staring Suranne Jones (known to many as Karen McDonald in Coronation Street/ Scott and Bailey) it is celebrating its twentieth anniversary tour.

JANIE PHILLIPS ||

LOWDOWN ON ARTS

THEWRITE WAY

Michael Wynne is a Birkenhead playwright who won the Olivier Award in 2010 for his play The Priory, and most recently wrote the BBC Christmas show Lapland, and its spin-off series Being Eileen. Michael will lead a scriptwriting workshop in this month as part of the In Other Words festival. We spoke to him about being a successful writer, and the inspiration he draws from Birkenhead.

YOU HAD SUCCESS QUITE EARLY ON AS A PLAYWRIGHT. DO YOU THINK WRITING IS A TALENT YOU HAVE TO BE BORN WITH OR CAN IT BE LEARNED? I’m never quite sure where someone’s writing comes from. I used to think everyone had a story and must be able to tell it until I did some script reading for a TV company and I realised that maybe writing isn’t for everyone. You can learn some odds and sods but I think you need some sort of ability or voice first.

That’s if you want to make a career out of it but this workshop is about being creative, for

people who fancy expressing themselves and exploring writing and playwriting. I do think Merseyside is particularly interesting as almost everyone seems to have something to say whether you like it or not.

I agree with Willy Russell who talks about the ‘oral theatricality’ of the place, full of language and stories that need to be heard.

A playwright friend of mine from Australia visited Merseyside for the first time a few years ago and met my family and lots of vocal local people and told me I wasn’t really a writer but just a typist!

YOU’VE WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE AND THE SCREEN. HOW DIFFERENT ARE THE TWO? WHICH DO YOU PREFER? I like both mediums but in different ways. I love how heightened theatre is - there’s a real sense of occasion, working up to this moment where you all sit in a room together and watch it happen live in front of you.

It’s a great place for debate too - which is what propelled me at first as I felt very politically motivated in my writing. Also, as a playwright you’re right there at the heart of the creative process with the director, actors, designer etc…

THEPEN ISMIGHTIER All together trying to make it work as opposed to some screen work where you deliver the script, then everyone else goes off and makes it.

You see it a few months later and sometimes feel like you had nothing to do with it. I’ve been a lot more involved in my TV work lately and that’s been great.

I love the ‘edit’ in TV - that you can change so much with how and when you cut from one moment to the next. It’s a very different way of telling your story with the freedom to go a living room to the moon to anywhere your story needs.

A LOT OF YOUR WORK HAS BEEN BASED AROUND BIRKENHEAD, WHERE YOU ARE FROM. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO REPRESENT THAT PART OF THE WORLD? DO YOU THINK ‘WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW’ IS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB FOR WRITERS? I started off writing about Birkenhead because that was the situation and characters that I was interested in. I didn’t give it too much thought. I’ve come back to it again and again because it’s a world I know very well and it’s so particular that it’d be daft not too. Just the dialect and accent is a gift to a writer.

I do believe in ‘write what you know’ but in the sense that writing depends on detail and being specific, so even if you decide to write about Communist Russia you need to know something about it.

Anyone can write about whatever they want. I’d say write what you’re passionate about, fascinated by, obsessed by, infuriated by and all from your own viewpoint. As Stephen Sondheim said, ‘the more it is you, the more it’ll be true.’

WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO ASPIRING SCREENWRITERS OR PLAYWRIGHTS WHO WANT TO SEE THEIR WORK REALISED? I’d stress making your writing your own. Don’t write what you think people want to see, write what you want to see. Even if it comes out all weird at first it’ll be a hundred times more interesting than if it’s sanitised and for someone else. I’d see as much theatre and film as possible as it can give you so many ideas and sharpen your view of what you like and don’t like. I’d also look out for playwriting or screenwriting competitions as that’s how I started off - through the Young Writers Festival at the Royal Court - because at least through this they’re actively looking for writers and there’s a chance your work will get noticed.

WHAT SHOULD ATTENDEES EXPECT FROM THE WORKSHOP YOU WILL BE RUNNING AS PART OF THE FESTIVAL? It’s a very relaxed creative writing workshop for anyone’s who’s thought about writing but maybe never has. It’s slightly geared towards playwriting and screenwriting focusing on story, character and dialogue but these can all be applied to other forms of writing. It’s at a cafe/social enterprise Hope Place run by my sisters and I did a workshop there a couple of months ago and had a great time. They do great coffee and cake too!

Michael’s scriptwriting workshop takes place from 4-6 pm on May 11 at Hope Place; 259 Woodchurch Road, Prenton, Birkenhead. The session costs £5, book on 0151 608 4747

May sees a celebration of all things words; written, spoken, shouted, sung, rapped and rhymed. Writing on the Wall (WoW) will present the Under Pressure! festival, featuring a huge range of events both free and ticketed, in venues across the city.

It also overlaps with the In other Words literary festival, and the reopening of the Central Library, happening on Friday May 17.

With topics ranging from football to immigration to bread baking, and featuring talent from home and afar, the events seeks to challenge, entertain and engage the people of Liverpool. It also offers fledgling writers the opportunity to get advice and put their pens where their mouths are! There’s far too much to list here but here are a few of the must see events:

Murder On the Docks Thursday May 2nd, The Bridewell, 1 Campbell Square, 7.30pm, £5 This is one for fans of crime writing - three writers experienced in the genre will make up a panel to discuss the topic and also look at the connection between crime and port cities. Speakers are Denise Mina, Graham Johnson and Kevin Sampson who just released his book ‘The Killing Pool’.

Against Modern Football?

Friday May 10th, Static, 23 Roscoe Lane, 7.30pm, £6 Is modern football too commercial? Has the game lost it’s magic?

The issues of commerce, clubs and community will be discussed by such guests as Briane Read, Peter Hooton and Sheila Colemen and accompanied by Djs and visuals.

Dragon’s Pen Wednesday May 22nd, The Bluecoat, 7.30pm, £6 Fancy yourself a writer? Put your work up to the scrutiny of the panel of experienced writers and agents and see how you fare. A lighthearted event with a chance to gain invaluable advice.

For details about events as part of the In Other Words programme see www.itsliverpool.com For the Under Pressure! festival see www.writingonthewall.org.uk

LOWDOWN ON COMEDY

MARATHONMAN

Eddie Izzard, the fiercely intelligent maestro of whimsical comedy, is a man of extremes. Not content to be one of the most successful comedians in English, he learned and now performs in French. He doesn’t run just one marathon, he runs 43. He doesn’t just dabble in politics - he has plans to become the mayor of London. And he in the midst of his Force Majeure tour, unsurprisingly said to be one of the biggest comedy tours ever undertaken.

We spoke to Eddie on a rare day off, and we chatted about the big stuff; Thatcher, Mandela, marathons and...cheese.

SO EDDIE, YOU’RE IN THE MIDST OF YOUR EPIC FORCE MAJEURE. WHERE ARE YOU NOW? I am now in front of Lake Geneva, in Geneva.

The sun is shining, the clouds are holding back over the mountains; the Evian is just over there, the rest of Switzerland’s over that way...it’s kind of like I’ve walked into a film.

ARE YOU GOING TO BE PERFORMING THERE IN FRENCH OR ENGLISH? I’ve got two shows in arena’s in English, and one show which is smaller that will be in French. Will be about 200 people or so. I’m still developing my French audience around the French speaking parts of the world.

DO YOU GET NERVOUS BEFORE DOING A SHOW IN FRENCH? No, I’m not nervous. Because I’m doing the old show ‘Stripped’, but I have to start putting bits of Force Majeure into the show. I’m about 60/65% fluent, so there are 35% of words I can’t grab. When you’re ad-libbing in stand-up, at least in English if I’m musing about cheese or architecture - I’ve got that whole lexicon in words in that area. Whereas if I do that in French perhaps I’ll talk about La Crémerie... fromage, camembert....I could do a few but I might reach for one one and go “Shit, I don’t know that one!” and it breaks the flow. So I need to improvise as much as I can.

HAS LEARNING FRENCH TAUGHT YOU ABOUT THE FRENCH SENSE OF HUMOUR? Well there is no French sense of humour, in the same way that there’s no British sense of humour, or no American sense of humour. This is my, what seems to be quite a radical, theory.

There is none. There is a myth that there’s a sense of humour in every country. So what you might call a French sense of humour would

be a French comedian talking about; “François Hollande said this, Nicolas Sarkozy said that...” . They talk about French people and French things, so if you used the same material in England people might think “François Hollande, is he in Holland?”. That’s the more mainstream sense of humour. Then the more alternative ones - the Monty Pythons. Look at the Pythons, even though they were talking about British stuff they were picked up all around the world because they were talking about summarising Proust in 15-seconds, which is an insane idea. It was intelligent/stupid, stupid/ intelligent, thats the key here.

SO YOU GET LAUGHS IN ALL THE SAME PLACES AROUND THE WORLD THEN? In exactly the same places. People are people, and if you live in a city you will know that because you will know French people, Russian people, and German people who you might work with. I mean they might not have a sense of humour themselves - it’s not a national thing.

All humans are humans.

YOU’VE ANNOUNCED YOU’RE PLANNING TO RUN FOR MAYOR IN 6 YEARS. WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS YOU WANT TO CHANGE? I don’t like the right wing. I don’t like what Margaret Thatcher did to the country. I don’t like the people that celebrate that. Yeah, let’s celebrate get-up and go, but you should not put people on the scrapheap of life, she really didn’t care about people. And that is not a good thing, that is not a good example for humanity.

So because of the right wing, because the right wing keeps coming back and getting into power and telling us what to do, I think the kids have to get into power as well. Become activists, become politicians. And we need to get things done. We need to give a damn. We need to have a heart.

YOU WERE ON YOUR TOUR WHEN MARGARET THATCHER DIED. WHAT WAS

YOUR TAKE ON THE PUBLIC REACTION? I was abroad, but I got the impression that obviously the people who like Thatcher went Ballyhoo on it, and it was like the Queen’s Jubilee. I didn’t believe in the Queen’s Jubilee, I believed in the people’s Olympics. That’s what I believed in. So she didn’t get a state funeral and that was right, so I left it that.

DO HUMOUR AND POLITICS MIX? Well you need humour in politics because politics is very dry. If you think what politics is; war is where you stop arguing and you just force people to do things, this is what the fascists do, people on the right. Politics is where you talk, sometimes you endlessly talk and go around the head of a pin. And it can be very dry, so humour...you need it in there to break it up. A lot of people will not stay for the endless toing and froing on subjects.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE THE NEXT YEARS OF YOUR LIFE WELL PLANNED OUT. WILL THERE BE A POINT WHERE YOU’VE DONE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO? I don’t think there’s a point where you can pull out.....I can see a point way in the future...no, you know creatively, even if I go into politics, at some point I will come out of it and go back into doing creative stuff again. Plans help. It’s quite difficult to learn how to plan, you can’t plan precisely but there’s no harm in planning.

George W Bush didn’t have a plan.

EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT YOUR AMAZING 43 MARATHONS IN 53 DAYS FOR SPORTS RELIEF, AND YOU’RE ALSO PLANNING TO RE-ATTEMPT 27 MARATHONS IN 27 DAYS NEXT YEAR. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR STAMINA AND MOTIVATION FROM? Some is genetic and some of it is nurture and some of it is...I mean I failed for so many years, had so much failure from about age 19 for about 10 or 11 years. From that I knew that through determination, if you apply yourself,

27 you can can get through in the end. I want to do well for myself and I want other people to do well. This world will survive if the majority of us have a decent life, not just a few, which is what the right wing is about.

DO YOU EVER HAVE SELF DOUBT? [Pauses] I think confidence is important, and I try to test my confidence. You know, I told everyone I was a transvestite, I’ve been very positive about Europe when the right wing have been demonising it for decades, I go do gigs in America, I did one at the Hollywood Bowl, I do gigs in French now....I will push it. But in a positive way. I don’t jump off a cliff to see if I can do that... the stuff I do is all positive, it all has a reason and can resonate with some young kid who can say “hey that seems a good idea”.

SO IT’S ABOUT POSITIVITY. It’s the Nelson Mandela way. I take my lifestyle from Mandela. That is the greatest person, he towers over people in the whole of the 20th Century. He makes the 20th Century work and he is a black man as well. He’s above skin color, he’s just an example. Its great we can look to him. And he’s a real person. He wasn’t a God, he wasn’t special, he just tried and worked hard and stayed true to his beliefs.

And giving a damn about the other side - he learnt Afrikaans, he learned another language.

Learning another language is a kind of key thing to enlightenment, if you can struggle through and learn another language its bound to just change your whole axle.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO LEARN MORE LANGUAGES? German and Spanish for next year. I’ll definitely be doing gigs in German next year, and Spanish as well, and Russian after that and then Arabic after that.

DO YOU EVER CHILL OUT AND DO NOTHING? I’m not very good at doing nothing. But what I did for 3 months in Paris (learning French), that was a very good holiday for me. Because I wasn’t actually working hard, and for example these two days off in Geneva; I will actually relax.

I remember once when I was running up and down to Richmond in training, down the Thames, in beautiful part of London - it’s the best view. And I saw a car with a bumper sticker that said ‘One Life, Live It’ and I thought: “That’s it!”

Grab life, live it, and try and help other people to live it too.

See Eddie at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on May 5. www.eddieizzard.com

29

LOWDOWN ON MUSIC

THESTORMING OFBASTILLE If you haven’t already heard of Bastille, then I suspect you probably will do soon enough. I’m not talking about the pre-revolutionary French prison that was stormed in 1789, either. I’m referring to the London based indie-pop band that are making a history of their own.

I caught up with lead vocalist and songwriter Dan Smith, who initially started Bastille as a solo project and sheds light on the band’s name: “i was born on bastille day, july 14th, but other than that i don’t really have any other connections to france.”

Forming in 2010, the recognition and commercial success has only just risen to the surface for the quartet that consists of Dan Smith, Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, Will Farquarson and Kyle Simmons.

They started off at independent record label Young & Lost Club, and although this paved way for the release of their first EP featuring tracks ‘Flaws’ and ‘Icarus’; the modest release gave little hint of the monumental success that was to come. The band kept flogging their music via social media networks and YouTube, finally securing a deal with Virgin Records in 2012.

Their debut album Bad Blood (demonstrating 80’s themed melodies, anthemic choruses, and literate verses), was released in March of this year and reached No.1 in the UK charts, thanks largely to their mega-hit single ‘Pompeii’. Smith credits hard work and nonstop touring to their recent surge in popularity, and when asked about coming to terms with this seemingly overnight success, he humbly tells me: “We’re not really aware of things like that, we feel kind of weird about it all, really. We’ve been around for four years releasing EP’s and mix

tapes and now we just feel lucky I guess. We feel lucky that people actually come out to see us and that we have the fortune to play gigs and tour around the country. We work really hard, rehearsing and touring, and it’s finally paying off and making people aware of us, so that’s always good”.

With a headline slot at this month’s Sound City Festival, and appearances scheduled for the likes of Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds Festivals you’d think there would be no room for nerves and stage fright. Apparently not, as Smith reveals the bout of anxiousness that swept over him during Bastille’s recent Radio one Live Lounge set: “That was really surreal, I always get nervous so I was terrified, obviously with the live lounge, we have all listened to it when we were younger and growing up. It was a very surreal day. We really went for it though, we wanted to try and do things differently with the songs we played, you know, experiment, so we got a friend who plays the violin and cello to record with us too. It was a fun day but terrifying!”

Evidently, collaboration is key to Smith. When I asked him about the pros and cons of working alone and with others, he says; “I’ve always written songs by myself, I always experimented with my laptop when I was younger as a way to get the ideas in my head down in music form, but when it comes to playing live it’s definitely better in a band. It’s good to have your mates hanging out with you on tour and to have that sense of collaboration and support. As I said, I get nervous too, so

it’s good to have company, so in that sense I wouldn’t change things at all. Who wouldn’t want their mates with them sharing all of this stuff?”

Speaking of sharing, Bastille have given away free exclusive tracks packed onto two mixed tapes. Other People’s Heartaches - Parts 1 and 2 - features covers of classic songs performed by the band, and both parts are available for free download as a way to say thanks to loyal fans. With a mix of originals, and covers ranging from Adamski’s ‘Killer’, ‘Adagio for Strings’ and TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’, I’m excited to know about a possible third installment, as well as hearing about the inspiration behind these tapes: “I guess, at first we just wanted to mess around with different sounds, and it was an excuse to use other people’s songs, and songs that we like ourselves. We used these as a starting point and just experimented in production, collaborating with other musicians, and bringing different sounds to the table. It was basically for fun and for ourselves at first. We didn’t know people were going to respond to them like they did, we didn’t think people would care” “We just like to be geeks I guess. In an ideal world, if we had the time we would like to put them out every year, so a third is definitely going to happen. It would be good to put one out for free around Christmas time, as a little present to our fans. Last year we were lucky, we had a lot of time in the studio but this year we’ve only had 4 days at home so far, so it’s a little hard to find the time to do things like that, but we love doing it”.

LOWDOWN ON MUSIC

The mix tape also pays tribute to one of Smith’s other interests, film. With references and soundbites from American Beauty, Taken and Back to the Future it’s clear that film has influenced the way Smith writes music.

“I love films, books and all that stuff and I like to make references to the things I read and watch in my songs. I’d much rather write about my interests and popular culture than write about myself and my relationships, that could get quite boring. It’s good to imagine situations and present characters to people.”

I push Smith to divulge more into his love for film, and he reveals that if it wasn’t for music he’d like to be a film journalist: “I’d like to interview David Lynch. I think he’s an amazing director and producer. I can imagine him to be very difficult to interview, though - he’d terrify me. He’s incredibly intelligent and I’d be afraid of asking him lots of obvious, generic questions,” he laughs.

Their first EP Laura Palmer pays homage to the director’s cult TV series Twin Peaks, in which Palmer is teenage murder victim at the heart

of the mystery.

Back in the real world, Bastille started off supporting bands like Keane and Two-Door Cinema Club; but who would they really like to share a stage with? John Lennon, Bowie, Bob Dylan?

“Oh God, I wouldn’t know, I’d probably freak out. I think most guys would probably like to be in a room with Rhianna, most of us have a special place in their heart for her, she seems really cool too. Yeah we’d like to get to know her” Right now it seems as though anything is possible for Bastille. With a chart-topping album, devoted fans and major headlining slots, things are starting to rocket for them.

What is their magic formula? Smith sums their sound up:

Bastille will be play the Garage on May 2nd, and when asked about what they expect from the Liverpool crowd, Smith says: “We’re looking forward to it, really excited, definitely. We’ve already done a few shows in Liverpool, as we’ve just finished our tour, and the first gig of our tour was in Liverpool. It was so much fun, one of our biggest gigs. The crowd were really fun, dancing, jumping and singing along, we just hope the crowd always have as much fun as we do, you know?”

See Bastille play as part of the Sound City Festival www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk ANNA KENNEDY ||

“I’m really bad at describing stuff like this, but I’d say we have elements of indie, cinematic pop. Our album is quite a mix, quite epic sounding with big strings, some minimal sounding parts and some aspects of electronic.”

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ALBUMREVIEWS

31

THE BLACK ANGELS Indie Meadow

SAVAGES Silence Yourself

THE KNIFE Shaking The Habitual

Four records in, Austin’s Black Angels are longtime favourites in pych circles. Each of their releases - and especially 2006s debut Passover and follow-up Directions to See A Ghost - have been quiet masterpieces if you’re into that kind of thing; establishing their unmistakable if somewhat one-dimensional sound. A dark, groove-heavy sound, characterised by singer Alex Maas’ almost high pitched wail, a vaguely retro theme and a noticeable preoccupation with war.

I don’t know about you, but this is the record I have been waiting for. Though they sparked a fire that has raged since with their first ever show supporting British Sea Power in 2011, (for once!) this isn’t hype. Silence Yourself delivers.

The Knife are the kind of act that you either love already or have never heard of. Shaking The Habitual is the The Knife’s first solo album since 2006’s Silent Shout and if you’ve been looking around the world with open eyes and wondering where all the protest albums are?

This could be your answer.

Indigo Meadows is, if not a totally departure for the band, at least a noticable tweak in direction.

Though Phosphene Dream certainly faced in that direction at times, here they go for it. The songs are punchier, poppier and more compact than before - see ‘Don’t Play With Guns’ and ‘You’re Mine’ - two songs so upbeat they that they would stick out like paisley at a funeral on any their shadowy early records.

At times you could have filed them near Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; they certainly share a love of the wall-of-guitar sounds. Somehow this turn for the groovy has made them sound more pastiche than ever - and particularly on ‘I Hear Colors (Chromaesthesia)’, with it’s wavery vocals and organ, it’s all very Jefferson Airplane.

You could do a very convincing twist to ‘You’re Mine’ without ruining your beehive.

While you can hardly blame the band for changing, unfortunately in this case we can’t help but think it’s sounds like regression. Maybe they’ve just gotten happy, but the fact is we kind of miss when they were wallowing in the shadows..

6/10 JP ||

From the sprawling manifesto on the cover to each of the 11 taught, intense tracks; for a debut to be so focused, so trimmed of fat, is a rare and wonderful thing.

Like all truly great bands this is a meeting of equals; each of the four members is essential to their sound. The tight groove of the drums (Faye Milton) and the bass (Ayse Hassan) on opener ‘Shut Up’ recall Fugazi, while the reverby guitar on ‘Strife’ and ‘Waiting for a Sign’ display the restraint and use of tone of Tool’s Adam Jones.

French frontwoman Jehny Beth is captivating figure; slight but intense, and for her rich and deep wail she has met comparisons to Siouxie Sioux. And yes, there’s a sparsity and a darkness to the record that invokes Joy Division.

But. This is not a band to be comparing to other bands, this is a band that others will be compared to.

You could call it post punk, you could call it punk, metal even - but the bottom line is guitar music. This is a complete record. And it’s not all noise and clatter - the classy jazz, almost torch-song closer ‘Marshall Dear’ is as gripping and absorbing as their most buzzsaw, frenetic song ‘Husbands’.

Karin Dreijer Andersson and her brother, Olof Dreijer have created a tense and very intense album. It is dark, brooding and angry and also like being in an isolation tank in equal measures.

It’s also quite long...

It spends time challenging the concept of wealth as well as other traditional hierarchical values that permeate our societies. It’s quite ideological and prods a stick at modern society.

A visit to their website presents you with an interesting cartoon strip that gives an idea of what this is all about.

‘Raging Lung’ and ‘Ready To Lose’ have some great hooks akin to older material but there are lots of new directions to explore. The epic ‘Old Dreams Waiting To Be Realised’ was recorded in a boiler room, and they also claim to have gone temporarily acoustic in order to push their own boundaries.

The best song title has to be ‘Fracking Fluid Injection’ with an obvious subtext. As well as the dark electronica there is a strong tribal feel that engages the listener throughout and helps to create a feeling of togetherness with the album.

In the words of Savages: to be played loud and in the foreground.

There’s no excuse not to try this. You don’t even have to pay unless you like it. Buy it and listen to it a few times, and it could tune you in a strange and unexpected way.

10/10 JP ||

9/10 PT ||

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GRAND ARCHITECT

Eric Stewart is one of the finest singer/songwriters that the UK has ever produced. As a founding member of 10cc, he’s responsible for hits such as, “The Wall Street Shuffle, “The Things We Do For Love” and one of the most famous and universally loved songs of all time, “I’m Not in Love”. Not only did Eric sing on many of the group’s biggest hits, he also engineered and produced each album himself. Adam Coxon went to meet Eric Stewart to hear all about his life and career in the music business.

SO, I GUESS THAT WE SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING! I BELIEVE THAT JAMES BURTON WAS ONE OF YOUR EARLY CHILDHOOD INFLUENCES. WAS HE THE REASON THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A MUSICIAN? Three guitarists. James Burton (on Ricky Nelson records), Scotty Moore with Elvis and Cliff Gallup with Gene Vincent. I never had any desire to be a singer. The guitarists were the guys who fascinated me. It’s the Country Blues style which has stayed with me really.

DO YOU STILL GET THE SAME ENJOYMENT OUT OF PLAYING THE GUITAR TODAY? Yes I do. I pick the guitar up everyday. I always come up with something I may use. If it’s good enough, if goes into the storage box at the back of my head and I’ll use it to write a song or part of a song.

I’D IMAGINE THAT THE OASIS CLUB IN MANCHESTER HOLDS PARTICULAR FONDNESS IN YOUR MEMORY AS IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU, THAT WAYNE FONTANA GOT A RECORD DEAL. I hope so. It was possibly a lovely two way blessing. I was there as a punter. People in Manchester knew I was a guitarist. I’d been in this wonderful group called, “The Emperors of Rhythm”. A lot of things have happened in my life which have been pure luck. Just being there at the right time, so to speak. I was in the coffee bar of The Oasis Club one

night and Wayne came in and said that his guitarist hadn’t turned up and that he had to do an audition with Philips Phonogram. I asked Wayne if I could help and so we did a little rehearsal in the dressing room to see which key he was singing in.

I already knew the songs. So, we did the audition, I went back to the coffee bar and about a half an hour later, Wayne came running in. “Eric, Eric!”, he shouted. “Philips have offered me a recording contract!” I said, “Brilliant! You can buy me a drink now.” He said, “No! No! Listen! They want to sign you as well!” So suddenly I was in a group with a recording contract. We became Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. We became a chart group quickly, with our version of, “Hello Josephine” which went into the charts at Number 46 and when you’re a chart group, your money goes up. Pretty soon, I was earning more in one night than my father could earn in one week.

YOU OPENED THE STRAWBERRY STUDIOS IN STOCKPORT IN 1968 WITH PETER TATTERSALL. DID GAVE YOU THE FREEDOM TO BE MORE CREATIVE AND ALLOWED YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS AS AN ENGINEER? Yes. Mainly because we didn’t have to pay for anything. We had our own studio. We were able to experiment. We were always searching for something different. (Kevin) Godley and (Lol) Crème were brilliant at doing that. They

would pull something out of the bag that you would never believe that anyone could ever write about. Around this time, our manager had met Neil Sedaka and he told Neil that there are three geniuses, Godley, Crème and Stewart working in a studio near Manchester and that he should book some studio time. So, he tentatively booked two weeks. Neil came over from America and stayed at The Midland Hotel in Manchester. On that very first day, we went to meet him and he played us some songs that he had written and we thought that they were great. We got on really well with Neil and he liked our input. So, he decided to book the studio for a month. We thought, Great! We can eat! Solitaire was the name of the album and he got some great hits out of it.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT WORKING WITH SEDAKA WAS ANOTHER TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE AND CAREER? IT WAS AFTER THOSE SESSIONS THAT YOU DECIDED THAT YOU DIDN’T WANT TO CARRY ON JUST GETTING SESSION FEES. YOU WANTED TO GET YOUR OWN BAND TOGETHER. Yes. By that time, Graham Gouldman had joined us. Neil said to us, “You guys can all sing.

You’ve had hit records Eric. You’ve written hit songs Graham. Why don’t you guys get together and write something, you’ve got all the ingredients to do it.” It was that little click. We thought, why not? Lets try and get our own deal together. So me and Gouldman

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wrote “Waterfall” and Kevin and Lol wrote the B side “Donna“. The Beatles Apple label were kind of interested in “Waterfall” but they never really got back to us. Then I remembered Jonathan King from The Mindbenders days and he had just started his own record label, UK Records. I called him for old times sake and he asked me to go over and he said he would listen to the records.

So he listened to them and he said “Eric, “Waterfall” is a nice song but “Donna” is a smash. It’s a hit!” He said that he would call our management and he would do a deal with us. He asked what the group was called. We hadn’t got a name. Jonathan said, “Ok, the weirdest thing happened a couple of nights a go. I had a dream that I saw a poster over Wembley Stadium saying, “10cc, the greatest group on the world!””. I asked him what it meant and he said he didn’t know.

So, I rang the other guys and asked them what they thought of the name and they said, “The greatest group in the world eh? Let’s go for it, it might be a premonition”.

HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH SONG WRITING BACK THEN? IF YOU LISTEN BACK TO MOST ANY OF THE 10CC SONGS, THEY’RE ALL INCREDIBLY INTRICATE WITH SUCH BIZARRE CHANGES. HOW WOULD THESE WACKY CHANGES AND SONGS COME ABOUT? Basically you had 4 ‘off the wall’ minds all wanting to get in on the action. We always said to each other, no matter how dumb you think it is, try it. Lol was always the one who would say, “What would it be like if…?”.

We were always like, “Come on, you can’t be serious”. We tried it though. It was that conflict between a straight brain and a wacky brain and how they compromised and what they came out with but you had to get it all in a three minute song! “The Dean and I” and “Rubber Bullets” contained as much as in one song as a musical!

YOU’VE BEEN QUITE VOCAL IN THE PAST ABOUT NOT BEING HAPPY WITH GRAHAM GOULDMAN ABOUT USING THE NAME 10CC. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU STILL FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT? Yes I do. It’s not something I would do. I actually got a letter from Graham Gouldman saying to me, “I just need to tell you officially that I am going to go out on the road with a group doing our music but I will never call it 10cc.” So he goes out on the road with a group featuring some musicians that we had previously hired and some new musicians too and he calls it 10cc!

I was the one who got the complaints about this. You’ve got all these people buying a ticket

and Emailing me saying, “Where were you?” I got a whole boatload of emails to my website saying, “Where were you? I bought a ticket for 10cc and there was only Graham Gouldman there”. So, I had to send out a general email on my website and said, “I apologize for this but please don’t blame me. Myself and Lol Crème have never been asked to do a tour by anybody. No-one has ever asked us if we’d like to tour with Graham Gouldman. You go along and if you feel you’ve been cheated, ask for your money back. If you don’t feel like you’ve been cheated, that’s always up to you. You pays your money and you takes your choice.” I did write to Gouldman and said, “You can’t do this, you promised not to”. He said that it wasn’t his fault, it was the promoters. I thought that was a bit odd because he then releases a live CD and calls it 10cc. And it’s not 10cc! That’s got nothing to do with the promoters.

ARE THERE ANY CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH YOU’D CONSIDER PERFORMING LIVE AGAIN? People do ask and someone has asked me recently. There’s always a possibility of something happening.

IF YOU DID PERFORM LIVE, I GUESS IT WOULD BE A 10CC HITS SHOW AND SOME OF YOUR SOLO MATERIAL? Well, I haven’t really thought about it. What could you do? All of the hits are there, which there’s probably enough for a show. Then you’ve got all of the showstoppers. “One Night in Paris” and “Feel the Benefit” and all of those crazy songs that were on the first four albums.

The ‘Old Wild Men’ Tour? Some guy contacted me through my website. He said, “Why don’t we do a musical based on, “One Night in Paris”?

I can get the funding.” Now, “One Night in Paris” is based on a French story called, “Irma La Douce”. The basic story is a prostitute, the death of a policeman and a guy who is trying to be someone else. We started to research it and it took a lot of time. We found out that we would have to get the permission from the family of the writer of, “Irma La Douce” because the writer was dead.

The rights had been sold on and then onto to someone else and after two years of not being able to track the rights holder down, we bottled it. I said to Lol the other day, “Why the hell didn’t we do a musical? Everything you were writing was a bloody musical!” It never occurred to any of us at the time to do it.

We missed a big chance there and we couldn’t get this one together with, “One Night in Paris”, which is a shame because I think it would make a wonderful musical. I can see it on stage, the prostitutes moving to that rhythm that Kevin put down on the drums.

HOW MUCH INPUT HAVE YOU HAD IN THE MANY COMPILATION ALBUMS THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED? None whatsoever and I’m rather embarrassed about a lot of them. Universal chopped “I’m Not in Love” in half on the ‘Tenology‘ box set!

How could they do that?! How could they dare do that! There have been mistakes in the booklets of certain releases too. It can be quite frustrating really.

DO YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE WHEN RECORDING NEW MATERIAL THAT PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY GOING TO BE COMPARING YOUR MUSIC TO THE HITS YOU HAD WITH 10CC? There is a pedigree behind me but if I’m doing something like singing or playing guitar, that goes back long before 10cc. So, now I play guitar better than I did in 10cc, I’m still developing as a guitarist. To be compared with 10cc’s hit, no, I don’t think so because music has shifted so drastically from where we left it. I think it had already shifted by the time we were releasing, “Bloody Tourists”. The punk era had really come in.

We were well away from what was happening then. What is interesting that is happening now in a few things that I’ve been reading this week in the newspapers. Danny Baker doing these programmes about the best LP’s.

They’re all ‘60’s/’70’s LP’s, there’s nothing after.

So, if people start to go back and listen and maybe read these interviews too, maybe that will awaken some people.

I do have people getting in touch from time to time from other bands saying, “I didn’t realize how good you were!” That’s always so nice.

What worked in 10cc was this lovely raw talent that no-one was able to knock into shape. The fact that it was raw meant it kept coming up with new ideas like a plant springing out of the ground, that no-one had thought of hybrid-ing before. Whatever came out of the top of your head, you said.

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Hookworms/Baltic Fleet, April 4 White Hills/Mugstar, April 13 THE BLADE FACTORY

April saw a double-whammy for fans of heavy, psych and slightly weird music at Camp and Furnace offshoot, the no frills Blade Factory.

Supporting Hookworms are recent GIT Award winners Baltic Fleet, the brainchild of touring Echo And The Bunnymen keyboardist Paul Fleming - fittingly named for the pub just down the road. But pub rock this is not; while on record the instrumental soundscapey tunes are perhaps strictly for genre fans, live and supported by a bassist/guitarist and drummer it is a compelling show. Dark, dynamic and at times groove-heavy its the kind of thing that’s hard to explain without referencing Nine Inch Nails, but definitely has it’s own thing going on.

The word pyschedelic has been bandied about in relation to Hookworms but it’s more than that - their real strength beneath the wall of sound is their palpable angry energy.

Remember when Health came out with their blindingly good live shows and it seemed like the rock and electronic music had reached its symbiotic pinnacle? These guys have the same vibe, Swirling guitars and layered sounds are where the psych tag come in, but really it’s more like dance music played by demons. Perhaps

death metal played by angels?

Singer MJs yelping vocals are so altered by effects that it’s more another instrument than discernable words, but they are certainly sung with emotion, and the rest of the band are equally absorbed in each moment.

It’s great because it’s different, and at the moment that counts for a helluva lot.

One band that the psych label can be applied to unreservedly is White Hills. They top off a Saturday night bill of the long haired, leather jacketed variety, starting with promising if derivative instrumental Manchester band Plank!

Hometown heroes Mugstar are on form next, playing as one gut-busting metal-making unit.

There’s nothing overtly unique about their brand of instrumental heavy music but it’s the execution that counts - and at times tonight they crescendo to properly transcendental peaks.

White Hills arrive after 11 bringing a seemingly endless supply of riffs. Started in 2005 the band - centred around a core of singer/

guitarist Dave. W and bassist/singer Ego Sensation, who play tonight with an amazing touring drummer - have averaged two releases a year since then. These guys clearly live a kaleidoscope existence, and it comes across in their apparently effortless, yet absorbing set.

Paisley shirts, guitar solos, flowing locks, knee high boots, spoken mantras; it’s all here, and the trippy visuals projected over the band - a Blade Factory trademark - are a perfect fit. It’s one-trick sure, but it’s one really, really good trick. The show flies by - always a good sign - and the audience becomes one swaying, grinning mass.

With a slew of shows have been announced at Blade Factory in the coming months; it’s safe to say it’s here to stay.

JENNIFER PERKIN ||

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Imagine Dragons APRIL 4, 02 ACADEMY

Las Vegas alt-rock band Imagine Dragons, managed to completely sell out the Acadamy, and this fact, coupled with the noise coming from the hundreds of screaming girls only suggests that these guys are ones to look out for.

Like fellow Nevada rockers The Killers, Imagine Dragons are partial to a dramatic turnor two; they grace the stage accompanied by moody purple lighting, spooky images of trees, and screaming thunder sound effects.

Thus, after the obligatory “Liverpool is a beautiful city, we love it!” the band kick into their first song of the night, ‘Round and Round’. This song boasts a splendid infusion of alt-rock and synth based dance pop with it’s perky keyboards, haunting background vocals and Coldplay-epic chorus.

Next, it was time for the drummer to show off with ‘I Don’t Mind’, the fast pace and precision coming from the drumkit sounding like a machine gun going off.

Together with groovy guitar chords and the emotionally charged vocals from Reynolds,

the crowd can’t help but scream. A little too fan-girly for my liking, but nevertheless deserving.

songs like ‘It’s Time’, with it’s celtic flourishes and chant-like melody, show us that Imagine Dragons are not afraid to experiment.

Midway through the set we were treated to some drum’n’bass with their hit single ‘Radioactive’; a slowed down trancey-dancey track with an blinding chorus which the crowd were encouraged to sing along to.

To end the show Reynolds gives an emotional yet humble soliloquy, telling us he’s so grateful that we all came out to see them, and that he was once an anxiety-ridden child who he can’t believe his luck etc...” Loud applause ensues.

Queue another dramatic, yet inventive offering with ‘Tip-Toe’, a song that starts off with backing vocals that wouldn’t be out of place in a church. This gives Reyndolds the chance to show off his vocal range Chris Martin Style, bellowing “Oooohs” and asking “where do we go from hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?”

It’s refreshing that they dodn’t just stick to the typical guitar based rock that we’ve come to expect from many American indie bands, and

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s hard to believe not just that they only have one album (Night Visions) under their belt, but that every song really does sound worthy of decent radio play.

The Killers can probably feel their crown slipping right now...

ANNA KENNEDY ||

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Beth Orton/The Leisure Society THE KAZIMIER, APRIL 12

The Leisure Society’s lead singer Nick Hemmings used to be in She Talks To Angels, a 90s band featuring Paddy Considine and Shane Meadows.

Looking much younger than his 39 years, he leads a 6-strong line-up with some panache tonight.

There’s flute, there’s fiddle and at times it sounds like the soundtrack to a hoe down.

But mostly It’s classy, gently folky string-laden pop that is easy to enjoy if not likely to knock you off your feet.

And it’s unlikely Beth Orton will be leaving many dumbstruck either, as tonight’s performance is – while nice enough – a strictly fans-only affair.

Early on in her career, which stretches back to the mid nineties, Orton was associated with the likes of The Chemical Brothers and William Orbit and the tag ‘Folktronica’ was born.

Tonight it’s strictly folk, stripped down and simplified, reflecting the style of her latest release Sugaring Season, her first in 6 years. Supported by a backing band of guitar, drums, double bass and violin, Orton is a confident presence on stage but as an

audience you have to do all the work. You get the sense that she’s at a stage in her life where she’s nothing to prove, and she’s performing for herself.

Her distinctive voice takes some time to warm up - an unkinder writer could might emphasize it’s foghorn qualities - but on “Pass in Time’ it’s at it’s unique best, from a deep honk to a rich falsetto.

The set is heavy on Sugaring Season tracks, with standouts including ‘Poison Tree’, of the barefoot, moonlight in the forrest, mystical folk variety and featuring William Blake poetry. She’s haunting on the record’s title track, as on ‘Someone’s Daughter’ from her breakthrough 1996 record Trailer Park, which is met with whoops in the crowd.

From the Kazimier’s blacony we miss out on the in jokes and front row banter going on, but Orton certainly gets more animated

towards the end of the set. After a low key ‘Central Reservation’, something said in the front row cases her to say “Now I’m getting riled up!”, and perhaps coincidentally this is where the show takes a turn for the better.

‘Stolen Car’ still stands up as a stunning tune, and though it does feel the lack of Ben Harper’s slide guitar from the recorded version, along with ‘She Cries Your Name’ it’s the most powerful moment of the evening.

She concludes with a sparse rendition of classic Motown track ‘Ooh Child’ and the shushing in the by now restless crowd takes on comic proportions.

All in all it’s an unassuming performance - and if nothing else demonstrates an artist who has shrugged off previous dalliances to play simple, straight up folk. Like it or not.

JENNIFER PERKIN ||

Liverpool’s International Arts Venue

What’s On - Spring Season For full listings visit www.thecapstonetheatre.com

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Wednesday 1st May, £12 (£10 conc)

Thursday 2nd May, £5 (£3 conc)

Sonar

Cubana Bop

Friday 3rd May, £12.50

Friday 10th May, £15

Box Office 0844 8000 410 www.ticketquarter.co.uk

CITY OF

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As we emerge from our extended hibernation and arrive blinking in the unfamiliar daylight, so the city awakes from it’s slumber. It’s party time! For three days this city will turn into the capital of music. You won’t be able to turn a corner for sounds and songs and tunes, and the streets will be awash with punters of every stripe. For these three days, we wouldn’t be anyplace else in the world. IT”S SOUND CITY OF COURSE! HIghlights? With such a massive line up, it’s impossible to pinpoint all the must-sees, and many will be discovered on your travels. But to get you started we’ve talked to a whole bunch of people playing, and the the Low Down peeps have shared some of their top tips. Enjoy!

SOUNDS Bastille is a must, but please don’t go altogether to fill up The Garage – I’d like to have a (nice) spot to see Dan Smith’s band. I am also looking forward to Melody’s Echo Chamber; the French artist’s debut album, produced by Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker, is simply sensational and her act is certainly not to be missed. Others worthy of your attendance are Mount Kimbie, Everything Everything, AlunaGeorge, Dexys, The Oh Sees, Savages and Liverpool’s Stealing Sheep.

ORIOL BOSCH Travel to strange places with Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Antipodean in nature, but with songs of bucolic funkiness. Closer to home we have Bird, soundtracking imaginary ghost stories. The weirdly beautiful and beautifully weird Nadine Carina. Finally, Esco Williams, r’n’b from L8, spar.

KEV MCCREADY This year’s Sound City is definitely going to be dominated by Bastille, with their recent album, Bad Blood being number 1, I think the Garage will be bursting with revellers who want to see what the fuss is all about. For me, the highlight has got to be Dexy’s - for nostalgic reasons and also because their recent album One Day I’m Going to Soar is brilliant - they’re playing the beautiful Liverpool Anglican Cathedral too, which is a first for the festival.

ANNA KENNEDY

This is my first year attending Sound City since I moved to Liverpool last year. Although I know most of the headlining bands, I still had to do some research! Thee Oh Sees, On and On, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Pins, and Fossil Collective will see me at their shows for sure.

PAULA CLARK Mount Kimbie look interesting, it kind of reminds me a bit of Aphex Twin and I’ll be really interested to see how they pull it off live.

Obviously I’m planning to get stuck into the films as well...

TONI GARDEN Bo Ningen would be my pick of the festival.

Why? Because you can’t tell if they’re boys or girls, they’ve got great hair and they rock.

PAUL TSANOS I am excited to see the hauntingly beautiful Bird and All We Are. I will be swaying to the sounds of Sankofa and Coffee and Cakes For Funerals; and rocking to the passionate Broken Men, The Mono LPs and Glass Caves.

Not forgetting my favourite Liverpool band Fire Beneath The Sea who are guaranteed to have your hips shaking!

BECKY TAVERNOR

I’m heading for Noah and the Whale, I’ve heard a sneak preview of their new album Heart of Nowhere playing round the office and it’s great.

The fact that they’re headlining at the Cathedral should make it even more special.

ALLAN COSGROVE Savages. While for selfish reasons I’m loath to swamp the Arts Academy, if I’m honest the cat’s already out the bag. This hard hitting foursome have earned reverential live reviews and if their searing record is anything to go by (see review) we too will be worshipping at the altar.

Also keen to see Unknown Mortal Orchestra; there’s something a little melancholic about the funky retro soul of Ruban Neilson, the USbased kiwi behind UMO. His trippy pop ditties sound like they’re played through a broken ghettoblaster, and and we plan to shake it.

And finally, Future of the Left. Thanks to an eyewateringly good lineup this year I’ll be spending a good chunk of time at the Screenadelica stage, but I’m most excited of all to see FOTL. Why? If you like your music all up in your face, with a good dose of dry humour and a whole lotta attitude, be there.

Honorable mentions: Bo Ningen, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Bird, The Walkmen, Hawk Eyes JEN PERKIN

LOWDOWN ON MUSIC

Dave Pichilingi is the CEO of Liverpool Sound City. We spoke to him ahead of what is set to be the biggest year yet for the festival.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE LIVERPOOL ASPECT OF THE FESTIVAL? It’s vitally important. When people think of Liverpool they think of two things really they think of football, and music. So in that sense what better brand could you start with? For many years I worked on another festival in Manchester, but with Liverpool being my home city I always wanted to create something like this in Liverpool.

For many years Liverpool wasn’t right really, despite the fact it is a music city. If we are honest with ourselves, we didn’t have great hotels, we didn’t have great restaurants, we didn’t have the infrastructure really to give us the confidence really to put on a world class event.

HOW MUCH IS IT ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE IN, AND HOW MUCH ABOUT EXPORTING LIVERPOOL OUT? Both. When we do Liverpool sound city we are essentially trying to show the best talent that comes from our region, and the wider UK. Essentially from our region - that’s one of our key driving forces.

We’re kind of A and Ring musical talent - we’ve got some great ears in our office. This year we had 7, 5000 bands apply to play from all over the world. But by the same token, we’re also A and Ring the business community. So we’re looking for the best new businesses that are coming through - some of those we’ve

championed in recent years are like Centric Music which is a great thing for us to show.

To be honest not a lot of business came out of this city - some great parties but not really a lot of big business. With Sound City it has always one of the key things to harbour effective business solutions, as well as putting on the best parties!

HOW HAS IT GROWN SINCE IT STARTED? The original LSC was actually a stage at SXSW in 2007. That came about because I’d been over there in 2006 with a lot of bands that I was working with at the time. And I thought, a) how good SXSW was, and b) what a shame it was for some of the artists who went there because they didn’t all get a really good bite of the cherry.

It’s difficult to get oxygen and gravity with so much going on. So I came back and spoke to people like Kev McManus of Liverpool vision, and told him my idea at the time. He helped in getting some money together to do that stage at SXSW. The following year money became available for the Capital of Culture year, and so I bid in with the idea of winning some of that money to create Sound City in Liverpool.

In year one we had about 200 delegates and around 300 bands, but we only did about 6, 000 unique wristbands. This year we’ll have about 40, 000 unique wristbands and about 3, 500 delegates. It’s grown quite a lot really!

AND IS USING NEW VENUES AS WELL, SUCH AS THE EAST VILLAGE ARTS CLUB, IMPORTANT? Its good to see great to see that club open again for business.They spent a lot of money on doing, so we were really keen on that.

We run a lot of our own venues as well, and that’s really important. There’s a lot of these festivals around and the key to LSC is trying to take an audience and immerse them into a space that they wouldn’t normally see live music in. So for us this year to be doing events in the Anglican Cathedral, and warehouses and churches and places like that - we’ve also tried to challenge local space as I think it’s great for music lovers to see their fave bands, or new fave bands, in spaces they would not normally get to see music in. So it kind of feels like Glastonbury without the wellies then, we want to create that kind of claustrophobia and that kind of energy really in an urban space.

WILL YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO ENJOY THE FESTIVAL YOURSELF? I IMAGINE THERE’S A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK TO DO...

I never really enjoy it like other people enjoy it; Saturday night I do enjoy a little bit. But yeah you’re right, it’s a bit like having a party in your house and all you do is watch who’s spilling wine on the carpet. It’s a little bit like that. I enjoy other people’s festivals, but even then I’m looking at what we can do better.

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MIKILLPANE

Hackney born hip-hop rapper Justin Smith Uzomba, better known as Mikill Pane, is no shrinking violet. He initially got press for a childhood playground scrap with Euan Blair, but has moved swiftly on from that, going on to collaborate with such names like Ed Sheeran, Rizzle Kicks and Example.

He has been praised for his EP Dirty Rider and collaboration album You Guest It, and you can catch him at the Zanzibar during Sound City.

SO, WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INTO RAP? I got into rap because it’s spoken literature, like spoken poetry and I like that element about it, plus a lot of people think poets are boring and pretentious so I rapped it. Really though, my big sister got me into rap and hip-hop, so I listened to it a lot with her when I was younger, she made me aware of different artists and stuff.

YOU’VE WORKED WITH ED SHEERAN, RIZZLE KICKS AND EXAMPLE, TO NAME A FEW. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COLLABORATIONS COMING UP? I’m trying to plan a sequel to my other collaboration album You Guest it, this will be called You Guest it 2. I’m going to try and get people like Professor Green and Ghetts on board, there’s some other names I’m thinking of but I don’t want to tell you in case I look like an idiot and they don’t come on. But I’m trying to make it happen.

IS THERE ANYONE YOU’D PARTICULARLY LOVE TO WORK WITH? I’d love to work with Annie Lennox. She’s great, I’m a huge fan.

BIZARRELY, YOU’VE WORKED WITH KATIE PRICE, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? Oh haha, that was just a case of needing a female vocalist for the track. My manager who was also producing at the time got in touch with Katie through BBM and stuff, so it just happened that way I suppose. She’s cool.

YOUR EP DIRTY RIDER MENTIONS YOUR LOVE FOR SHOES AND CYCLING, WHY’S THIS? It’s about exactly that, it’s not cryptic or anything- I like rapping about every day shit, really. I love cycling and I love shoes - there’s nothing more to it, really. Although the amount of scenery you can take in when riding around London can be beautiful.

YOUR REAL NAME IS JUSTIN, SO HOW DID YOU ENDED UP BEING CALLED MIKILL PANE?

It stems from people saying I get ill when I grip microphones, hence Mikill and I’ve worn glasses for more than half my life, so I see the world through windows, that’s where Pane comes from.

ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM, BLAME MISS BARCLAY? It’s named after my old English teacher at school, she always encouraged me to write creatively, so blame Miss Barclay for this album. This isn’t going to be like You Guest It though, there are no collaborations on this one, but I’m excited with it, I don’t put anything out there that i’m not 100% happy with.

FINALLY, YOU’RE PLAYING LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY, WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM THE LIVERPOOL CROWDS? I’m excited, very excited. We have a decent run of festivals this year, although Liverpool Sound City is mainly indoors, it’s still got that festival feeling, everyone celebrating different music and cultures together. Super excited.

ANNA KENNEDY ||

NOAHAND THEWHALE

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It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 5 year since Noah & the Whale spearheaded the so called nu-folk movement. And while the band have sinced moved past that tag, they are at least partly to thank for the endurance of it for better (Laura Marling) or for worse (Mumford and Sons) to this day. On the verge of releasing fourth record Heart of Nowhere, we spoke to founder Charlie Fink about the record’s accompanying film, and about growing up.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW RECORD, HEART OF NOWHERE. I guess the most interesting thing about the record is that it was recorded live in the studio.

It’s about the end of adolescence, and about friendship and memories and kind of I guess overall a little nostalgic in tone. The video from the song is a trailer for a short film that going to come with the album. Which again, involves the same things as the album and is a sort of coming-of-age story about four friends in a slightly dystopian environment. It’s set in a world where teenagers are separated from society and live in a sort of island within the city.

YOU’RE VERY YOUNG TO BE HAVING NOSTALGIC FEELING ABOUT YOUTH AREN’T YOU? I think...when we came back from touring the last album a very close friend of mine got engaged, and he was the first close friend of mine who has got engaged. It kind of inspired me for a couple of reasons. For me it was kind of strange that I didn’t really know what was going on in my friends lives after being on tour for so long, and it was also kind of realising that you’re getting to a point in your life where you are coming to the end of....I mean, you’re right, we are relatively young but I guess it’s the closing of an era I suppose. And it’s interesting to reflect on that.

DYSTOPIAN IS A VERY APT WORD FOR THE VIDEO FOR THE SINGLE ‘THERE WILL COME A TIME’. IT ACTUALLY REMINDED ME IN MOOD QUITE A LOT OF THE VIDEO FOR ‘THE SUBURBS’ BY ARCADE FIRE. Yeah I love that film, it’s a great film. And Spike Jonze who directed that was a really big reference when we shot it. There’s another short film he made called ‘I’m Here’ which was a really big inspiration too.

THIS IS THE SECOND FILM YOU’VE MADE - THE FIRST ACCOMPANIED YOUR SECOND RECORD THE FIRST DAYS OF SPRING. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE FILMMAKING SIDE OF THINGS TO YOU? I think I’ve spent a lot more time on my songwriting trade, I feel like I’m still sort of

nurturing my ability as a filmmaker. This film I’m really proud of and I think it’s step forward from a couple of things I’ve done before, and I’m really excited for people to see it. I feel incredibly lucky that I’m able to do both. I think it’s really exciting to be in a band who are willing to sort of investigation that kind of marriage between film and music that goes with it. I hope in this case that people can either come to the album or the film and enjoy them separately, but I think they might enjoy them more together.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY FORMAL TRAINING IN FILMMAKING? No. A friend of ours James Copeland made our first video, he just shot it on super 8. And I kind of helped him a little bit and watched him do it, and made that realisation that filmmaking is something that human beings can do - it’s not like a magic thing that it can seem initially. So I directed a bunch of our music videos and just learnt by doing it I guess.

YOU HAD QUITE A BIT OF UPHEAVAL WITH LINEUPS EARLY ON BUT NO THAT SEEMS TO HAVE STABILISED NOW? This is the longest we’ve sustained a line up for - it’s been over two years. On all four albums, none of them have had the same line up. And I think the reason why we felt comfortable doing a live record now is that we’ve spent the last two years on the road with this current line up. Playing together for that long you develop a kind of intuition that I think we wanted to capture. But yes, you get more comfortable with each other and I guess thats why it feels like a good time to be more collaborative.

AND IT’S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT YOU’RE ALWAYS GOING TO DO GOING FORWARD? Exactly, and the whole thing with this record was about embracing the blemishes and the flaws and let them be the unique, identifying thing on the song and trading out that sort of clinical perfection for more emotional identity. And now having done that I just want everything to be in time and in tune and tweaked as far as it can go!

HAVE YOU SHAKEN THE WHOLE NUFOLK THING? We’ve made 4 records and I think we’ve only really made one folk record, I’m more interested in exploring whatever is inspiring me at the time. and so there’s a very good chance one day we might say ‘lets make something more folky’, or we might make an album that doesn’t really have guitars on it.

That’s a really fun place to be in.

WHAT WAS INFLUENCING YOU ON THIS RECORD? What we were trying to do is make a record that created some kind of unity to everything we’ve done before so part of it was trying to understand what we together as a band have that is unique. But then in terms of people I was listening - there was a lot of David Byrne and Talking Heads, and things like John Cale, and stuff like The Cars and some Van Morrison.

Lots of things...

SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE ON QUITE AN 80S VIBE. Its funny, people’s first impression when they hear we’ve done a live record is to think it’s going to be either really stripped acoustic or really sort of garage rock. But it probably has more in common with kind of new wave bands than it does with the Clash or Neil Young or something.

WHICH FITS WELL WITH THE THEMES OF TEEN NOSTALGIA REALLY. Definitely, I mean The Cars - I listen to The Cars and I’m back to being a teenager straight away.

See Charlie Fink and co. headline Sound City on Thursday night, www. noahandthewhale.com

LOWDOWN ON MUSIC

SWIMDEEP

Birmingham born happy-hippies Swim Deep are making waves amongst the indie scene as of late, having put out critically acclaimed singles ’Honey’ and ‘King City’. Their debut album Where The Heaven Are We is set to be released this July, and they’ve got a string of festival dates lined up. They are riding the crest. Drummer Zach elaborates...

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BIRMINGHAM BANDS AT THE MOMENT; YOURSELVES, PEACE, JAWS? I don’t know, maybe because they just don’t want to be doing really standard jobs. When we all went out in Birmingham when we were younger, we just got drunk and spoke about music and how we all wanted to do different, better things. When everyone stopped partying and stuff, we all took it seriously.

HOW DID THE BAND START, THEN? Austin and TJ went to college together and stuff and they wrote music then, I think...I was in a band too, and their old band and my old band played a show together and they were looking for another drummer at the time. I wanted to join them, so I did. We were a three-piece for a while and one of our really good friends Cav was a bass player so we just thought we’d ask him, and he looked great, so...

HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THE RECENT RISE IN ATTENTION? I don’t know, I don’t really see it to be honest.

I don’t walk into town or whatever and everyone’s like “oh fuck!” I guess we only really see it when we play a show, but then everyone’s obviously there to come and watch us then, so everyone’s gonna ask for photos

and stuff, but yeah I don’t really see it.

WHO OR WHAT HAS INFLUENCED YOUR SOUND? I don’t think bands directly influence our sounds, but when we first started writing music together we were all into the same music and that kind of came through in our songs, but when we stopped taking influence from bands we like that’s when we got our own Swim Deep sound. But, like I said Austin writes the lyrics, so I can’t really speak for him and tell you what inspires him...I just play drums.

I NOTICED YOU MAKE LOTS OF REFERENCES TO CALIFORNIA, WHAT DRAWS YOU TO IT? I think it’s just the sun, it’s great isn’t it. We’ve never been to California but we’re going in a couple of weeks, we don’t know what to expect.

WOULD YOU TRADE BIRMINGHAM FOR THERE? Oh yeah, definitely. Birmingham’s not that great...well compared to LA. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR ALBUM? Erm, songs haha... I don’t know, I don’t want to give too much away. I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say or not. I will say that some of

the songs are different from some of the stuff that’s out there now, though. I think there’s going to be some surprises, some people are going to be surprised, definitely. But yeah, that’s all I’m going to say.

YOU’RE PLAYING LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY, EXCITED? It’s great, I’ve only ever been to Liverpool once and we played a show on the Spector tour and it was one of the best shows of the whole tour.

The line up is really good too, actually. There’s a few people I wanted to go and see, but unfortunately they don’t play on the same day as us, which is annoying.

LIKE WHO? GIVE US YOUR TIPS! I want to see Melody’s Echo Chamber and Splashh are playing as well, I haven’t seen them for a while since we went on tour with them. The Skaters too, they’re playing on the same day as us.

FINALLY, FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH YOU, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND? I haven’t been asked this for a while, probably a little more roll than rock. Yeah, that’s it.

ANNA KENNEDY ||

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ANYTHING ANDEVERYTHING

Mancunian four-piece Everything Everything are nothing if not interesting.

Their music is the antithesis to formulaic; in fact listening to their stop-start, up and down dance pop can at times be exhausting. Background music this is not.

With their first album Man Alive being nominated for the Mercury Prize, and its follow up Arc sounding as though it could also be a potential candidate, the band have earned plaudits for live shows and garnered plenty of attention.

Humble and unassuming Bassist Jeremy Pritchard hasn’t been throwing TV’s out of hotel windows just yet though. Instead, he tells me that many of the lyrics from their songs are centred around recurring themes of selfdeprecation and self-doubt, explaining: “I don’t write the lyrics, John (Higgs) does,

but when writing there’s never just one solid idea, there’s always two or three ideas and how they respond to each other is where the song is. They’re mainly about the juxtaposition of seeing both the big picture and the little picture - always being aware of our position in the grand scheme of things”.

Perhaps like many young bands starting out, they may have fallen into the teenage angst trap of over-analysing and over-doing things. With time they’ve found simple and less cryptic lyrics can just be as powerful and influential:

“Music certainly influenced me when I was younger, it has a social-political effect. I listened to the Manic Street Preachers and Radiohead a lot, and they held cultural significance to me, definitely. I think with our first album Man Alive we were kind of uptight, and although I really like that record, for our second we tried to be less concerned with trying to throw as many ideas as we could into one space. We wanted to let things breathe a bit more. We’ve developed and matured kind of, and we have never completely changed direction, we just settled down a bit more on Arc, made things simple”.

LOWDOWN ON MUSIC

I can almost feel Pritchard wince at the thought of being described as an ‘indie white-boy band from Manchester’. With ambitious fusions of electronica and contemporary R&b identified in their music, I don’t suppose he’d be fond of being identified as a typical guitar strumming hipster either: “I’ve never been able to categorise us,although for the sake of ease, when asked we say ‘indie pop’ - that instantly describes us I guess. I mean we’re not a reggae or big jazz band, so indie does put us in the right ballpark, at least. Sort of. But the word has negative connotations and it now has nothing to do with the original meaning. People use that word to sell Smiths t shirts and jeans. Its a lifestyle, and it’s practically meaningless. We didn’t want to be just boys with guitars as then everyone expects you to sound a certain way, so when we first started out we really didn’t want that”.

Hardly just guitar indie, laptop programming and processing feature heavily in the music of Everything Everything, no doubt stemming from a love for alt-rock and electronica: “I’m a huge Kraftwerk fan, and I guess the electronic sound in our music is my personal input. Although when I was young I only listened to the Beatles, The Beach boys, motown records and the best of Queen. When I got a bit older I widened my horizon though, with the likes of Radiohead - who people I thought were cool listened to”.

Even though Pritchard does have a degree in popular music, being in a band has always been his main focus, and to his own admission he wouldn’t have been good at anything else, (the self deprecation creeps in once more): “I always wanted to be in a band, but didn’t know if I could do it - its difficult to sustain a career. We’re incredibly lucky we’ve managed to make a living, especially in today’s climate. We know a lot of bands who are fairly well known, but still have to go to work to pay the bills.

So I feel lucky, but yeah, I did occasionally think about just writing about music; you know, the history and the origins, but I wouldn’t be as good as it”.

He feels lucky now, but then again, who wouldn’t feel lucky having played the luxurious Kelly’s pub on the picturesque Smithdown Road?

Prichard laughs, remembering fondly: “We were asked to do a student gig at the pub, I used to go all the time as I had a girlfriend in Liverpool. We were just starting out and played literally everywhere we could, so we went along and they were just not geared up, great pub but definitely not meant to have live music, Well at least not then anyway. We were put in the corner with one mic between us, and we were just too loud and people had to keep turning our amps down. We did have such a fun night but the gig went technically awful!”

Every cloud though, every cloud...they’re now booked for Glastonbury and Leeds, have an extensive UK tour coming up in October and they’re going to be gracing Liverpool again for the second time in just two months for Sound City: “I love Liverpool, I’ve been to the festival a couple of times as a fan to see bands. I like urban festivals where you can hop from one venue to the next, you can walk into pretty much anything. We played it back in 2010 with Delphic and Egyptian Hip Hop - it was basically a Mancunian showcase at the Academy. I really enjoy the atmosphere the city has, so I’m looking forward to playing there again”.

We’re looking forward to seeing it.

ANNA KENNEDY ||

Music Talk With Dave Monks It seems appropriate to begin my regular monthly column for Liverpool’s definitive listings magazine during the month of April.

The city is about to enter a busy period in terms of musical activity starting with Liverpool Sound City and followed shortly after by the new Liverpool International Music Festival. It always amazes me amount of great music that emerges from this region, you’re never short of something really special to get fired up about. Here are just a small selection of some of the bands and artists that have stood out for me this month.

Jetta – This girl is a real talent who has worked her ass off learning her trade by backing for the likes of Paloma Faith. Things seem to be starting to happen for her having just signed a record deal with Polydor. She has some brilliant solo tunes and one hell of a voice, as we witnessed on the programme during her first radio session back in October. A must see at Liverpool Sound City.

The Dirty Rivers –It’s no secret that I have been supporting this band for a while now. Their live shows are captivating and the new songs are stunning - as I write this my mate at Radio 2 Janice Long has just played their new track ‘The Kid’. Check it out.

Louis Berry – He’s new, he’s young and he’s Scouse with a voice that sounds like a mix of Joe Cocker and Merseyside’s answer to Jake Bugg. He is playing his first show at the Cavern during Liverpool Sound City.

Ambrose Chappell – He’s a Southport DJ who describes himself as ‘a funky ass hippity hop and electro producer’. We will be profiling Ambrose on the programme this month.

Ghost Chant – Someone else we will be catching up with this month is Future Garage and Deep Bass producer, remixer and DJ GhostChant. His music is influenced by the sounds of Burial.

Bird – Bird will always be about Adele Emmas, she writes and sings the songs and creates the canvas. Collaborating now with Bill Ryder Jones, the new songs are stunning. Catch them at LSC at the ideal venue for their atmospheric sound – The Epstein Theatre, 3 May. Natalie McCool – Natalie has just released her impressive debut album, produced by London-based producer Steve Levine.

Natalie performed an amazing session for us on the weekend before its release.

For more Music Talk with Dave Monks, be sure to check out LowDown.com/Music . BBC Introducing with Dave Monks is broadcast every Saturday evening from 8-10pm and can be heard seven days after on BBC IPlayer

LOWDOWN ON BUSINESS

FRESH YOUNG BLOODCLUB

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There’s a lot of youthful creativity coming out of the Baltic Triangle area. We spoke to two young business owners carving their own path.

Eco Street Adverts

Blue Giant Lighting Company

James Millard, 25, got the idea for his advertising company, using innovative and eco-friendly methods including Banksy-style stencil work, during a stint working in Holland.

Francis White-Robinson started off his career as a mobile DJ at age 12.

After a very early retirement Francis, originally from Norfolk, moved to Liverpool at 18 to complete a lighting course. He started his business Blue Giant and hasn’t looked back.

He says: “Europe and especially places like Holland are a bit more forward thinking, and there it’s like a pretty traditional form of advertising now, whereas here people think it’s like graffiti or something.” Originally from the Wirral, he started off in his bedroom last June but quickly moved into a shed in the Baltic Triangle Creative Campus by October.

The main thrust of the company is that traditional forms of advertising are not ecologically sound. James says: “You see flyers and posters they usually get thrown on the floor, or they start peeling off the wall.”

His methods range from a bicycle with a billboard trailer, to a hard wearing paint for street stencils. He’s also looking into potential methods such as projections and NFC technology.

Though he’s already run successful campaigns such as that for the Bodies Revealed Exhibition, he has yet to have the official thumbs up from the council. “I spoke to Liverpool Council and said ‘Can I do this?’.

And the guy at Liverpool Council said, ‘I think it’s a really cool idea I’m really into it, but we’ve tried it before, and the powers that be said no after a trial’. Because it promotes graffiti apparently, which I disagree with.” James prides himself on keeping everything in-house, even doing the actual ads himself. “I’ve done every single one of them. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone else and handing over control doesn’t sit that well with me at the moment.”

See ecostreetadverts.com

“It took me some years to build up contacts slowly, but it’s grown steadily.”

At just 23 now, some of the major events he’s been involved with so far include Sound City and the annual Liverpool Tattoo Convention, but he has his sights set even higher.

“I promised my Dad that I would be at the 02 within 10 years of starting the business.”

Now based in the Camp and Furnace building, where he works on a lot of events, he says that owning his owning his business is generally pretty ace but there are drawbacks. “I never get a day off. And I’m rubbish at tax.”

Blue Giant provide everything from straightforward lighting to larger scale production, with the Tattoo Convention gig utilising over 18 crew.

Francis describes a recent conference he worked on as ‘quirky corporate’. saying “We want to create a different stage every time. We want to stand out”.

When asked who his ultimate dream gig to work on would be he doesn’t hesitate: “Muse at Wembley. I think I’ve seen every show they’ve ever done. and yeah, that’s the dream!”

See www.bluegiantlightshow.co.uk

FILM &TV Spring Breakers

What is Harmony Korine trying to say with this scantily clad, teenage booze, drugs, gun fest?

We’re not entirely sure. But that’s not to say we don’t like it. Faith (Selena Gomez) is in her bikini, drunk and swaying around in a pool expressing her wishes to “Stay like this forever”, how she’d like to “click it and freeze this moment” because she’s just so happy, so chilled.

This is more than just getting drunk, this is an experience. Spring Break forever.

Half way through her speech, snide-eyed Candy (Vanessa Hudgens) looks to her partner in crime Brit (Ashley Benson) and a look passes over her face as if to say “what the hell is this girl talking about and does her mother know she’s out after 11pm?” which was almost the exact expression worn by 50% of the audience throughout Spring Breakers.

Is this a joke or is director Harmony Korine really trying to say something? And if he is trying to say something, what exactly is he talking about?

Is this a cautionary tale about youth culture?

Maybe it’s about drugs? Spiritualism?

An endless list of questions is what you will leave the cinema with, but, “Did I actually like that?” seems to be the most important.

All Tomorrow’s Parties April 10, FACT

The All Tomorrow’s Parties festival - or ATP if you’re in the cult - is a brand that elicits unrivalled feelings of tenderness and love within a certain type of music lover. Born in 1999 the concept is exquisitely simple: a long weekend held at Butlins holiday camp in Camber Sands, with one of your favourite bands picking the line-up for the weekend. Like a live mix-tape from your coolest friend.

Your first ATP experience is like a dream come true - oh hey there’s Beth Gibbons at the bar.

Is that Thurston Moore buying a hot dog?

Krist Novoselic strolling with his girlfriend? Is that Bob Weston AGAIN? And I think Shellac

Spring Breakers is the marmite film of 2013, dividing audiences and causing arguments across the board. For some this will be an experience, transcending the need for explanation. According to director Harmony Korine, that’s something he’s happy about, saying he set out to create a feeling; a post narrative that is inexplicable; a feeling like a drug experience with transcendence that disappears. I’m not so sure even he knows what that means but here’s what i do know about Spring Breakers; Four american college girls become embroiled with a Floridian gangster named Alien (James Franco) and find out what it really means to live dangerously

and party hard.

may actually be stalking me.... It’s not just the hero-spotting; it’s the vibe, man. There’s no advertising, no camping, no aggro and special touches such as the specially programmed TV schedule and the music pub quiz. ATP is what the world would be like if the creatives and weirdoes were in charge - and it’s an achingly beautiful place (RIP Stool Pigeon).

Many of the best moments come from the one-off impromptu gigs that simply couldn’t happen anywhere else; A Hawk and a Hacksaw in the gaming room, Lightning Bolt on the green, Grizzly Bear on the beach and Daniel Johnston just about everywhere. Though there’s a very loose politically message in the movie (courtesy of a non entirely eloquent Thurston Moore) the film is not about intellectualising the festival, or telling its history.

Made up largely of fan footage it’s more a postcard, or a snapshot, of a moment and a feeling and a very special place. For that reason it could seem like too much hard work for the uninitiated. Or you may well be converted.

So the film. The film achieves the impossible in that it captures both the independent spirit of the festival and the surreal quality of it being based in a retro holiday camp. As well as featuring incredibly powerful onstage performances from the likes of Grinderman, Battles and Yeah Yeah Yeahs it also depicts the adventures in between - spontaneous football matches, getting lost on the way back to your room, epic chalet parties.

In a nutshell, that’s it. Franco plays a blinder, almost literally with his gold teeth grillz and ridiculous amount of bling. Without him the Spring Breakers would have just seemed like an episode of Geordie Shore. If you take anything away from this vapid and soulless film you can say you’ve seen James Franco’s rendition of Britney Spears’ ‘Everytime’ and it made complete sense.

TONI GARDEN ||

For now ATP continues, but on the day after they stop this will be a cherished love letter.

JEN PERKIN ||

Trance

Danny Boyle makes a welcome return to the big screen with a psychological thriller that will leave you in a Trance.

Danny Boyle is a national treasure. Whether you subscribe to his gritty subjects and stylised swagger or not, this is the man that brought us the elaborate celebration of British culture last year at the Olympics and turned his directorial eye from film to stage with one of the most breathtaking performances of Frankenstein a lovie like myself will ever see. So it’s difficult when to read critics pulling apart his latest film Trance and accusing it of being overcooked and unexciting.

Boyle might be trying to join the brotherhood of directors making mind melting plotlines like Memento, Inception and Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind but his psychological thriller wasn’t that difficult to follow. The opening gambit seems simple enough; Auctioneer and gambling addict, Simon (James McAvoy) is in cahoots with tough guy Franck (Vincent Cassel) and his crew, to steal a Goya from

a London auction house and pay off his gambling debts. The job doesn’t quite go according to plan and a blow to the head leaves Simon searching his mind to remember where he has hidden the artwork.

Keeping up so far? Problems begin as they usually do, with the introduction of a beautiful woman. Dr Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) a hypnotherapist enrolled in this motley crew to help unlock the whereabouts to the missing painting. Boyle’s trademark beating soundtrack, inventive use of colour and a leading Scotsman hark back to the good old days of Trainspotting but the storyline here is a little less formulaic.

Like the act of hypnosis, Trance only asks an audience to be open and let the film do the work. Just be sure to keep up or you’ll the one left in a daze trying to put the pieces together.

TONI GARDEN ||

Eurovision Song Contest 2013 BBC, May 18

Love it or hate it is that time of year again.

Flying the flag for the Brits this year is Welsh songstress, Bonnie Tyler. Will her rendition of ‘Believe In Me’ be enough to get us to the top of the leader board? Well, no, but the evening should be an entertaining one.

The Place Beyond The Pines

Ryan Gosling teams up once more with his Blue Valentine director, Derek Cianfrance for an emotionally charged drama that takes his audiences to The Place Beyond The Pines.

It explores the consequences of motorcycle rider Luke’s (Ryan Gosling) fateful decision to commit a series of bank robberies to support his infant son, and the subsequent intertwining lives of himself and the Cop (Bradley Cooper) that tries to capture him.

Thankfully there is more than meets the eye to this story of bank robbing bandit chased by frustrated rookie cop, and the three act film is an unexpected narrative that deals with the relationship between Fathers and Sons and the decisions that mold their lives. Whether it be the shadow cast by an absent father or the pressure of living up to the standards set by an ambitious man, the two male leads depict a powerful story of action and consequence.

For Bradley Cooper this is perhaps his most important role yet. Riding high on the wave of Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper is hitting the more serious characters on point and in this he’s superb. Holding his own and matching the intensity set in the first hour by Gosling, who is as ever, endearing even as a chain smoking bad-ass with a tattooed face. Despite the fact that our two leads are only on screen together for a brief moment, they strike a balance that is much more than just the light and the dark they supposedly represent. The slow, booming soundtrack will haunt you for days and the story even longer. The Place Beyond The Pines is a must.

TONI GARDEN ||

Breaking Bad Summer 2013

If you’re not already doing so NetFlix is offering viewers the chance to OD on Breaking Bad seasons 1 to 5.5 this month, with the second half of season 5 complete we’re ready to Break Bad and take our final hit this summer. The show’s creator Vincent Gilligan has always kept the lid tight on storylines and when it comes to guessing how crystal-meth magicians Walter and Jesse’s story will end, it’s safe to say fans are expecting big things from the show’s finalè.

One of the most recent rumours flying around cyberspace however, is something quite unexpected. Not exactly a plot spoiler, we know better than that, but more of a development.

It seems our favourite money-laundering legal eagle Saul Goodman, may be getting his own spin off show. With a genius catchphrase, “Better Call Saul!” already in place and a character that’s always titilated audiences with his wily ways perhaps Saul Goodman’s spin off might not be the usual spin-off suicide that has killed off some of our favourite supporting characters from day’s gone by.

LOWDOWN ON FASHION

CAN’T BUY YOU STYLE As the Queen of ChicCheap, I spend my life telling anyone who is willing to listen where to go for the latest bargain buy: whether it’s cosmetics and beauty or fashion and trends, it’s true what they say, money Can’t Buy You Style.

‘Bag’ a Bargain: The £5 Summer Satchel We all saw the Google Chrome advert and wished that we’d have had Julie Dean’s idea that life changing epiphany of taking the quintessentially English Satchel and making it the bright and bubbly accessory that every T4 presenter and Vogue model is now wearing.

Satchels are the perfect accessory: Practical and oh-so-stylish, they are rife this season.

Hanging off the shoulders of the rich and fabulous; Glamour called it: “the British accent you can wear!” However, the Cambridge Satchel will set you back £115.00, which is

great if you can afford it: I however, cannot.

So, high street savvy and knowing that money simply cannot buy you style, I stumbled across this beauty on the most pocket friendly fashion website out there: Everything5Pounds. com. No, that ‘5’ was not a type-o. You read me right; five-pound bags; five-pound shoes; five-pound coats and the list goes on.

As with all bargain buckets though, one must separate the wheat from the chaff - but this wheat is worth the hunt.

Classic and très ChicCheap: just how every metaphorical British accent should be. So, invest wholeheartedly that undistinguished £5 in your account and bag yourself that some chic cheap. Mine’s already in the post.

For more fashion & beauty folly, follow Can’t Buy You Style on Twitter: @CantBuyYouStyle and the young hipsters can check out the Tumblr cantbuyyoustyle.tumblr.com LAURA RICHARDSON ||

53

LOWDOWN ON HEALTH

This month we’re super excited to introduce to you our new wellbeing guru – Saeed Olayiwola. He is an expert on all aspects of health and you can look forward to his regular column. He kicks off this month by telling us about himself and giving us a positive message.

All around us, in magazines, on TV, Radio and the web health is on the agenda. From national government campaigns to local authority initiatives, with increased popularity of home workout programmes like p90x, or insanity and with the appearance of hot yoga studios on nearly every corner of our great city. It is clear we are a nation, a community, aspiring to be healthier and to look and feel better.

My name is Saeed Olayiwola, father of 2 gorgeous girls I adore, motivational coach and speaker, Public Health trained personal trainer, yoga and pilates instructor. With over 9 years in the health and wellbeing industry in organisations affiliated with the Department of Health, (NHS) , local authorities and voluntary community organisations, I can confirm that the majority of us want to be healthier, fitter, and look fabulous most of the time. And why shouldn’t we deserve the best?

Many of us never act on this want, sometimes because we are being lazy and other times because we just don’t know how or where to start. Or when we do start, how to keep going.

We have so much available; Government

campaigns with new guidelines, new fitness and diet programs telling us the best ways to exercise, which healthy foods to eat and when.

There is so much well meaning information out there that it is hard for us to know what is best, and which way to go.

But it’s not all doom and gloom.

This is where I come in. My hope is with this column we can inform, inspire, motivate and support each other. I’ll do my best to bring you information; from national campaigns, to local drives, the new fitness /diet craves and my thoughts on them. I’ll let you know what is available, and where to access it so that you can take your steps no matter how small or big to being the healthier, fitter, maybe lighter, more fabulous looking and definitely a better feeling you.

All I ask is your support in making this column as informative as it can be and more. Send me your questions and thoughts about health, things that you want to know, myths that you want deciphered. This healthy lifestyle focused column is for us talk health and wellbeing - so let the conversation begin!

TIP OF THE MONTH Start your journey to better health by focusing on knowing yourself better, what your health goals are (most of us have more than one), your likes and dislikes when it comes to food, physical activity and your good and bad habits and so on.

Take some time to think about these and write them down.

Having a good understanding of where we are, where we want to get to and the challenges we are likely to face will help us plan ahead and give us a better chance of reaching our health goals.

Find me on twitter @saeedolayiwola and on the internet at www.so-pt.co.uk

LOWDOWN ON HEALTH

Electrified Yoga LEAF

I’m not gonna lie, the words electrified yoga scared me a little bit. But the words chocolate tiffin and chai certainly don’t, so I thought I’d gather my courage and try out this new venture at Leaf.

As wrong as it feels walking up Bold Street in gym pants, as soon as I see the similarlyspandexed gathering at the base of the stairs I am reassured. For tonight, at least, these are my people. Given this is only the third session, the prime mat spots are taken up remarkably quickly and a quick head count numbers at least 18 or so participants.

Anyone who’s done yoga before knows that the instructor is of primary importance, and the good news is Nisha Srivastava is a remarkably confident and capable leader. She has a clear and no-nonsense voice and uses analogies that people can understand when explaining moves - a favourite is when she describes Ujjayi breath as ‘like Darth Vader’.

Her style has a ‘myofacial’ focus, which means that she’s aiming to stretch the body’s webbing - something she says is particularly important for those of us who spend much of our lives hunched in front of a computer.

The electrified element consists of a DJ playing a non-intrusive chillout set for the duration of the class - an idea that apparently originated in New York. It works surprisingly well - never so loud as to distract, it does take the edge off for those who might find yoga a bit too solemn; and at very least serves to disguise the heavy breathing and grunts of pain that some of the trickier moves can elicit.

just be your perfect in. A lovely space strewn with mirror balls, good tunes and nice vibes - for many of those here tonight it was the first time, and all of those I spoke to vowed to come back. It’s no exaggeration to say I stride out through the bustling cafe downstairs at the end, shameless in my gym pants, with a newfound spring in my step. The chai and tiffin certainly didn’t hurt.

As an intermittent yoga practicer and by no means expert, the session is just the right level of challenging and involved many moves I haven’t come across before. No repetitive sun salutations here - by the end of the hour and a half class, all parts of my body feel worked but not totally knackered. Nisha has us working with partners for the last section which assisted with mingling, and also results in a lot of laughter at failed bridges.

Electrified Yoga happens on the first Tuesday of the month on the first floor at Leaf from 7pm. The class costs £8, including snack afterwards.

For anyone who has been apprehensive about getting on the mat for the first time, this may

JENNIFER PERKIN ||

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE CITY THIS MONTH? EVEN MORE LISTINGS NOW ONLINE AT

thelowdownmagazine.com

XX 55

LOWDOWN MAY

WEDNESDAY 1ST Music IIPaul Jones, Jon w, Jimmy Coburn, Tony Coburn The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091 IIKappa Band The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 9pm, 0152 236 9091 IIThe Moon and Pea 64 Lark Lane, 7-9pm, 0151 727 3403, acoustic night IIPlaza Concert: The Survivors Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 12.30pm, 0151 666 0000 IIRevolution O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 11pm-3am, £3.55, 0844 477 2000 II1984 George Orwell's The Capstone Theatre, 7.30pm, £12/10 Concs, 0844 8000 410 IINels Andrews Grateful Fred's, Formby British Legion, Whitehouse Lane, doors 8pm/ start 8.15pm, £7.50, 0797 077 4618 IIPete Wade's Acoustic Open Mic Night Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 7.30pm, 0151 649 9095 IIRebel At Sea Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, 0151 707 3727, Acoustic IIShowbiz Kidz Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIKeith's Jarrett and guests Keith's Wine Bar, Lark Lane Sefton Park, 8pm, 0151 728 7688 IIFreddie Smith Big Band Bebington British Legion, Wirral CH63, 8.30pm, 0151 608 2270 IIThe Original Panama Jazzband The Irby Club, Thingwall Road, Wirral, 8.30pm

Theatre & Dance IISleeping Beauty Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10-£37.50, 0844 871 3017, ballet classic IIMind The Gap The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £8, 0844 873 2888, an innovative theatrical experience IIGotta Sing! Gotta Dance! 2013 Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £12, 0151 666 0000, an evening of variety and entertainment

Comedy IIPsychic Sybil St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01744 756 000 IIMicky Flanagan: Back In The Game The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 8pm, £22.50/ £28.50, 0151 709 3789 IIThe Laughter Factor The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0151 227 5946 IIJosh Widdecombe The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence: Photographs by Bedford Lemere & Co Sudley House, 10am-5pm Photographic exhibition featuring the work of the leading English firm of architectural photographers between 1870 and 1930 IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun: 10am-4pm, 0151 709 5109, selection of imaginative artworks created over the last 40 years of 'Artful Games' IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns: photographs by George Osodi International Slavery Museum, 10am-5pm, explore the realities of daily life along the Niger Delta IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun: 10am-4pm, 0151 709 5109, open-submission of photographs celebrating the venue's birthday IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun: 10am-4pm, 0151 709 5109, contemporary prints, a series of six paired prints with accompanying documentation IISylvia Sleigh Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, modern & contemporary art IIGlam! The Performance of Style Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, £8, 0151 702 7400, a visually extravagant

pop style exploded across Britain during the years 1971-5 IIRobyn Woolston: Strangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, 10am-5pm, powerful sculptural interventions that comment on our collective experiences of aspects of society such as consumption, power and identity IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, SunFri: 12pm - 6pm, Sat: 11am - 6pm, 01517074444, More More than 70 video clips tell the story of the pop video, marking the medium's substantial contribution to popular culture II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIArchiving the Arts Centre The Bluecoat, School Lane, Mon-Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun: 10am-6pm, 0151 702 5324, display will reflect curatorial developments and highlight key projects IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, Mon-Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun: 12-5pm, 0151 709 4014, print show curated by local printmaker Gill Curry IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, 10am-5pm, An exploration of the similarities and differences between the work of Martin Parr and Tom Wood IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, 10am-5pm, display of four pleasure and leisure craft that people have used locally to enjoy being out on the water IIEdith Tudor-Hart: Quiet Radicalism Open Eye Gallery, Archive Gallery, Mann Island, 10.30am-5.30pm, 0151 236 6768, exhibition focuses on several key periods in Tudor-Hart's practice IILooking Back, Thinking Forward St George's Hall, entry via Heritage Centre, 10am-4pm, 0151 225 6911, exhibition about tunnels of St George's Hall II'Sharing Our Memories: Remembering the Battle of the Atlantic' Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 9.30am-5.30pm, 0151 702 7255, personal stories with the Cathedral's own war memorials and information about its link to the battle.

IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Merseyside Maritime Museum, 10am-5pm, this compelling exhibition explores Liverpool's central role in the Titanic story IIThe Pirate Ship! World Museum Liverpool, 10am-5pm, 0151 478 4393, the model made for the blockbuster 'The Pirates!'

IIDeadwood: Paintings by Josie Jenkins dot-art Showroom, Queen Ave, 12-6pm, 08450176660, the lost, forgotten and neglected corners of the British landscape IIMishka Henner: Precious Commodities Open Eye Gallery, Mann Island, 10.30am-5.30pm, 0151 236 6768, Mishka Henner explores and subverts the value of photography in today's mediasaturated world

Family IIRemembering the Liverpool carters Museum of Liverpool, 11am-3pm, drop-in event, find out more about the important role they played and get involved in dressing our Monument to the Working Horse

Sports & Leisure IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 1.30pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy a healthy walk through the park IILatin Mania Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 8pm, £4 each/ £6 both, 01244 390 090, Salsa Classes and Latin dance night

Other Events IIThe Bluecoat's 5th Anniversary The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am8pm, 0151 702 5324, exciting programme IIBlue Room Open Days The Bluecoat, School Lane, 1-4pm, 0151 702 7759, fifth anniversary of providing weekly arts activities for learning disabled adults IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IISpotify Wednesday Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8pm, 0151 707 7747, Enabling the sharing, creating and modifying of each other's playlists IIQuiz Night The Compass, Chester, 8.30pm, 01244 344890

57 IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIChateaux House, Bold Street, 8pm, 0151 709 7141 IIWoW Festival Launch: A March for Words St Luke's (Bombed Out) Church, 1pm, what do we want?

More words! Join the Parade for Words, bring your banners

THURSDAY 2ND Music IILiverpool Sound City Festival City Centre, Music, Business, Arts, Expo, £25 single day/ £45 3-day wristband (limited time only), 0844 888 9991 IINowhere Boys, Jon Keats, Steve Howard, Ronny Hughes, Beatles Tribute The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE 2-8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIMadison plus support Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 7pm, 0152 236 9091 IISpeakeasy Bootleg Band The Grapes, 9.30pm, 07950 828674, Finest Quality Bootleg Music Since Records Began IIOpen Mic Night Vinyl Bar, Lark Lane, 8.30pm, 0151 726 0160 IIRLPO: Shostakovich's Masterpiece: Symphony No.14 The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £13-£36, 0151 709 3789 II1984 George Orwell's The Citadel, St. Helens, doors 7pm, £10, 01744 735436 IIJohnny's Acoustic Caravan Club Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 8pm, 0151 227 5946, hosted by Johnny Sands ft special guests IIThe Apples Eric's, Mathew Street, 8pm-11.30pm, 0151 236 9994 IIMusica en Vivo Alma De Cuba, 10.30pm, 0151 702 7394, spontaneous, high energy night with great live music IIJazz Jam Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £3, 01244 340005, great ambience to listen, great opportunity to play

IIThe Hungry Horse Acoustic Folk Club Singers And Musicians Night The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, 8pm, 0151 678 9902

Theatre & Dance IISleeping Beauty Liverpool Empire Theatre, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £10£37.50, 0844 871 3017, ballet classic

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIArchiving the Arts Centre The Bluecoat, see 1st for details

IIVibe Stage Academy: Summer Show Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, 7.30pm, £10.50/ £7.50 Concs, 0151 336 6702

IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details

IIThe Johnny Cash Roadshow Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, 7.30pm, £17.50-£19.50, 0844 871 3021, musical adventure

IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details

Comedy IIPsychic Sybil St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01744 756 000 IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15-£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Daliso Chaponda, Compere: Dave Williams, Supporting: Liam Williams CKP, Tony Bassnet IIJosh Widdicombe & Seann Walsh The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01704 533333

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

IIPrecious Commodities Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details IIQuiet Radicalism Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details IILooking Back, Thinking Forward St George's Hall, entry via Heritage Centre, 10am-4pm, 0151 225 6911, exhibition about tunnels of St George's Hall IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIThe Pirate Ship! World Museum Liverpool, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

Sports & Leisure IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 6pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy an evening healthy walk around the park IIMcCoy's Premier League Darts 2013 Echo Arena, 7pm, £20-£40, 0844 8000 400

Other Events

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IILate Night Vintage The Shipping Forecast, 5.30-9.30pm, 0151 709 6901

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IICapstone World Cinema Series The Capstone Theatre, Liverpool Hope University, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0844 8000 410, classic cinema from Bollywood films to science fiction epics

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIFolkazm with Mark Henderson & Co Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090, folk, roots and blues

IISylvia Sleigh Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, modern & contemporary art

IIHigh Violet The Lomax, Cumberland St, 8pm, £3

IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details

IIThe Bluecoat's 5th Anniversary The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am8pm, 0151 702 5324, exciting programme

IIBlue Room Open Days The Bluecoat, School Lane, 1-4pm, 0151 702 7759, fifth anniversary of providing weekly arts activities for learning disabled adults IIFieldfare Kielder Challenge Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10am-4pm, 0151 296 7054, outdoor adventure competition IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIBilly & Wally's Variety Special The Brindley, Runcorn, 7pm, £16.50, 0151 907 8360, Billy Butler and Wally Scott, evening of entertainment headlined by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons IIWoW Festival: Murder on the Docks The Bridewell, Argyle Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 pay on the door, explore the deadly connection between port cities and crime writing IIWoW Festival: What's Your Story? Libraries, Breck Road, 2pm, Do you have a story to tell?

IIFilm: Lidice Picturehouse, Fact, 0871 902 5737, a heartbreaking tale during the World War Two IIPsychic Night Haydock Park, 7.30pm (gates open at 5pm), £10, 0845 201 4884, Tarot, Mediums, Angels, Psychics, Astrology, Palmists, Clairvoyants IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIQuiz Night plus Jackpot Fogherty's Bar, 9pm, 0151 734 3906

FRIDAY 3RD Music IILiverpool Sound City Festival City Centre, Music, Business, Arts, Expo, £25 single day/ £45 3-day wristband (limited time only), 0844 888 9991 IITim Shaw, Ronny Hughes, Jon Keats, Tony Mac, The Rockits The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIThe Centenary Concert Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £13/ £15, 0151 666 0000, in aid of the Mayor of Wirral's Charity Fund and Cancer UK

LOWDOWN MAY

IIThe Spares O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £7.05, 0844 477 2000 IISonar The Capstone Theatre, 7.30pm, £12.50, 0844 8000 410 IIMr. Scruff The Shipping Forecast, 10pm-3am, £10/£12, 0151 709 6901 IILowdown & Dirty With Stanton Warriors Eric's, Mathew Street, 10pm-3am, £13.20, 0151 236 9994 IIMotown Special The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £15, 0870 787 1866 IINeil Griffiths Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 8.30pm, 0151 649 9095, guitarist and all-round musician IIThe Loving Cup Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free before 9pm, £4 thereafter, 01244 390 090, unique Country, Americana, and Rockabilly styles IIAutoPilots Stamps Wine Bar, Liverpool Road, Crosby, 9pm, 0151 286 2662, Indie/Rock IIBigger Than Seattle The Lomax, Cumberland St, 8pm IIBon Jovi Experience The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 8.30pm, £10, 0151 236 9091, Tribute IISoundcity After Party Sound Food And Drink, Duke St, Midnight till 4am, 0151 707 6363, Super Fast Girlie Show, Raw Bones, Antipop DJs

IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15-£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Daliso Chaponda, Compere: Dave Williams, Supporting: Mark Nelson Raymond, Mr Timpkins IIChris McCausland plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £15 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £26, 0151 227 5946, MC Neil Fitzmaurice introduces Chris McCausland along with Steve Royle and Barry Dodds IIGavin Webster, Adam Staunton, The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Review The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm start 8pm, 0800 612 9714

Arts

IIPsychic Sybil St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01744 756 000 IIBottleTop Comedy: Stand Up And Deliver Envi, Fleet Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0151 214 3242 IIRussell Kane: Posturing Delivery The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 8pm, £17.50/ £23.50, 0151 709 3789

IILooking Back, Thinking Forward St George's Hall, entry via Heritage Centre, 10am-4pm, 0151 225 6911, exhibition about tunnels of St George's Hall

IITim Shaw, Jay Murray and The Shakers, The Cave Dwellers The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091

IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details

IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 11am-close in the Café-bar, by Barry Neeson, he uses elements of graffiti, tattoo flash and comic illustration to achieve an explosion of medias and styles

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

Comedy

IIQuiet Radicalism Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details

IILiverpool Sound City Festival City Centre, Music, Business, Arts, Expo, £25 single day/ £45 3-day wristband (limited time only), 0844 888 9991

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm

IIState of the Union The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 7pm, £10 adv/ £12 OTD, 01704 533333, folk

IIVibe Stage Academy: Summer Show Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, 7.30pm, £10.50/ £7.50 Concs, 0151 336 6702

IIPrecious Commodities Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details

IIThe Pirate Ship! World Museum Liverpool, see 1st for details

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

Theatre & Dance

SATURDAY 4TH

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIGeorge's Big Shed Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906

IISleeping Beauty Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10-£37.50, 0844 871 3017, ballet classic

IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details

IISylvia Sleigh Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, modern & contemporary art IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIArchiving the Arts Centre The Bluecoat, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

Sports & Leisure IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 6pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy an evening healthy walk around the park

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIWoW Festival: A Rebel Rant with Janet Street-Porter: A Class Act The Playhouse Theatre, 7.30pm, £10/ £8, 0151 709 3789 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIThe Live Poets Society World Museum, 6.30-9pm, open mike night in the Treasure House Theatre with poets IILiverpool Tattoo Convention: Artists Day The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, 12-8pm, £25 Day/ £55 Weekend

Music

IIRonny Hughes, Kappa, Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, live music from 2.30pm, 0152 236 9091 IIThe Billy Fury Years Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £17, 0151 666 0000, 30th Anniversary Special IIThe Floyd Effect O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £16.87, 0844 477 2000 IIMostly Autumn The Citadel, St. Helens, 7.30pm, £15, 01744 735436, in association with Classic Rock Society IIGala Concert St George's Hall, Concert Hall, 7.30pm, £15-£17.50, 0151 225 6911 IIMotown Special The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £15, 0870 787 1866 IIThe Chills Stamps Wine Bar, Liverpool Road, Crosby, 9.30pm, 0151 286 2662, Covering classic favourites from The Buzzcocks, The Stone Roses, The Clash and more IITriaxis plus support The Lomax, Cumberland St, 7pm, £4.50, metal IILord Scotland Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free before 9pm, £4 thereafter, 01244 390 090 IILiverpool Mod Weekender The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 6pm, £15.96/ £10.96 (Sat), 0151 236 9091, featuring the best Mod bands IIChibuku East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 10pm, £15, SBTRKT, Modeselektor, Tensnake, James Rand, Autocycle, Polka DJs IIThe Sultans Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIThe Blues Band The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 8pm, £18, 01704 533333 IILiverpool Sound City Official Closing Party The Arts Academy, Wolstenholme Square, 6pm-4am IIThunderground Bumper, 7pm

TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT LOWDOWN ON 0151 538 5224

59 Theatre & Dance IISleeping Beauty Liverpool Empire Theatre, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £10£37.50, 0844 871 3017, ballet classic IIVibe Stage Academy: Summer Show Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, 2.30pm (Matinee)/ 7.30pm, £10.50/ £7.50 Concs, 0151 336 6702 IIHalton Dance Extravaganza The Brindley, Runcorn, 7pm, £10, 0151 907 8360, Finesse School of Dance celebrates the 20th Anniversary

Comedy IIPsychic Sybil St. Helens Theatre Royal, 2pm & 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01744 756 000 IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15-£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Daliso Chaponda, Compere: Dave Williams, Supporting: Mark Nelson Raymond, Mr Timpkins IISteve Royle plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £17.50 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £28.50, 0151 227 5946, MC Neil Fitzmaurice introduces Steve Royle along with Chris McCausland and Barry Dodds IIGavin Webster, Adam Staunton, The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714 IIKen Dodd Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, 7pm, £18-£20, 0844 871 3021, a true legend, icon and national treasure IIPaul Tonkinson, Howard Read & Scott Bennett The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 8pm, £12.50 adv/ £15 OTD/ £30 Season Ticket, 01704 533333 IIChester Comedy Club Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £19.95 incl 3 course dinner, 01244 340005, headler: Paul Pirie also Jonathan Elston and Brennan Reece

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall,

10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am-3pm, 0151 907 8360 IIArchiving the Arts Centre The Bluecoat, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIPrecious Commodities Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details IIQuiet Radicalism Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details IILooking Back, Thinking Forward St George's Hall, entry via Heritage Centre, 10am-4pm, 0151 225 6911, exhibition about tunnels of St George's Hall IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIThe Pirate Ship! World Museum Liverpool, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IITime Quest Museum of Liverpool, 1.30-2.30pm, drop-in event, especially for older children (8-14 year), find out more about the displays and stories

IIWhale Tales from the Tent Museum of Liverpool, 3pm, drop-in event, listen to tales of whales in our magical Tent of Stories IIFelt Making World Museum, Weston Discovery Centre, 1-4pm, drop-in event IIFamily Art Club Walker Art Gallery, 11am & 2pm, pre-booking is essential, 0151 478 4171, try new techniques, experiment with different materials and learn new skills IIModel Magic Workshop Merseyside Maritime Museum, 2nd floor, 1-4pm, drop-in event, make your own animal sculpture IIThe Chester Noah play Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1.30 and 2.30pm, drop-in event, version of the comedy of Noah and the Great Flood

Sports & Leisure IICapoeira Club International Slavery Museum, Anthony Walker Education Centre 2pm-4pm, 0151 478 4456, improves fitness, flexibility, strength and self defence IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 6pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy an evening healthy walk around the park

474 4076, Quentin Tarantino film IILiverpool Tattoo Convention The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, 11am-11pm, £20 Day/ £35 Weekend/ FREE under 15 IIBaltic Art & Craft Fair Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 11am-4pm, 0151 227 5946

SUNDAY 5TH Music IITim Shaw, Madison, The Shakers, The Mersey Beatles The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIRonny Hughes, Tony Mac, Screaming Citizens The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, live music from 5.30pm, 0152 236 9091 IIJazz Con Fusion The Grapes, 9pm, 07950 828674, Live jazz with a Latin twist IIAlan Jeffs Jazz Jam Night Brewers Arms, Neston Wirral, 8pm, 0151 336 1627 IIThe Springtime Anchorage Sound Food And Drink, Duke St, 8pm, 0151 707 6363

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIBlue Murder in The Blue Lounge Floral Pavilion Blue Lounge, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £35 incl dinner, 0151 666 0000, murder mystery evening

IIMiami meets Sweden O2 Academy Liverpool, 10pm, £22.50, 0844 477 2000

IIWoW Festival: The Thing about Psychopaths The Lantern Theatre, 7.30pm, £10/ £7.50, 0151 703 0000, written by Ben Tagoe

IIThe Gathering 13 Alexanders, Rufus Cour, Chester, 1pm - 10pm, 01244 340005, bands, singer songwriters, DJs, workshops & giant wicker men

IIWalking too fast The Plaza Cinema Bradford, Fact, 0845 805 2194, a thrilling Cold War crime noir

IIGospel Choir: Soulful Voices Alma De Cuba, 1.30-5pm, 0151 702 7394, plus great Sunday brunch

IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

IIThe Dowd Duo Stamps Wine Bar, Liverpool Road, Crosby, 6pm, 0151 286 2662, acoustic covers of a wide and varied selection of artists

IITalk: Liverpool's whaling past Museum of Liverpool, 11am, drop-in event, find out about Liverpool's whaling past

IITom Durkin Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 9pm, 01244 390 090, live music

IIMidnight screening: Pulp Fiction Plaza Cinema, Crosby, £4.50, 0151

IILiverpool Mod Weekender The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 6pm, £15.96/ £10.96 (Sat), 0151 236 9091, featuring the best Mod bands

LOWDOWN MAY

£6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIRebel Rave East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 10pm, £15/ £16, Art Department, Damian Lazarus, Yousef, Eats Everything, Infinity Ink IIAcoustic Evening with Chapter 2 Studio 2, Parr Street, 6pm, 0151 707 3727 IIRed Rock Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIDavid Knopov Jalons, Smithdown Road, 4.30pm, 0151 734 3984, a Night of Sinatra IIThe Mike Jackson trio Pistachio Restaurant & Bar, Lark Lane, 7pm IILatin Jazz Quartet La Cubanita, Campbell Square off Duke Street, 4pm, 0151 709 5335 IIAngela Hewitt The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 7.30pm, £16/ £14 Concs, 01704 533333, classic IIThe Gamblers The Spectacle Upstairs at Gallaghers Pub & Barbers.

Multi instrumental covers duo

Theatre & Dance IIHalton Dance Extravaganza The Brindley, Runcorn, 7pm, £10, 0151 907 8360, Finesse School of Dance celebrates the 20th Anniversary IIHoylake School of Dance Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 2pm & 7pm, £10, 0151 666 0000, Juvenile Show(2pm) & Jazz, Tap & Contemporary Show(7pm)

Comedy

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIArchiving the Arts Centre The Bluecoat, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIPrecious Commodities Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details IIQuiet Radicalism Open Eye Gallery, see 1st for details IILooking Back, Thinking Forward St George's Hall, entry via Heritage Centre, 10am-4pm, 0151 225 6911, exhibition about tunnels of St George's Hall IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details

IIPsychic Sybil St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01744 756 000

IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details

IIA Rush Of laughter The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 8pm, £10, 0151 703 0000, trio of comedy gems

IIThe Pirate Ship! World Museum Liverpool, see 1st for details

IIEddie Izzard Force Majeure Echo Arena, 8pm, £35, 0844 8000 400

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm,

IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IIThe Liverpool Shanty Kings Museum of Liverpool, 1pm/ 2pm/ 3pm, drop-in event, traditional shanty singing in the atrium IISunday crafternoons Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, under 11s, find out more about the collections and make your own piece of artwork

Merseyside Maritime Museum, 2nd floor, 1-4pm, drop-in event, make your own animal sculpture IIStorytelling: Terror on the High Seas Merseyside Maritime Museum, 2pm and 3.30pm, drop-in event, Jon Mayhew reveals his love of the sea and what lurks beneath, spooky tales

Two of Us (Lennon & McCartney Tribute), Jay Murray The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091 IIIan Prowse The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 8pm, 0152 236 9091 IIOrgan Day St George's Hall, Great Hall, 5.30pm, £5, 0151 225 6911

IILiverpool vs Everton 1.30pm

IIIn Celebration of Ireland St George's Hall, Great Hall, 3.30pm, £15, 0151 225 6911, words, music and song

IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 6pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy an evening healthy walk around the park

IILiverpool Organ Day Recital David Poulter Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 11.15-12.30pm, £5 door, 0151 702 7255

Sports & Leisure

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IILinocut and Print Workshop The Bluecoat, School Lane, 11am-4pm, £39 incl materials and refreshments, 0151 7094014, with Gill Curry IINot Just Vintage House, Bold Street, 11am-4pm, 0151 709 7141, Vintage Fair IIRoast Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 1pm-6pm, 0151 227 5946, bring your family and friends for lunch in the indoor park IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

IINorthgate Community Street Festival Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 12pm - 9pm, 01244 340005, music stages, food & drink stalls, street entertainers, giants IILive Fast Tour: Amplify Dot, Vince Kidd, KLiQ, Esco Williams East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7.30pm, £8.75 II#IndieNight With DJ O Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, 0151 707 3727 IISpiers and Boden The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 7.30pm, £15/ £13 Concs, 01704 533333, folk IIThe Story So Far The Shipping Forecast, 7.30pm, 0151 709 6901, plus The American Scene, Gnarwolves and Pedestals

Theatre & Dance

IICelebrating the Bookshop The Bluecoat, School Lane, 2.303.30pm, 0151 7094014

IIFootstorm The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £17.50-£40, 0151 709 3789, world's best modern Irish Dancers

IITalk: Liverpool's whaling past Museum of Liverpool, 11am, drop-in event, find out about Liverpool's whaling past

IIScottish Country Dancing Day Sefton Park Palm House, 1.30pm4pm, 0151 726 9304

IISundays at Sudley Sudley House, 1-4pm, drop-in event, Tony Kehoe hosts an open floor of music, poetry and performance

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IILiverpool Tattoo Convention The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, 11am-9pm, £20 Day/ £35 Weekend/ FREE under 15

MONDAY 6TH Music

IIWeaving workshop World Museum, Weston Discovery Centre, 1-4pm, drop-in event

IIOrgan Recital Metropolitan Cathedral, 3pm, 0151 707 3525

IIModel Magic Workshop

IISteve Howark, Jon Keats, The

Arts IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International

61 Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IILooking Back, Thinking Forward St George's Hall, entry via Heritage Centre, 10am-4pm, 0151 225 6911, exhibition about tunnels of St George's Hall IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIThe Pirate Ship! World Museum Liverpool, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IIWhale Tales from the Tent Museum of Liverpool, 3pm, drop-in event, listen to tales of whales in our magical Tent of Stories

Sports & Leisure IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 6pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy an evening healthy walk around the park

Other Events IIBlue Lantern The Compass, Chester, 8pm, 01244 344890 IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com

for details IISupperclub: Experimental Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 7pm11pm, £35, £10 deposit required, 0151 708 289 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IITalk: Liverpool's whaling past Museum of Liverpool, 11am, drop-in event, find out about Liverpool's whaling past IITalk: Sailors love this Liverpool Museum of Liverpool, 2pm, drop-in event,looks at what Herman Melville might have experienced in Liverpool in the 1840s

TUESDAY 7TH Music IITony Coburn, Jon Keats, Paul Jones, Jimmy Coburn, Jay Murray The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091 IIRonny Hughes, Cavern Bands Entertain The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 7.30pm, 0152 236 9091 IIOut Of The Bedroom: Acoustic Open Mic Night Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8.30pm, 0151 707 7747, with Johnny Sands

blues legend IIThe Hungry Horse Acoustic Folk Club Singers And Musicians Night The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, 8pm, 0151 678 9902

Theatre & Dance IIFear and Misery of the Third Reich The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £6/ £5 Concs, 0151 703 0000, historical play by Bertold Brecht IIThe Cell The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, chilling and thrilling contemporary drama

Comedy IIBirds of a Feather Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10£32.50, 0844 871 3017, one of BBC TV's most popular and fondlyremembered sitcoms comes to the stage

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIBlue Magnolia Jazz Band British Legion Club, Rose Lane, 8.45pm, 0151 724 5753

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

IILoudon Wainwright III The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £22.50/ £28.50, 0151 709 3789

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

IIThe Savoy Jazzmen Sefton Park Palm House, 2pm-4pm, £5 (incl. a cup of tea and piece of cake), 0151 726 9304, classics from the 1920's, 30's and 40's

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIDick Valentine O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £8.05, 0844 477 2000

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIWhy? The Kazimier, 8pm, £12.50, 0151 324 1723 IIUnplugged Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, free before 9pm, £2, 01244 340005, a high standard of performance with an eclectic mix of music styles.

IIRat Attack The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £5, 01244 344890 IIParrJazz: Victor Brox Studio 2, Parr Street, 8.30pm, £3 on door/ FREE Students (NUS), 0151 707 3727, Jazz and open jam session,

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details

IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Sports & Leisure IICycle for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10am, booking essential, 0151 296 7054 IIElectrified Yoga Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 6.30pm, £8, 0151 707 7747, a DJ weaves songs together, creating a larger experience IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 6pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy an evening healthy walk around the park

Other Events IIDot-art: Life Drawing The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £16 per session/ £160 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660 IIDot-art: Bookbinding The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £17 per session/ £170 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660 IIBuild Your Own Website The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £75 for 5 sessions, 0845 017 6660 IIJake Mills Quiz Night House, Bold Street, 8.30pm, 0151 709 7141 IIImprove your Drawing L18, 2-5pm, 07764 449948, tuition from professional illustrator IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIReflections on Glass Bluecoat Display Centre, 1-4pm, £12.50 (limited) incl tea at The Athenaeum Club, 0151 7094014, with Jenny Barker who creates innovative glass artworks in a range of styles and sizes

LOWDOWN MAY

IIWoW Festival: 50 Billion Shades of Feminism The Women's Organisation, 7.30pm, £5/ £3, 0151 709 3789, Bidisha , Liz Kelly & Rahila Gupta discuss the One Billion Rising movement IIIan McMillan and Luke Carver Goss "Talking Myself Home" St George's Hall, Concert Hall, doors 6.45pm/ start 7.30pm, £12/ £10 Concs, 0151 225 6911 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

WEDNESDAY 8TH Music IIRLPO: Pink Martini The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £26.50-£42.50, 0151 709 3789, a classical chamber music ensemble IIPlaza Concert: Russell Thompson Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 12.30pm, 0151 666 0000, pianist IIThe Big Reunion Echo Arena, 7.30pm, £30, 0844 8000 400, Blue, 5IVE, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Liberty X, 911, Honeyz IILucy Spraggan O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, 0844 477 2000 IIRevolution O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 11pm-3am, £3.55, 0844 477 2000 IIPete Wade's Acoustic Open Mic Night Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 7.30pm, 0151 649 9095

Wine Bar, Lark Lane Sefton Park, 8pm, 0151 728 7688 IIFreddie Smith Big Band Bebington British Legion, Wirral CH63, 8.30pm, 0151 608 2270

Theatre & Dance IIThe Soldier's Tale Epstein Theatre, 7.30pm, £10, 0844 888 4411 IIFear and Misery of the Third Reich The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £6/ £5 Concs, 0151 703 0000, historical play by Bertold Brecht IIDaniel Kitson: After The Beginning. Before The End The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 709 4776, something like a stand up show IIThe Cell The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, chilling and thrilling contemporary drama IIOn Broadway Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 666 0000, dazzling revue that brings you excitement and magic of Broadway

Comedy IIBirds of a Feather Liverpool Empire Theatre, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £10-£32.50, 0844 871 3017, one of BBC TV's most popular and fondly-remembered sitcoms comes to the stage IIRich Hall The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 8pm, £15, 01704 533333

Arts

IIDeportees Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 01244 340005, completely unplugged

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIPaul Jones, Jon Keats, Jimmy Coburn, Tony Coburn The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIKappa Band The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 9pm, 0152 236 9091

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

IIThe Gathering The Bluecoat, School Lane, 7.30pm-9.30pm, 0151 702 5324, a monthly space for musicians to meet and improvise together IIStudio2 Unplugged Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, £2, 0151 707 3727, Acoustic Music IIPete Wade and the Lifeblood Band Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIKeith's Jarrett and guests Keith's

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st

for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Sports & Leisure IILatin Mania Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 8pm, £4 each/ £6 both, 01244 390 090, Salsa Classes and Latin dance night IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 1.30pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy a healthy walk through the park

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIChateaux House, Bold Street, 8pm, 0151 709 7141 IIWoW Festival: Flash: In the Dark with Ramsey Campbell Philharmonic Hall, The Rodewald Suite, 7.30pm, £4/ £2, 0151 709 3789, the final of WoW's annual flash fiction competition IIWoW Festival: The Knitting Circle with Julie McNamara The Bluecoat, School Lane, 7.30pm, £10/ £8, 0151 702 5324, a chilling glimpse into the secret world of the asylums closed in the 1980's IISpotify Wednesday Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8pm, 0151 707 7747, Enabling the sharing, creating and

modifying of each other's playlists IIWomen's Organisation Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 10am-12.30pm, drop-in event, 0151 707 7747, support in business ideas IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

THURSDAY 9TH Music IINowhere Boys, Jon Keats, Steve Howard, Ronny Hughes, Beatles Tribute The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE 2-8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIBrendan Shine St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £13, 01744 756 000 IIUltimate Eagles Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £19, 0151 666 0000 IIMusica en Vivo Alma De Cuba, 10.30pm, 0151 702 7394, spontaneous, high energy night with great live music IINearly Dan Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £14, 01244 340005 IIPath Unknown The Lomax, Cumberland St, 8pm, £3, Rock IIDJ Austin Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090 IIThe Common Tongues The Compass, Chester, 7pm, £4, 01244 344890 IIBert Kaempfert Gala Concert Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, 7.30pm, £18.50-£21.50, 0844 871 3021, features all his top hits plus several new arrangements IIXander & The Peace Pirates plus support Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 7pm, 0152 236 9091 IISolitaire Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, £3, 01517073727, Live Acoustic IIThe Hungry Horse Acoustic Folk Club Singers And Musicians Night The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, 8pm, 0151 678 9902 IIDirty Beaches The Shipping Forecast, 0151 709 6901

Theatre & Dance IIMemory Lane The Brindley, Runcorn, 2pm, £10, 0151 907 8360,

TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT LOWDOWN ON 0151 538 5224

63 musical journey through the past six decades

II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360

IIFear and Misery of the Third Reich The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £6/ £5 Concs, 0151 703 0000, historical play by Bertold Brecht

IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details

IIThe Cell The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, chilling and thrilling contemporary drama IIOn Broadway Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 666 0000, dazzling revue that brings you excitement and magic of Broadway

Comedy IIBirds of a Feather Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10£32.50, 0844 871 3017, one of BBC TV's most popular and fondlyremembered sitcoms comes to the stage IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Ivan Brakenbury, Compere: Jan Maree, Supporting: Jess Fostekew, Kwame Asante

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details

IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details

conjunction with the RISE project IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IITalking Poetry The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6pm-8pm, 0151 702 5324 IIA Variety of Burlesque Performance Bumper, doors 8pm, £3 adv/ £5 OTD, a night of debauchery, debasement and moral displacement

till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIGammbyssa The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, Swedish Beatle Choir IIThe Fall East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7pm, £20 IILights Up Cabaret Night Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, £3, 0151 707 3727 IIThe Raynemakers Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906

Theatre & Dance

IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details

IIQuiz Night plus Jackpot Fogherty's Bar, 9pm, 0151 734 3906

IIMemory Lane The Brindley, Runcorn, 2pm & 7pm, £10, 0151 907 8360, musical journey

IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

FRIDAY 10TH

IIthrough the past six decades

IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IISpot's Birthday Party The Playhouse, 1.30pm, £8-£14, 0151 709 4776, bright and colourful, musical entertainment

Sports & Leisure IICycle for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10am, booking essential, 0151 296 7054

Other Events IISports & General Knowledge Quiz Cafe Sports England, Stanley Street, 7pm, Free but book a table for dinner or drinks,0151 239 5070, Hosted by Radio City's Simon Ross or TV's Ste Fletcher IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIFilm: Argo The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £6/ £7, 0151 709 3789, tense thriller about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis IIWoW Festival: What's Your Story? Dovecot, 2pm, Do you have a story to tell?

IIWoW Festival: The Knitting Circle with Julie McNamara The Bluecoat, School Lane, 7.30pm, £10/ £8, 0151 702 5324, a chilling glimpse into the secret world of the asylums closed in the 1980's IIWoW Festival: John Burnside and Rita Ann Higgins Leaf, Bold Street, 7.30pm, £6/ £4, 0151 709 3789, award-winning poetry in

Music IISouthport Jazz Festival The Atkinson, Town Hall Gardens and various fringe venues, 12-10pm, £27-£98, Session Tickets available, 01704 533333 IIThea Gilmore with strings The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 8pm, £15-£24.50, 0151 709 3789 IICubana Bop plays West Side Story The Capstone Theatre, 7.30pm, £15, 0844 8000 410 IIM-Zone The Citadel, St. Helens, doors 6.30pm, £2.50, 01744 735436, live bands, DJ's, Gaming, Performances IIThe Illegal Eagles The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £15, 0870 787 1866 IINeil Griffiths Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 8.30pm, 0151 649 9095, guitarist and all-round musician IIBad Brown Acid Stamps Wine Bar, Liverpool Road, Crosby, 9pm, 0151 286 2662, rock covers band IIEncore De Funk Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free entry before 9pm, £4 thereafter, 01244 390 090, soul/funk and jazz IIROPE. Dirty Beaches The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £8, 01244 344890 IITribe The Zanzibar Club, 7.30-11pm, £4, 0151 345 3382, band night IIChrista Couture View Two Gallery, Mathew St, doors 8pm/ start 8.30pm, £5, 0151 236 9444, americana, folk and acoustic IITim Shaw, Ronny Hughes, Jon Keats, Tony Mac, The Rockits The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE

IIBroken & A Lot Of It About The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0151 703 0000, a play looking at loss and identity IIOn Broadway Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £12, 0151 666 0000, dazzling revue that brings you excitement and magic of Broadway IICoppelia: Vienna Festival Ballet Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £18/ £20, 0151 666 0000, colourful costumes, lively characters and captivating music

Comedy IIBirds of a Feather Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10£32.50, 0844 871 3017, one of BBC TV's most popular and fondlyremembered sitcoms comes to the stage IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Ivan Brakenbury, Compere: Jan Maree, Supporting: John Scott, Jamie Sutherland IIHal Cruttenden plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £15 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £26, 0151 227 5946, MC Chris Cairns introduces Hal Cruttenden along with Ste Porter and Christian Schulte-Loh IIBottleTop Comedy: Stand Up And Deliver Envi, Fleet Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0151 214 3242 IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704

LOWDOWN MAY

541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IISpot's Birthday Party The Playhouse, 10.30am & 1.30pm, £8-£14, 0151 709 4776, bright and colourful, musical entertainment

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIWoW Festival: Against Modern Football? Static, Roscoe Lane, 7.30pm, £6/ £4, 0151 709 3789 IIFood Slam Fridays Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 8pm-2am, 0151 708 2890, Dance, drink, devour, music, street food, cocktails, DJs, chefs, mixologists IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIBook Fair The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10.30am-5pm, 0151 702 5324, Collectors' and bargain second hand books

SATURDAY 11TH Music IITim Shaw, Jay Murray and The Shakers, The Cave Dwellers The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IISaturday With The Beatles ft. the Cavern Club Beatles The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 8.30pm, £15, 0151 236 9091, Beatles Tribute Show IICharity Concert for Cancer Research The Lomax, Cumberland St, 2pm, £5 OTD, 10 Metal Bands IISouthport Jazz Festival The Atkinson, Town Hall Gardens and various fringe venues, 12-10pm, £40-£98, Session Tickets available, 01704 533333 IIRLPO: Bruckner's Sixth Symphony The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £13-£36, 0151 709 3789 IIAlt-J O2 Academy Liverpool, 7pm, 0844 477 2000 IIOnes To Watch O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £8.05, 0844 477 2000 IIIan McNabb The Citadel, St. Helens, doors 7.30pm, £12, 01744 735436, Legendary Liverpool singer-songwriter IIThe Phoenix Foundation The Kazimier, 8pm, £9, 0151 324 1723

IIBee Gees The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £15, 0870 787 1866, tribute IIGammbyssa Swedish Choir Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 12.30-13.30pm, 0151 702 7255 IIRhythm and Rap with Harry Baker, Kof and Ady Suleiman Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 19.30pm-9pm, £2.5/ £5, 0151 702 7255 IILizzie Nunnery The Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, Hope St, 8.30pm, £12, 0151 709 3789, folk IIThe Noble Thiefs Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free entry before 9pm, £4 thereafter, 01244 390 090 IIThe Dirty Pleasure & Chanel Samson The Zanzibar Club, 7.30pm, £4, 0151 345 3382 IIRonny Hughes, Kappa, Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, live music from 2.30pm, 0152 236 9091 IIStudio2 Rocks Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, 0151 707 3727, Rock DJ Robbie Robertson IIThe Maffrix Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIFury Fest The Picket, doors 1pm, £10 adv, 08444 77 1000

Theatre & Dance IICaz and Britney: Scottie Road The Musical Epstein Theatre, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, £15/ £12.50 Concs, 0844 888 4411, a musical misadventure IIMemory Lane The Brindley, Runcorn, 2pm, £10, 0151 907 8360, musical journey IIthrough the past six decades IIBroken & A Lot Of It About The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0151 703 0000, a play looking at loss and identity

Comedy IIBirds of a Feather Liverpool Empire Theatre, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £10-£32.50, 0844 871 3017, one of BBC TV's most popular and fondly-remembered sitcoms comes to the stage IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Ivan Brakenbury, Compere: Jan Maree,

Supporting: John Scott, Jamie Sutherland IIRoy Walker, Stan Boardman & Mick Miller Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £22, 0151 666 0000 IISte Porter plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £15 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £26, 0151 227 5946, MC Chris Cairns introduces Ste Porter along with Hal Cruttenden and Christian Schulte-Loh IIChester Comedy Club Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £19.95 incl 3 course dinner, 01244 340005, headler: Bill Woolland also Danny Pensive and Tommy Briley IITanyalee Davis, Ste Porter & Mick Ferry The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714 IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am-3pm, 0151 907 8360

65 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IISpot's Birthday Party The Playhouse, 10.30am & 1.30pm & 4.30pm, £8-£14, 0151 709 4776, bright and colourful, musical entertainment IIYoung Voices Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 1pm-4pm, 0151 702 7255, Cathedral Choir Taster Day IIFuture Tate: Monthly Art Club Tate Liverpool, 2-4pm, Booking required, 0151 702 7400, interactive workshops led by young people from Tate Collective, for ages 11-14 IITime Quest Museum of Liverpool, 1.30-2.30pm, drop-in event, especially for older children (8-14 year), find out more about the displays and stories IITales from the Tent Museum of Liverpool, 3pm, drop-in event, museum story based fun for our littlest visitors using puppets and props in our magical tent

Sports & Leisure

IIWoW Festival: Melvyn Bragg Museum of Liverpool, House of Memories, 2pm, free tickets from www.itsliverpool.com IIWoW Festival: A Baker's Dozen with Deborah Morgan Homebaked Community Bakery, Oakfield Rd, 11am, limited places, 0151 703 0020, baking with resident baker, Jess, followed by Haiku writing workshop IIWoW Festival: Writing workshop with Michael Wynne Hope Place, Woodchurch Road, Prenton, 4pm, £5 donation, 07890 262981 IIWoW Festival: Rhythm & Rap Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, 7.30pm, £5/ £2.50, Tickets available from the Cathedral shop, Harry Baker, Ady Suleiman & KOF performing words from the Welcome to my World Project

IIRicky's Country Special The Green Room, doors 12.30pm/ start 2pm, £15, 0870 787 1866, best Country acts from across the UK

SUNDAY 12TH Music

IICapoeira Club International Slavery Museum, Anthony Walker Education Centre 2pm-4pm, 0151 478 4456, improves fitness, flexibility, strength and self defence

IISouthport Jazz Festival The Atkinson, Town Hall Gardens and various fringe venues, 12-10pm, £40-£98, Session Tickets available, 01704 533333

IICycle the Asparagus Route The National Trust Formby, 11am, £4 (own bike)/ £6 (hire bike), booking essential, 01704 878591

IIThe Springtime Anchorage Sound Food And Drink, Duke St, 8pm, 0151 707 6363 IISteve Hackett Genesis Revisited The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £24.50-£31.50, 0151 709 3789 IIWirral Schools Music Service: Notes for Notes Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 2pm & 7pm,

IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIHogan's Goat Stamps Wine Bar, Liverpool Road, Crosby, 6pm, 0151 286 2662, Irish music

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

IIJazz Con Fusion The Grapes, 9pm, 07950 828674, Live jazz with a Latin twist

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIOpen Mic Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 9pm, 01244 390 090, host Rob Vincent

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIRonny Hughes, Tony Mac, Screaming Citizens The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, live music from 5.30pm, 0152 236 9091

IIBook Fair The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10.30am-5pm, 0151 702 5324, Collectors' and bargain second hand books

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

IICar Boot Sale Metropolitan Cathedral, 8am-12pm, £20, 0151 709 9222, Bring all your unwanted items and sell them in the secure and under-cover car park IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIGospel Choir: Soulful Voices Alma De Cuba, 1.30-5pm, 0151 702 7394, plus great Sunday brunch

IITim Shaw, 54321, The Shakers, The Mersey Beatles The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091

IIDavid Knopov Jalons, Smithdown Road, 4.30pm, 0151 734 3984, a Night of Sinatra

Other Events

IILucy Rose O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £13.50, 0844 477 2000

IIFurnace Social Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 5pm-11pm, 0151 708 2890

IIPertemps Swinton Hurdle Haydock Park, 2pm-5.25pm (gates open at 12pm), £9.75-£202.80, 01942 402624

IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details

£10, 0151 666 0000, jazz, brass bands, concert bands and orchestra

IIJc Villafan and Friends Studio 2, Parr Street, 7pm, £8/ £6 NUS (available from Skiddle & OTD), 0151 707 3727, fundraiser, mix of acoustic Folk, Hip Hop and Soul music IIThe Extras Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIAlan Jeffs Jazz Jam Night Brewers Arms, Neston Wirral, 8pm, 0151 336 1627 IIBand With No Name The Spectacle - upstairs at Gallaghers Pub and barbers, popular covers from 6pm IIThe Mike Jackson trio Pistachio Restaurant & Bar, Lark Lane, 7pm IILatin Jazz Quartet La Cubanita, Campbell Square off Duke Street, 4pm, 0151 709 5335

Theatre & Dance IIEverything has been said, they say The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 12pm, 0151 703 0000, physical theatre play about life and death, love and war and about the span of humans

Comedy IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIGlam! Tate Liverpool, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Family IISunday crafternoons Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, under 11s, find out more about the collections and make your own piece of artwork IIA Poetry Journey: Little Magic Thoughts Walker Art Gallery, 1-4pm, 0151 478 4171, find out more about the art of written word IITitanic storytelling Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1, 2 and 3pm, drop-in event, listen to the adventures of Polar the Titanic bear

LOWDOWN MAY

Sports & Leisure IIEverton vs West Ham 3pm IIFulham vs Liverpool 3pm

Hope St, 7.30pm, £22.50-£28.50, 0151 709 3789, theatrical Kung Fu show

Comedy

IINational Amateur Body-Builders' Association Southport Theatre and Convention Centre, 2pm, £17.50, 0844 871 3021, Mr North West

IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

IICroxteth Park Aintree Diabetes 10k Run Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 11am, £8 club member/ £10, 0151 529 6592

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIChester Half Marathon Chester Racecourse, 9am, 0151 336 2515

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIDanish Theatre workshop based on the 'Devising' technique The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 1.30pm, 0151 703 0000, discover the creative process via exercises on rhythm, dynamic, improvisation and movement.

IINot Just Vintage House, Bold Street, 11am-4pm, 0151 709 7141, Vintage Fair IIRoast Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 1pm-6pm, 0151 227 5946, bring your family and friends for lunch in the indoor park IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

MONDAY 13TH Music IIGospel Choir: Soulful Voices Alma De Cuba, 1.30-5pm, 0151 702 7394, plus great Sunday brunch IISharks The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £7, 01244 344890 IISteve Howark, Jon Keats, The Two of Us (Lennon & McCartney Tribute), Jay Murray The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091 IIIan Prowse The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 8pm, 0152 236 9091

Theatre & Dance IIShaolin Warriors: Return of the Master The Philharmonic Hall,

Arts IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIWoW Festival: This is Our Story Siren Cafe, The Women's Org, James Street, 6pm, celebrate new writing from Toxteth and Croxteth What's Your Story? groups IIUrban Craft Collective's Knitting Club Leaf Cafe, Bold St, ground floor, 7pm-9pm, 0151 707 7747 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIMouth Of The Mersey Studio 2, Parr Street, 7.30pm, 0151 707 3727, Story Telling IIArt Workshop: Drawing This Inspiring Environment The National Trust Formby, 3pm, £6.50, 01704 878591

TUESDAY 14TH Music IICurtis Stigers The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £22.50/ £27.50, 0151 709 3789 IITine Thing Helseth & Kathryn Stott St George's Hall, 7.30pm, £25, 0151 225 6911, Chamber Music, trumpet & piano IIOMD Liverpool Empire Theatre, 8pm, £33.50, 0844 871 3017, more electro than ever IIMatt Berry The Kazimier, 7.30pm, £14, 0151 324 1723 IIOut Of The Bedroom: Acoustic Open Mic Night Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8.30pm, 0151 707 7747, with Johnny Sands

IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries

Theatre & Dance IIBlue Remembered Hills The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, Moving, funny and unforgettable IIBottoms Up! The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £5, 0151 709 9034, written and directed by Ryan Simons IIVisions Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £15, 0151 666 0000, Dance and Drama

Comedy IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIUnplugged Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, free before 9pm, £2, 01244 340005, a high standard of performance with an eclectic mix of music styles.

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIGeorgia Ruth & Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog Telford's Warehouse, Chester, £6 adv / £7, 01244 390 090

IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details

IICSS East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 8pm, £14.50 IIParrJazz: Greyish Quartet Studio 2, Parr Street, 8.30pm, £3 on door/ FREE Students (NUS), 0151 707 3727, Jazz and open jam session

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT LOWDOWN ON 0151 538 5224

67 IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Sports & Leisure IITea Dance amidst the Palms Sefton Park Palm House, 2pm-4pm, £5 (incl. a cup of tea and piece of cake), 0151 726 9304

Other Events IIDot-art: Life Drawing The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £16 per session/ £160 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660 IIDot-art: Bookbinding The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £17 per session/ £170 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660 IIBuild Your Own Website The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £75 for 5 sessions, 0845 017 6660 IIJake Mills Quiz Night House, Bold Street, 8.30pm, 0151 709 7141 IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIRoyal Court Heritage Tour The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 2pm, £5, 0870 787 1866, the theatre is one of Liverpool's most enduring and iconic building and has a rich history IIWoW Festival: This is Our Story Siren Cafe, The Women's Org, James Street, 6pm, celebrate new writing from Toxteth and Croxteth What's Your Story? groups IIWoW Festival: Blackburne House Writers' Group Blackburne House Bistro, 7.30pm, students read their own poetry and short scripts on the theme of transformation IIWoW Festival: Where Are You From and What's Your Story?

Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre, Princes Road, 6.30pm, author reading/ discussion on refugee experience

IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIPhilosophy in Pubs The Bluecoat, School Lane, 1pm-2.30pm, 0151 702 5324, resident philosophers debate the important questions

WEDNESDAY 15TH Music IIRLPO: Enigma Variations The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £13-£36, 0151 709 3789 IIPlaza Concert: Gerry Murphy Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 12.30pm, 0151 666 0000, guitarist IILeona Lewis Echo Arena, Echo Two, 7.30pm, £35-£55, 0844 8000 400 IIRevolution O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 11pm-3am, £3.55, 0844 477 2000 IIHang The Bastard O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £8.05, 0844 477 2000 IIPublic Service Broadcasting The Kazimier, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 324 1723 IIPete Wade's Acoustic Open Mic Night Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 7.30pm, 0151 649 9095 IITinlin The Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, Hope St, 8.30pm, £12, 0151 709 3789, acoustic pop IIOut Of Nowhere Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 01244 340005, acoustics IIMiles Kane The Zanzibar Club, 7pm, £4, 0151 345 3382, JD Live Set Back To Roots

and rock artists, representing 15 countries

Theatre & Dance IIBlue Remembered Hills The Playhouse, 5.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, Moving, funny and unforgettable IIThe Full Monty The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 8pm, £12-£46, 0870 787 1866, americanized tale of how a group of ordinary men and their families cope with redundancy IIA Wondrous Place The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £8, 0844 873 2888, four fresh perspectives on four fantastic cities in a re-imagined north IIBottoms Up! The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 709 9034, written and directed by Ryan Simons IIVisions Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £15, 0151 666 0000, Dance and Drama

Comedy IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles IIArthur Smith Exposed The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 01704 533333

Arts

II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Sports & Leisure IILatin Mania Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 8pm, £4 each/ £6 both, 01244 390 090, Salsa Classes and Latin dance night IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 1.30pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy a healthy walk through the park

Other Events

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm

IIChateaux House, Bold Street, 8pm, 0151 709 7141

IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIWoW Festival: In My Own Words Studio 2, Parr Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 pay on the door, 0151 707 3727, Kath McDonnell shares her unique, powerful and intensely personal collection

IIKarl Terry and the Cruisers Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

IIKeith's Jarrett and guests Keith's Wine Bar, Lark Lane Sefton Park, 8pm, 0151 728 7688

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

IIFreddie Smith Big Band Bebington British Legion, Wirral CH63, 8.30pm, 0151 608 2270

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIThe Original Panama Jazzband The Irby Club, Thingwall Road, Wirral, 8.30pm

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop

Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details

IIWoW Festival: A Great Big Shining Star News From Nowhere Bookshop, Bold Street, 6pm, Niall Griffiths launches his latest novel IISpotify Wednesday Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8pm, 0151 707 7747, Enabling the sharing, creating and modifying of each other's playlists

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

IIStrangers in a Strange Land

IITalk: Frank Hornby Museum of

LOWDOWN MAY

Liverpool, 2pm, drop-in event, Celebrating 150 years since the birth of Frank Hornby IITalk: Liverpool's Arctic whalers Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1pm, drop-in event, story of an industry

by Dr Bernard Stonehouse IILamplight Tour Croxteth Hall and Country Park, £10 adults/ £8 children, 0151 287 4798

THURSDAY 16TH Music IIRLPO: Enigma Variations The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £13-£36, 0151 709 3789 IIRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Brass The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 1.05pm, £6, 0151 709 3789, Lunchtime Concert IIThe Searchers Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £19, 0151 666 0000, 50th anniversary IIThe Handsome Family The Kazimier, 8pm, £12, 0151 324 1723 IIVAMM The Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, Hope St, 8.30pm, £12, 0151 709 3789, string trio IIMusica en Vivo Alma De Cuba, 10.30pm, 0151 702 7394, spontaneous, high energy night with great live music IICarny Cabaret Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £6 NUS, £8 adv, £10, 01244 340005 IIDanny Gruff & The Peacemakers Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090 IIOutlanders The Zanzibar Club, 7.30pm, £4, 0151 345 3382 IIThe Hungry Horse Acoustic Folk Club: John O'Connell The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, 8pm, £8, 0151 678 9902 IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries

Theatre & Dance IIBlue Remembered Hills The Playhouse, 1.30pm (Matinee) & 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, Moving, funny and unforgettable IIAmerican Woman LIPA, Paul

McCartney Auditorium, 7.30pm, £6/ £3 Concs, 0844 873 2888, tells the story of an idealistic young songwriter who finds peace, love and happiness IILilies on the Land Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, 7.30pm, £7, 0151 643 8757, a revealing, funny and wonderful portrait of the forgotten army IIThe Full Monty The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 8pm, £12-£46, 0870 787 1866, americanized tale of how a group of ordinary men and their families cope with redundancy IIA Wondrous Place The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £12/ £10, 0844 873 2888, four fresh perspectives on four fantastic cities in a re-imagined north IIBottoms Up! The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 709 9034, written and directed by Ryan Simons IISpitfire Solo The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 1pm & 7.30pm, From £8 (£6 schools), 01704 533333, blending theatre, music and film

Comedy IIRicky Tomlinson's Royle Variety Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £25, 0844 871 3017, star studded line up, live band, dancers and much more IIBeyond the 4th Wall The Brindley, Runcorn, 1.30pm & 8pm, £8, 0151 907 8360, Comedy Drama from Proud and Loud Arts IITransatlantic Fury The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0151 703 0000, an exciting double-header bill of political comedy IIVariety Lunch Club The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 12.30pm, £3/ £6 incl. bowl of Scouse, 0870 787 1240, feature the best in local entertainment with variety of comedians, actors and entertainers IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15-£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Keith Carter as Nige, Compere: Jonathon Mayor, Supporting: Geoff Norcott, Ed Easton IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704

541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Sports & Leisure IICycle for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10am, booking essential, 0151 296 7054

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IILunchtime Learning The Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, Hope St, 12pm, £15, 0151 709 3789, join composer and lecturer Ian Stephens for a daytime series of inspiring music and relaxed learning IIWoW Festival: What's Your Story? Sefton Park, 2pm, Do you have a story to tell?

IIJelly Liverpool Leaf Cafe, Bold St, first floor, 9am-5pm, 0151 707 7747, casual all day work IIOlé Olé Studio 2, Parr St, 7.30pm, £3,50, 0151 707 3727, fundraising event for DRIP, Spanish party, live music, games, tapas, flamenco and more IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIScrips The Bluecoat, School Lane, 1pm-2.30pm, 0151 702 5324, informal space for creative writing, from poetry to short stories IIQuiz Night plus Jackpot Fogherty's Bar, 9pm, 0151 734 3906

FRIDAY 17TH Music IISeyes Floral Pavilion Blue Lounge, New Brighton, 8pm, £15, 0151 666 0000, Rock IIThe Protagonists O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £7.05, 0844 477 2000 IISuuns The Kazimier, 8pm, £9, 0151 324 1723 IIKat Men Eric's, Mathew Street, 8pm-11.30pm, 0151 236 9994 IIStevie Wonder and Elton John The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £15, 0870 787 1866, tribute IINeil Griffiths Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 8.30pm, 0151 649 9095, guitarist and all-round musician IIParlour Flames The Lomax, Cumberland St, 8pm, £7.50adv/ £9 OTD, musical collaboration between former OASIS guitarist Bonehead and Vinny Peculiar

69 IIBen Poole Band with DJ Nick Power Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free entry before 9pm, £4 thereafter, 01244 390 090 IIWidowspeak The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £9, 01244 344890 IIGreedy Jesus: "Good Friday" The Zanzibar Club, 7.30pm, £4, 0151 345 3382 IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries IICold Shoulder East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7pm, £6.25 IIThank Funk it's Friday: Rumjig Studio 2, Parr Street, 10pm, 0151 707 3727, swing funk IIFifi and the Boom Booms Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIKieran Goss The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 8pm, £12/ £10 Concs, 01704 533333, folk IINight Beats The Shipping Forecast, 7.30pm, 0151 709 6901

Theatre & Dance IIBlue Remembered Hills The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, Moving, funny and unforgettable IIAmerican Woman LIPA, Paul McCartney Auditorium, 7.30pm, £6/ £3 Concs, 0844 873 2888, tells the story of an idealistic young songwriter who finds peace, love and happiness IILilies on the Land Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, 7.30pm, £7, 0151 643 8757, a revealing, funny and wonderful portrait of the forgotten army IIThe Full Monty The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 8pm, £12-£46, 0870 787 1866, americanized tale of how a group of ordinary men and their families cope with redundancy IIA Wondrous Place The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £12/ £10, 0844 873 2888, four fresh perspectives on four fantastic cities in a re-imagined north IIBottoms Up! The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £10, 0151 709 9034, written and directed by Ryan Simons

Comedy IITransatlantic Fury The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0151 703 0000, an exciting double-header bill of political comedy IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15-£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Keith Carter as Nige, Compere: Jonathon Mayor, Supporting: Geoff Norcott, Jason Patterson IIRoger Monkhouse plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £15 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £26, 0151 227 5946, MC Neil Fitzmaurice introduces Roger Monkhouse along with Chris Cairns and Brendan Dempsey IIBottleTop Comedy: Stand Up And Deliver Envi, Fleet Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0151 214 3242 IIMatt Reed, Neil Delamere, Ivo Graham, Roger Monkhouse The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714 IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details

II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am5.30pm, 0151 907 8360

IIshare his behind the scenes stories and take questions from the audience

IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details

IILight Night Sefton Park Palm House, open until 10pm, 0151 726 9304, lit up in the dark, Ventaux Qunitet performs from 7pm-9pm

IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IILeaves, exhibition by Pete Carr Leaf Cafe, Bold St, ground floor, open all day, 0151 707 7747 IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive: In The Face of Death Walker Art Gallery, 10am-5pm, photographer's look at death and mortality, part will feature images of everyday people who know they are running out of time IIDouble Take: Portraits from The Keith Medley Archive Walker Art Gallery, 10am-5pm, features high street studio portraits of Merseysiders in the 1960s IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Other Events IIThe Bill Shankly Story Centenary Show St Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, an unique tribute to the Anfield icon in his centenary year ft Kop legends Ian St John, Ron Yeats, Chris Lawler and Ian Callaghan live on stage with broadcaster John Keith IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIThe Bill Shankly Story St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £16/ £13 Concs, 01744 756 000, magic of the iconic Liverpool manager ft.

Anfield legends IIJonty Hearnden: What's In Your Attic? The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £15, 0151 907 8360, Jonty will

IIWoW Festival: The Apartment in Rome Studio 2, Parr Street, 7pm, 0151 707 3727, lunch of the followup to Penny Feeny's best selling debut, That Summer in Ischia IIFood Slam Fridays Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 8pm-2am, 0151 708 2890, Dance, drink, devour, music, street food, cocktails, DJs, chefs, mixologists IILight Night Liverpool Various locations across city centre, 4pm till late, 0151 478 4550, 130 FREE events, Liverpool's one-night arts and culture festival IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IILight Night CraftBomb project The Bluecoat, School Lane, 4.30pm8.30pm, 0151 702 5324, have a go at knitting, weaving or stitching your own crafty graffiti IISinging in Harmony day with Sense of Sound The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am-4pm, £25, 0151 702 5324, workshop host by Jennifer John IIThe Art of Parties Tate Liverpool, 6-9pm, 0151 702 7400, music, performance, activities and party games inspired by the last 25 years of Tate

SATURDAY 18TH Music IIHooray for the USA The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £12-£25, 0151 709 3789, Liverpool Welsh Choral IIUnforgettable The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £18/ £16 Concs, 0151 907 8360, music of some of the biggest artists IIJon Byrne plus support Studio 2, Parr St, 8pm, £5 adv (Tickets from seetickets.com), 0151 707 3727, Barrow singer songwriter Jon Byrne returns to Liverpool for a special one off show

LOWDOWN MAY

IIAlicia Keys Echo Arena, 7.30pm, £39.50-£45, 0844 8000 400 IILiverpool Mozart Orchestra Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £15, 0151 666 0000 IIT-Rextasy The Citadel, St. Helens, doors 7.30pm, £14, 01744 735436 IIThe Blues Brothers The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £15, 0870 787 1866, tribute IIFrom the South Metropolitan Cathedral, doors 7pm / start 7.30pm, £7/£10, 0151 707 3525, oboe and clarinet IIThe Suns The Lomax, Cumberland St, 8pm, £3 IIFunkdub: Coda Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free entry before 9pm, £5/ £4 NUS thereafter, 01244 390 090, bass-heavy fivepiece live electronic, high-impact, dubstep experience

IIThe Full Monty The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 2pm & 8pm, £12-£46, 0870 787 1866, americanized tale of how a group of ordinary men and their families cope with redundancy IIA Wondrous Place The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 2pm (Matinee) & 8pm, £8-£12, 0844 873 2888, four fresh perspectives on four fantastic cities in a re-imagined north IIBottoms Up! The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 2pm & 7.30, £10, 0151 709 9034, written and directed by Ryan Simons IIMuseums At Night Port Sunlight Museum, 6pm, £22, booking essential, 0151 644 6466, Meet The Lady Behind the Lord, Afternoon Tea with a glass of prosecco & theatrical performance

IIDick Valentine, Electric Six The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £7, 01244 344890 IIThe Songbook Sessions The Zanzibar Club, 7.30pm, £4, 0151 345, Ste Williams, Rachael Wright, Rob Clarke And The Wooltones, Ste Hedley Band, Rainbird IIIn Evil Hour, Mike Badger & the Shady Trio Mello Mello, Slater St, 8pm, £4 IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries IIThe Dockers Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIMarcus Bonfanti The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 8pm, £10/ £12 OTD, 01704 533333, blues

Theatre & Dance IIBlue Remembered Hills The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, moving, funny and unforgettable IIAmerican Woman LIPA, Paul McCartney Auditorium, 2.30pm (Matinee) & 7.30pm, £6/ £3 Concs, 0844 873 2888, tells the story of an idealistic young songwriter who finds peace, love and happiness IILilies on the Land Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight, 7.30pm, £7, 0151 643 8757, a revealing, funny and wonderful portrait of the forgotten army

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

Comedy

IIBrendan Dempsey plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £17.50 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £28.50, 0151 227 5946, MC Neil Fitzmaurice introduces Brendan Dempsey along with Roger Monkhouse and Chris Cairns IIChester Comedy Club Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £19.95 incl 3 course dinner, 01244 340005, headler: Chris Henry also James Cook IIMatt Reed, Neil Delamere, Ivo Graham, Roger Monkhouse The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714 IIFawlty Towers Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.45pm, 01704 541306, the hit BBC comedy live on stage, laugh away your troubles

Family IIMelvin: The Luckiest Monkey in the World Tate Liverpool, 11am & 2pm, sessions must be booked in advance, 0151 702 7400, Claudia Boldt reads her new story about Melvin the monkey, a tale of true friendship IITime Quest Museum of Liverpool, 1.30-2.30pm, drop-in event, especially for older children (8-14 year), find out more about the displays and stories

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IITales from the tent Museum of Liverpool, 3pm, drop-in event, museum story based fun for our littlest visitors using puppets and props in our magical tent

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIWorkshop: Animal masks World Museum, Clore Natural History Centre, 1-4pm, drop-in event

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

IIShipshape Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1-4pm, at intervals, dropin, fun experiments to find out just why boats actually float

IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details

IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15-£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Keith Carter as Nige, Compere: Jonathon Mayor, Supporting: Geoff Norcott, Jason Patterson

IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

II9th Halton Open Art Exhibition The Brindley, Runcorn, 10am-3pm, 0151 907 8360 IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IILOOK/13 Liverpool International Photography Festival Across the city, 10am-6pm, 0151 702 5324, eclectic mix of exhibitions and events, featuring historical and contemporary work by photographers from Liverpool, the UK and beyond IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

IIRumpelstiltskin The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 11.30am & 2.30pm, £7.50, 01704 533333

Sports & Leisure IICapoeira Club International Slavery Museum, Anthony Walker Education Centre 2pm-4pm, 0151 478 4456, improves fitness, flexibility, strength and self defence

Other Events IIPillbox Vintage Victoria Gallery & Museum, Brownlow Hill/ Ashton, 11am-5pm, 0151 794 2348 IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IIWoW Festival: Port City Writers County Sessions House, William Brown Street, 1pm, £4/ £2 pay on the door, George Garrett & Others on the Edge IICD and Record Fair Christ Church, Lord, St, Southport, 01704 531756 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIPhysical Fest: Barefeet Acrobats The Black-E, 4-6pm, workshop for

TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT LOWDOWN ON 0151 538 5224

71 11-18 year olds, opportunity to get a taste of Zambian acrobats IILaurel and Hardy Film and Shorts Woolton Cinema, 4.45pm, 0871 902 5753, early classic hollywood era film

SUNDAY 19TH Music IIDavid Knopov Jalons, Smithdown Road, 4.30pm, 0151 734 3984, a Night of Sinatra IIThe Springtime Anchorage Sound Food And Drink, Duke St, 8pm, 0151 707 6363 IILiverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Youth Choir The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £9 adults/ £6 under 25s/ £2 Liverpool Young Musician Pass holders, 0151 709 3789 IICrosby Sympany Orchestra Sefton Park Palm House, 2.30pm, 0151 726 9304, popular classical music IIMark Knopfler and Band Echo Arena, 7.30pm, £41-£45, 0844 8000 400 IIThe Zombies Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 8pm, £16.50/ £18.50, 0151 666 0000 IIGospel Choir: Soulful Voices Alma De Cuba, 1.30-5pm, 0151 702 7394, plus great Sunday brunch

IIAlan Jeffs Jazz Jam Night Brewers Arms, Neston Wirral, 8pm, 0151 336 1627 IIThe Mike Jackson trio Pistachio Restaurant & Bar, Lark Lane, 7pm IILatin Jazz Quartet La Cubanita, Campbell Square off Duke Street, 4pm, 0151 709 5335

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details

IIJazz Con Fusion The Grapes, 9pm, 07950 828674, Live jazz with a Latin twist

IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

IIThe Gamblers The Spectacle upstairs at Gallagher's Pub and Barbers. Multi instrumental covers duo

IIWorkshop: Animal masks World Museum, Clore Natural History Centre, 1-4pm, drop-in event IIShipshape Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1-4pm, at intervals, dropin, fun experiments to find out just why boats actually float

Sports & Leisure IIChelsea vs Everton 4pm

IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details

IIMusic In The Afternoon with Steve MacFarlane Studio 2, Parr Street, 6pm, 0151 707 3727

IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details

IIFree Spirit Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906

IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

floor, 12pm-5pm, 0151 707 7747 IIDr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester,£10, 01244 340005 IINorth West Guitar Show Haydock Park, 10am-4.30pm, £7, 01942 402623, one of UK's biggest guitar conventions IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIDot-art: Liverpool Photowalk The Bluecoat, School Lane, 12am, For information, times/prices and to book, call 0845 017 6660 or email: info@dot-art.com

IILiverpool vs QPR 4pm

MONDAY 20TH

IIPort Sunlight 10k & 5k Road Race 11am start, Set in the residential surroundings of the Old Lever Brothers workers village, runners are guaranteed plenty of support from start to finish on a flat and fast course.

IIHow to Dress Well Leaf Cafe, Bold St, first floor, 7.30pm, 0151 707 7747

Music IIYour Favorite Enemies The Shipping Forecast, 7pm, 0151 709 6901 IIHurray for the Riff Raff Mello Mello, Slater St, 8pm, £8, The City Walls and Marc Hannon (The Springtime Anchorage)

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details

IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries

Family IIRiver crafternoons Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, get creative and make fun stuff linked to the River Mersey, children aged 10 and under

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIRoot Chords Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 01244 340005

IIOpen Mic with Alex Green Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 9pm, 01244 390 090

IIWill Draw For Money East Village Arts Club, see 3rd for details

Other Events IILiterary Festival: In Other Words Various Locations, Liverpool city centre, see www.itsliverpool.com for details IINot Just Vintage House, Bold Street, 11am-4pm, 0151 709 7141, Vintage Fair IIWoW Festival: The Palace Of Curiosities St George's Hall, North Entrance, 2pm, Launch of Rosie Garland's debut novel hailed as 'jewel-box' by Sarah Waters IIWoW Festival: The Last Word with Curtis Watt & Levi Tafari Central Library, William Brown Street, 2pm, closing event of In Other Words IIRoast Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 1pm-6pm, 0151 227 5946, bring your family and friends for lunch in the indoor park IICapstan's Bazaar - Arts & Crafts Market Leaf Cafe, Bold St, first

IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries

Theatre & Dance IIPriscilla Queen of the Desert Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10-£39.50, 0844 871 3017, heartwarming, uplifting adventure IIRight Now Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7pm, £12, 0151 666 0000, Anamal Dance Company

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

LOWDOWN MAY

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

TUESDAY 21ST

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIChris Wood St George's Hall, 7.30pm, £15, 0151 225 6911

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Sports & Leisure IIFloral Tea Dance Floral Pavilion, Winter Gardens, New Brighton, 1pm, £5 adv/ £6, 0151 666 0000

Other Events IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IITheatre and Film Quiz Studio 2, Parr Street, 7.30pm, £1 per player, 0151 707 3727

Music IIOut Of The Bedroom: Acoustic Open Mic Night Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8.30pm, 0151 707 7747, with Johnny Sands IIUnplugged Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, free before 9pm, £2, 01244 340005, a high standard of performance with an eclectic mix of music styles.

IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries IIGhostpoet East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7pm, £14.50 IIParrJazz: The Dixie Ticklers Studio 2, Parr Street, 8.30pm, £3 on door/ FREE Students (NUS), 0151 707 3727, Jazz and open jam session, moderntrad jazzers IIDeap Vally East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7pm, £8

Theatre & Dance IIRutherford & Son The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, powerful drama, unflinching portrayal of an Edwardian family on the brink of collapse IIPriscilla Queen of the Desert Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10-£39.50, 0844 871 3017, heartwarming, uplifting adventure IISeven Brides for Seven Brothers The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £15/ £14 Concs, 0151 907 8360, all-time classic from the stage and screen IITrolley-Shaped Bruise The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, dark and comic debut play IIRight Now Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7pm, £12, 0151 666 0000, Anamal Dance Company

Comedy IILee Nelson The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £22.50/ £28.50, 0151 709 3789

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Family IIMessy tots Museum of Liverpool, 10am-12pm, drop-in event, some messy creative fun, especially for visitors aged three years and under

Other Events IIDot-art: Life Drawing The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.45-

9.30pm, £16 per session/ £160 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660 IIDot-art: Bookbinding The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £17 per session/ £170 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660 IIJake Mills Quiz Night House, Bold Street, 8.30pm, 0151 709 7141 IIThe Liverpool Philharmonic Experience The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 12.30pm, £7-£15, 0151 709 3789, see behind the scenes of the unique art-deco IITea Dance St George's Hall, Great Hall, 1.30pm-4pm, £5, 0151 225 6911, life music and dance IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIBuild Your Own Website The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £75 for 5 sessions, 0845 017 6660

WEDNESDAY 22ND Music IIPlaza Concert: Bella Musica Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 12.30pm, 0151 666 0000, piano and voice IIRevolution O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 11pm-3am, £3.55, 0844 477 2000 IIPete Wade's Acoustic Open Mic Night Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 7.30pm, 0151 649 9095 IIOut Of Nowhere Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 01244 340005, acoustics IIThe Magnets, The Probes, Tokyo Track, Brazen Goods The Zanzibar Club, 7.30pm, £4, 0151 345 3382 IILiverpool Domestic Abuse Services Music Night Studio 2, Parr Street, 7.30pm, £5, 0151 707 3727, charity IIThe Amp Coil Guru`s Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIKeith's Jarrett and guests Keith's Wine Bar, Lark Lane Sefton Park, 8pm, 0151 728 7688 IIFreddie Smith Big Band Bebington British Legion, Wirral CH63, 8.30pm, 0151 608 2270 IIKathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman The Atkinson, Lord

73 Street, Southport, 7.30pm, £10 adv/ £12 OTD, 01704 533333, folk IIInternational Pop Overthrow Liverpool The Cavern Pub & Club, Mathew St, 3pm, 0151 236 9091, more than 130 of the best pop and rock artists, representing 15 countries

Theatre & Dance IIRutherford & Son The Playhouse, 5.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, powerful drama, unflinching portrayal of an Edwardian family on the brink of collapse IIPriscilla Queen of the Desert Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10-£39.50, 0844 871 3017, heartwarming, uplifting adventure IISeven Brides for Seven Brothers The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £15/ £14 Concs, 0151 907 8360, all-time classic from the stage and screen IIMiss Nightingale The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 8pm, £18-£28, 0870 787 1866, sex, scandal and showbiz in the 1940s IITrolley-Shaped Bruise The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8, 0844 873 2888, dark and comic debut play

Comedy IIGeorgia's Comedy Night The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

Family IIWalking With Dinosaurs 2013 Echo Arena, 7pm, £25-£45, 0844 8000 400

Sports & Leisure IILatin Mania Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 8pm, £4 each/ £6 both, 01244 390 090, Salsa Classes and Latin dance night IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 1.30pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy a healthy walk through the park

Other Events IIChateaux House, Bold Street, 8pm, 0151 709 7141 IIWoW Festival: Dragon's Pen The Bluecoat, School Lane, 7.30pm, £6/ £4, 0151 702 5324, come and pitch your work for industry advice and support IISpotify Wednesday Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8pm, 0151 707 7747, Enabling the sharing, creating and modifying of each other's playlists IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

THURSDAY 23RD Music IIRLPO: The Rite of Spring The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £13-£36, 0151 709 3789 IIDancing Queen St. Helens Theatre Royal, 7.30pm, £18/ £17 Concs, 01744 756 000, all the greatest hits from Abba, Grease and the biggest hits from the 70's

drama, unflinching portrayal of an Edwardian family on the brink of collapse IIPriscilla Queen of the Desert Liverpool Empire Theatre, 7.30pm, £10-£39.50, 0844 871 3017, heartwarming, uplifting adventure IISeven Brides for Seven Brothers The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £15/ £14 Concs, 0151 907 8360, all-time classic from the stage and screen

IIMellotone Sefton Park Palm House, doors 8pm, Tickets £5 from www.wegottickets.com, 0151 726 9304

IIAdd Friend & Deathbed The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £8, 0151 709 9034, by Edward Chapman

IIMC Lars The Kazimier, doors 7.30pm, £7.50 adv, 0151 324 1723, Indie Hip-Hop

IITwisted Angels Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £14/ £16, 0151 666 0000, mix of comedy, drama and music with dark undertones

IIMusica en Vivo Alma De Cuba, 10.30pm, 0151 702 7394, spontaneous, high energy night with great live music IIDodgy The Lomax, Cumberland St, 7.15pm, £15 adv/ £17.50 OTD IICamera 'Out on the Water' Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090, influences from all genres of music

Comedy IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Paul Tonkinson, Compere: Mark Dolan, Supporting: Gein's Family IIGift Shop, Scott Bennett

Arts

IINowhere Boys, Jon Keats, Steve Howard, Ronny Hughes, Beatles Tribute The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE 2-8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIXander & The Peace Pirates plus support Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 7pm, 0152 236 9091

IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIBelicious Beats Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, £2, 0151 707 3727, Live Music IIThe Hungry Horse Acoustic Folk Club Singers And Musicians Night The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, 8pm, 0151 678 9902 IIMan Overboard plus Transit The Shipping Forecast, 0151 709 6901 IIJosh Rouse Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 7.30pm, 0151 707 7747 IIAn Evening Of Music With Artists From The Viper Label Sefton Park Palm House, 8pm, £5, 0151 726 2415, TG Elias, Chris Elliot & special guest

Theatre & Dance IIRutherford & Son The Playhouse, 1.30pm (Matinee) & 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, powerful

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

LOWDOWN MAY

IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Family IIWalking With Dinosaurs 2013 Echo Arena, 7pm, £25-£45, 0844 8000 400

Sports & Leisure IIMid-Week Racing Haydock Park, 2.20pm-5.15pm (gates open at 12.20pm), £9.75-£202.80, 01942 402624 IICycle for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10am, booking essential, 0151 296 7054

Other Events IIWoW Festival: New Words House, Bold Street, 7.30pm, £4/ £2 pay on the door, Sam Willetts & Alicia Stubbersfield read from their new collections IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIMurder Mystery Night Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 7.30pm, £25, 0151 287 4798, identify the murderer

FRIDAY 24TH Music IIRLPO: The Rite of Spring The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £13-£36, 0151 709 3789 IIRoom for Rent O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £7.05, 0844 477 2000

IIHuxley (Hypercolour) and Lewis Boardman (Souvenir) The Shipping Forecast, 10pm, £7, 0151 709 6901

IISeven Brides for Seven Brothers The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £15/ £14 Concs, 0151 907 8360, all-time classic from the stage and screen

IIBirthday Weekend: Las Vegas The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £25, 0870 787 1866

IIThe Millers Tale The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £8/ £6 Concs, 0151 703 0000, poem, dances, songs of Bob Dylan

IINeil Griffiths Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 8.30pm, 0151 649 9095, guitarist and all-round musician IISandneskameratene Male Voice Choir Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 12.30pm-13.30pm, 0151 702 7255, excellent Norwegian Male Voice Choir IIGrease & Dirty Dancing Huyton Civic Suite, 7.30pm-12.30am, £15, 0151 443 3761, tribute night IIThe Computers The Compass, Chester, 7.30pm, £6.5, 01244 344890 IITim Shaw, Ronny Hughes, Jon Keats, Tony Mac, Richard Batty, The Rockits The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIWidowspeak East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7.30pm, £10 IIThank Funk it's Friday: Brickhouse Studio 2, Parr Street, 9pm, £3, 0151 707 3727, Funk IIMidnight Blues Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IILiverpool Acoustic Live View Two Gallery, Mathew St, doors 8pm/ start 8.30pm, £5 adv/ £6 door, 0151 236 9444, Clara Barker, Ade Jackson, Rob Gough, Just By Chance IIStephen Langstaff East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7pm, £10 IIShowaddywaddy The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 7.30pm, £18, 01704 533333, 40th Anniversary Tour IINeil Griffiths The Spectacle upstairs at Gallaghers Pub and Barbers. Classic 80's hits and more.

Theatre & Dance IIRutherford & Son The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, powerful drama, unflinching portrayal of an Edwardian family on the brink of collapse IIPriscilla Queen of the Desert Liverpool Empire Theatre, 5pm & 8.15pm, £10-£39.50, 0844 871 3017, heartwarming, uplifting adventure

IIPhysical Fest: Fest Live International Showcase The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, entertaining mix of quality physical theatre IIAdd Friend & Deathbed The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £8, 0151 709 9034, by Edward Chapman IITwisted Angels Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £14/ £16, 0151 666 0000, mix of comedy, drama and music with dark undertones IIRed Skies St George's Hall, Concert Hall, Doors 7pm/ start 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 0151 225 6911, combines humour and warmth, pathos and tragedy

Comedy IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Paul Tonkinson, Compere: Mark Dolan, Supporting: Martin Mor, Danny Deegan IIAndy Askins plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £15 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £26, 0151 227 5946, MC Chris Cairns introduces Andy Askins along with Steve Day and Jamie Sutherland IIBottleTop Comedy: Stand Up And Deliver Envi, Fleet Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0151 214 3242 IIDanny Mcloughlin, Jason Cook, Seymour Mace, Martin Mor The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Family IIWalking With Dinosaurs 2013 Echo Arena, 7pm, £25-£45, 0844 8000 400 IIChester Folk Festival Kelsall Green, Chester Road, Kelsall, £8-£65 (day tickets available), concerts, ceilidhs, workshops, singarounds, sessions, displays, craft fair, family events & children entertainment IIThe Waving Cat of Japan The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 10.30am, £4, 01704 533333, Japanese cat-shaped figurine

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall,

TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT LOWDOWN ON 0151 538 5224

75 Sports & Leisure IIMid-Week Raceday Haydock Park, 2.20pm-5.15pm (gates open at 12.20pm), £9.75-£202.80, 01942 402624

Other Events IIWoW Festival: From Pakistan to Preston with Alison Boyle World Museum Liverpool, 1pm, readings and discussion: a tale of love abd silk in the textile industry of Preston IIFood Slam Fridays Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 8pm-2am, 0151 708 2890, Dance, drink, devour, music, street food, cocktails, DJs, chefs, mixologists IIWoW Festival: The Posthumous Affair The Attic, 33-45 Parr Street, 7.30pm, UK book launch of a unique love story by James Friel IIWoW Festival: Unlocking the Dublin Lockout The Casa, Hope Street, 7.30pm, examining the 1913 Dublin Lock-Out through the eyes of women IIBattle of the Atlantic Commemoration Waterfront at the Dock, 70th national anniversary commemoration across the Liverpool Waterfront IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

SATURDAY 25TH Music

The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £25, 0870 787 1866 IIGolden Me Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090, influenced by rock classics from the 60's, 70's and 80's IIThe Sundowners plus support The Zanzibar Club, 7.30pm, £4, 0151 345 3382 IITim Shaw, Jay Murray and The Shakers, The Cave Dwellers The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIRonny Hughes, Kappa, Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, live music from 2.30pm, 0152 236 9091 IISaturday With The Beatles ft. the Cavern Club Beatles The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 8.30pm, £15, 0151 236 9091, Beatles Tribute Show IIStudio2 Hullaballoo...Electronica Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, 0151 707 3727, synthy poppy 80s tunes IIThe Smoke Hearts, Fat Phace, The Wasters Maguires, Renshaw Street, 8pm, £4 OTD IILazzy Band Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIThree Blind Wolves The Shipping Forecast, 0151 709 6901 IIBand With No Name The Spectacle - upstairs at Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, popular covers IIQuartermaster Return The Lomax, Cumberland St, 9pm

Theatre & Dance

Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, passionate and moving dance theatre performance IIAdd Friend & Deathbed The Liverpool Actors Studio Theatre, 7.30pm, £8, 0151 709 9034, by Edward Chapman IIRed Skies St George's Hall, Concert Hall, Doors 7pm/ start 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 0151 225 6911, combines humour and warmth, pathos and tragedy IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar

Comedy IIJulian Clary: Position Vacant - Apply Within The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 8pm, £19-£42, 0870 787 1866 IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Paul Tonkinson, Compere: Mark Dolan, Supporting: Martin Mor, Danny Deegan IIJamie Sutherland plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £17.50 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £28.50, 0151 227 5946, MC Chris Cairns introduces Jamie Sutherland along with Steve Day and Sean Percival IIChester Comedy Club Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £19.95 incl 3 course dinner, 01244 340005, headler: Tony Burgess also Kevin Shepherd

IIThe Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £10-£15, 0151 709 3789, Charity Concert

IIRutherford & Son The Playhouse, 2pm (Matinee) & 7.30pm, £12£23, 0151 709 4776, powerful drama, unflinching portrayal of an Edwardian family on the brink of collapse

IIDanny Mcloughlin, Jason Cook, Seymour Mace, Martin Mor The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714

IICast & The Twang O2 Academy Liverpool, 7pm, £19.68, 0844 477 2000

IIPriscilla Queen of the Desert Liverpool Empire Theatre, 2.30 & 7.30pm, £10-£39.50, 0844 871 3017, heartwarming, uplifting adventure

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIPointless View O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £7.05, 0844 477 2000 IIMusic for the Mind & Soul The Capstone Theatre, 1pm, 0844 8000 410, Indian Music Concert Series IIBass Projekt The Citadel, St. Helens, 10pm, £5, 01744 735436, Dubstep, HipHop, D&B night IIBirthday Weekend: Las Vegas

IISeven Brides for Seven Brothers The Brindley, Runcorn, 7.30pm, £15/ £14 Concs, 0151 907 8360, all-time classic from the stage and screen IIDr Frankenstein's Travelling Freak Show The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.30pm, £7.50/ £6.50 Concs, 0151 703 0000 IIPhysical Fest: Addio Addio Amore The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope

Arts IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see

1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIPrint Journeys Bluecoat Display Centre, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Family IIWalking With Dinosaurs 2013 Echo Arena, 11am/ 3pm/ 7pm, £25£45, 0844 8000 400 IIChester Folk Festival Kelsall Green, see 24th for details IITime Quest Museum of Liverpool, 1.30-2.30pm, drop-in event, especially for older children (8-14 year), find out more about the displays and stories IITales from the tent Museum of Liverpool, 3pm, drop-in event, museum story based fun for our littlest visitors using puppets and props in our magical tent IIThe Butler's Treasure Hunt Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10.30am-5pm, 0151 287 4798, Learning is Fun at Croxteth Hall

Sports & Leisure IIBetfred Temple Stakes Haydock Park, 2pm-5.15pm (gates open at 12pm), £9.75-£202.80, 0844 579 3006

LOWDOWN MAY

IICapoeira Club International Slavery Museum, Anthony Walker Education Centre 2pm-4pm, 0151 478 4456, improves fitness, flexibility, strength and self defence

Other Events IIWoW Festival: Pulp Idol Writing Competition Final Central Library, 4th Floor, William Brown Street, 1pm, new novelists read for the big prize, panel of expert judges IIBattle of the Atlantic Commemoration Waterfront at the Dock, 70th national anniversary commemoration across the Liverpool Waterfront IICraft Fair Christ Church, Lord, St, Southport, 01704 531756 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIPhysical Fest: The Theatrical Body The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am-5pm, £40, 0151 702 5324, workshop IIBattle of the Atlantic archives display Merseyside Maritime Museum, 10.30am-4.30pm, drop-in event, opportunity to see rare photos and documents

SUNDAY 26TH Music IIThe Springtime Anchorage Sound Food And Drink, Duke St, 8pm, 0151 707 6363 IIGospel Choir: Soulful Voices Alma De Cuba, 1.30-5pm, 0151 702 7394, plus great Sunday brunch IIDavid Knopov Jalons, Smithdown Road, 4.30pm, 0151 734 3984, a Night of Sinatra IIThe Rioters Dixieland Jazzband Stamps Wine Bar, Liverpool Road, Crosby, 4pm, 0151 286 2662 IIJazz Con Fusion The Grapes, 9pm, 07950 828674, Live jazz with a Latin twist IIJust By Chance The Lomax, Cumberland St, 2pm IIOpen Mic with Mark Henderson Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090, unique folk, jazz, blues IITim Shaw, 54321, The Shakers, The Mersey Beatles The Cavern

Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIRonny Hughes, Tony Mac, Screaming Citizens The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, live music from 5.30pm, 0152 236 9091 IISimply Dylan with John O'Connell and band The Cavern Live Lounge, Mathew St, 8pm, £12, 0151 236 9091 IICircus: Yousef East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 10pm, £20 IISoul4Soul Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, £4, 0151 707 3727, disco soul IIThe Hips Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906 IIAlan Jeffs Jazz Jam Night Brewers Arms, Neston Wirral, 8pm, 0151 336 1627 IIThe Mike Jackson trio Pistachio Restaurant & Bar, Lark Lane, 7pm IILatin Jazz Quartet La Cubanita, Campbell Square off Duke Street, 4pm, 0151 709 5335 IIBand With No Name The Spectacle - upstairs at Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, popular covers

Theatre & Dance IIFairy Tales and Fables Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 1pm & 4pm, £9, 0151 666 0000, magical adventures IIRed Skies St George's Hall, Concert Hall, Doors 7pm/ start 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 0151 225 6911, combines humour and warmth, pathos and tragedy IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar

Comedy IIThe Ken Dodd Happiness Show Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7pm, £21, 0151 666 0000

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIThe Art of Pop Video Fact, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Family IIWalking With Dinosaurs 2013 Echo Arena, 3pm, £25-£45, 0844 8000 400 IIChester Folk Festival Kelsall Green, see 24th for details IIRiver crafternoons Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, get creative and make fun stuff linked to the River Mersey, children aged 10 and under IINever at Sea: The Wrens story Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1.30, 2.30 and 3.30pm, drop-in event, meet Wren & May Hatton, who will tell you about the vital work carried out under the streets of the city IIActivity: Pretty Polly Sudley House, 1-4pm, drop-in event, children aged 3 and over, make your own colourful bird from collage materials

Other Events IIRetro Sunday Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 11am-5pm, 0151 707 7747, vintage feast fit for kings IINot Just Vintage House, Bold Street, 11am-4pm, 0151 709 7141, Vintage Fair IIRoast Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 1pm-6pm, 0151 227 5946, bring your family and friends for lunch in the indoor park IIBirthday Weekend: Ricky's Royle Variety Show The Green Room, doors 12.30pm/ start 2pm, £15, 0870 787 1866, Charity IIBattle of the Atlantic Commemoration Waterfront at the Dock, 70th national anniversary commemoration across the Liverpool Waterfront IINorthgate Community Street Festival Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 12-9pm, 01244 340005, music stages, food & drink stalls, street entertainers, giants IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIPhysical Fest: Pina Bausch Tanztheater The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am-5pm, £40, 0151 702 5324, workshop IIPhysical Fest: Contact Improvisation As A Tool For Physical Performance The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6-8pm, £6/ £5, 0151 702 5324, workshop IIKaleidescape Walker Art Gallery, 1-4pm, drop-in event, Tony Kehoe hosts an open floor of music, poetry and performance

MONDAY 27TH Music IIPaul Bowen Liverpool Cathedral, St James' Mount, 11.15am-12.15pm, £5, 0151 702 7255 IISteve Howark, Jon Keats, The Two of Us (Lennon & McCartney Tribute), Jay Murray The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091 IIIan Prowse The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 8pm, 0152 236 9091 IISolitaire Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, £3, 01517073727, Live Acoustic

77 Theatre & Dance IIRed Skies St George's Hall, Concert Hall, Doors 7pm/ start 7.30pm, £14/ £12 Concs, 0151 225 6911, combines humour and warmth, pathos and tragedy IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details IITate Liverpool is 25 Tate Liverpool, 10-5pm, 0151 702 7400, 25th anniversary

Family IIRapunzel The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 3pm & 7pm, £17-£69, 0870 787 1866, action-packed and hilarious school half-term pantomime about the girl with the magical golden hair

music styles.

IITony Coburn, Jon Keats, Paul Jones, Jimmy Coburn, Jay Murray The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091

IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details

IIRonny Hughes, Cavern Bands Entertain The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 7.30pm, 0152 236 9091

IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details

IIJackie D Williams East Village Arts Club, Seel Street, 7.30pm, £5

IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details

IIParrJazz: Jamie Brownfield & Liam Byrne Studio 2, Parr Street, 8.30pm, £3 on door/ FREE Students (NUS), 0151 707 3727, Jazz and open jam session, trumpet & saxophone

IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details

IIBattle of the Atlantic Commemoration Waterfront at the Dock, 70th national anniversary commemoration across the Liverpool Waterfront

IIBat Sabbath The Shipping Forecast, 0151 709 6901, plus Iron Witch and The Bendal Interlude

IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool

IIBeautiful Thing The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, glorious urban love story

IIChester Folk Festival Kelsall Green, see 24th for details IIMeccano comes home! Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, Be inspired by our incredible Meccano models on display and build your own

Other Events

IIPhysical Fest: Yorgos Karamalegos The Bluecoat, School Lane, 9-10.30am, 0151 702 5324, workshop IIPhysical Fest: Delve Deeper The Bluecoat, School Lane, 11am-5pm, £40, 0151 702 5324, workshop, get out of your head and into your bodie IINever at Sea: The Wrens story Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1.30, 2.30 and 3.30pm, drop-in event, meet Wren & May Hatton, who will tell you about the vital work carried out under the streets of the city

TUESDAY 28TH Music IIRoger Hodgson & Band The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 8pm, £34.50-£41, 0151 709 3789, the legendary voice of Supertramp

Theatre & Dance

IIFloating The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, a moving, beautiful, thought provoking play IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

IISing-a-long Afternoon Sefton Park Palm House, 1.30pm-4pm, £5 (incl. a cup of tea and piece of cake), 0151 726 9304, in celebration of 70 years since Battle of Atlantic

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIOut Of The Bedroom: Acoustic Open Mic Night Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8.30pm, 0151 707 7747, with Johnny Sands

IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIUnplugged Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, free before 9pm, £2, 01244 340005, a high standard of performance with an eclectic mix of

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details

Family IIRapunzel The Royal Court Theatre, City Centre, 1pm & 4.30pm, £17£69, 0870 787 1866, action-packed and hilarious school half-term pantomime about the girl with the magical golden hair IIMeccano comes home! Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, Be inspired by our incredible Meccano models on display and build your own IITales from the riverbank Museum of Liverpool, 11am, drop-in event, find out about all our Mersey friends IIActivity: Magical May mosaics Lady Lever Art Gallery, 1-4pm, drop-in event, decorate a plate with paper mosaics

Other Events IIViewing of Art & Design Creative Campus, Liverpool Hope University, 11am, student`s Degree show IIJake Mills Quiz Night House, Bold Street, 8.30pm, 0151 709 7141 IISuggs Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £24.50, 0151 666 0000, Life Story of Madness frontman IIPudding Club Leaf Cafe, Bold St, first floor, doors 6.30/ start 7pm, £11.95, 0151 707 7747 IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIDot-art: Life Drawing The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £16 per session/ £160 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660

LOWDOWN MAY

IIBuild Your Own Website The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £75 for 5 sessions, 0845 017 6660 IIDot-art: Bookbinding The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6.459.30pm, £17 per session/ £170 for 10 week course, 0845 017 6660

IIKeith's Jarrett and guests Keith's Wine Bar, Lark Lane Sefton Park, 8pm, 0151 728 7688 IIFreddie Smith Big Band Bebington British Legion, Wirral CH63, 8.30pm, 0151 608 2270

Theatre & Dance

IIPhysical Fest: Barefeet Acrobats The Bluecoat, School Lane, 6-8.30pm, £6/ £5, 0151 702 5324, workshop, Afro-Batics

IICharity Dance Event: One Small Step The Brindley, Runcorn, 7pm, £7.50, 0151 907 8360, in aid of North West Cancer Research

IIPhysical Fest: Physical Acting Lab The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am-5pm, £40, 0151 702 5324, workshop

IIBeautiful Thing The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, glorious urban love story

IIPhilosophy in Pubs The Bluecoat, School Lane, 1pm-2.30pm, 0151 702 5324, resident philosophers debate the important questions IITitanic tales: stories through objects Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1-4pm, drop-in event, find out more about the facts and myths surrounding the sinking of the world famous ship

WEDNESDAY 29TH Music IIJack Jones The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £29.50/ £34.50, 0151 709 3789 IIPlaza Concert: Robbie Southworth Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 12.30pm, 0151 666 0000, pianist IIRevolution O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 11pm-3am, £3.55, 0844 477 2000 IIBrian McFadden O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £16.87-£39.37, 0844 477 2000 IIPete Wade's Acoustic Open Mic Night Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 7.30pm, 0151 649 9095 IIOut Of Nowhere Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, 01244 340005, acoustics IIPaul Jones, Jon Keats, Jimmy Coburn, Tony Coburn The Cavern Club, Mathew St, live music from 2pm, 0151 236 9091 IIKappa Band The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 9pm, 0152 236 9091 IIXander Brothers Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, 0151 707 3727, Xander and the Peace Pirates members IIThe Oil Chickens Fogherty's Bar, 0151 734 3906

IIThe Carmen Maria Academy of Dance and Drama St George's Hall, Concert Hall, doors 6.15pm/ start 7pm, £10, 0151 225 6911, enjoy a spectacular performance of Disneys 'Lion King' IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar IIPhysical Fest: Live Improvised Jam The Bluecoat, School Lane, 8pm, 0151 702 5324, workshop participants live

Comedy IIThe Boy With Tape On His Face The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £12.50, 0844 873 2888 IIPatrick Monahan Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £17.50, 0151 666 0000

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

Family IIBaby Voices Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 10-10.45am, £6 accompanying adult free, additional adults £6, 0151 709 3789, 0-18 months, 45 minute workshop will involve songs, movement, and active listening IIToddler Tunes Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 11.30am-12.15pm, £6 accompanying adult free, additional adults £6, 0151 709 3789, age 18-36 months, Songs and games to develop musicianship and creativity IILittle Notes Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 1.152.15pm, £7 accompanying adult free, additional adults £7, 0151 709 3789, age 3-5 years, pitch and rhythm through songs and activities IIMusic Makers Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 3-4.30pm, £9 accompanying adult free, additional adults £9, 0151 709 3789, age range 8-11 years (Grades 1-3), perform with musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Strings IITales from the riverbank Museum of Liverpool, 11am, drop-in event, find out about all our Mersey friends

IIShipshape Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1-4pm, at intervals, dropin, fun experiments to find out just why boats actually float IICarnival crafts International Slavery Museum, 1-4pm, drop-in event, make your own colourful headdress IIActivity: Puppeteers Lady Lever Art Gallery, 1-4pm, drop-in event, make a friendly finger puppet IIRuby flew too The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport, 11am, £7.50, 01704 533333, tale of a little duckling struggling to find her feet

Sports & Leisure IILatin Mania Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 8pm, £4 each/ £6 both, 01244 390 090, Salsa Classes and Latin dance night IIWalk for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 1.30pm, 0151 287 4798, enjoy a healthy walk through the park

Other Events IIChateaux House, Bold Street, 8pm, 0151 709 7141 IISpotify Wednesday Leaf Cafe, Bold St, 8pm, 0151 707 7747, Enabling the sharing, creating and modifying of each other's playlists IIWoW Festival: The Judgement of Hakim The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.45pm, £10/ £5, 0151 703 0000, interactive theatre IIWoW Festival: Sticks & Stones LJMU Redmonds Building, Clarence Street, 7.30pm, explore hate speech & hate crime IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIPhysical Fest: Improvisation in Performance The Bluecoat, School Lane, 11am-5pm, £40, 0151 702 5324, workshop II'Hands-on-History' with Croxteth Hall Heritage Volunteers Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 2-4pm, 0151 287 4798, make your own chocolate truffles

IIMake and Learn Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, find out more about our collections and make your own piece of artwork

TO ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT LOWDOWN ON 0151 538 5224

79 THURSDAY 30TH Music IILulo Reinhardt The Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, Hope St, 8.30pm, £15, 0151 709 3789, Gypsy music IIThe Summer Set O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £11.25, 0844 477 2000 IIMusica en Vivo Alma De Cuba, 10.30pm, 0151 702 7394, spontaneous, high energy night with great live music IIMusic For The Greater Good Alexanders, Rufus Court, Chester, £3 NUS, £4 adv, £5, 01244 340005

Comedy IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Jeff Innocent, Compere: Andy Robinson, Supporting: Dana Alexander, Jay Hampson

Arts IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIBabeshadow Telford's Warehouse, Chester, 01244 390 090

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911

IIGreat Cynics The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £6, 01244 344890, indie/punk band

IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963

IINowhere Boys, Jon Keats, Steve Howard, Ronny Hughes, Beatles Tribute The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE 2-8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091

IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details

IIMadison plus support Tony Mac The Cavern Pub, Mathew St, 7pm, 0152 236 9091 IIStudio2 Acoustic Night Studio 2, Parr Street, 8pm, 0151 707 3727 IIThe Hungry Horse Acoustic Folk Club Singers And Musicians Night The Whitby Sports & Social Club, Ellesmere Port, 8pm, 0151 678 9902

Theatre & Dance IIBeautiful Thing The Playhouse, 1.30pm (Matinee) & 7.30pm, £12£23, 0151 709 4776, glorious urban love story IIFloating The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, a moving, beautiful, thought provoking play IIGin & Tonic & Passing Trains The Citadel, St. Helens, 7pm, £10, 01744 735436, a visual and classic tale IIThe Carmen Maria Academy of Dance and Drama St George's Hall, Concert Hall, doors 1.15pm/ start 2pm, £10, 0151 225 6911, enjoy a spectacular performance of Disneys 'Lion King' IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar

IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

Family IIBaby Voices Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 10-10.45am, £6 accompanying adult free, additional adults £6,

0151 709 3789, 0-18 months, 45 minute workshop will involve songs, movement, and active listening IIToddler Tunes Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 11.30am-12.15pm, £6 accompanying adult free, additional adults £6, 0151 709 3789, age 18-36 months, Songs and games to develop musicianship and creativity IIMini Maestros Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 1.152.15pm, £7 accompanying adult free, additional adults £7, 0151 709 3789, age 5-7 years, Compose and perform your own musical story with help from our musicians IIMusic Makers Workshop The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 3-4.30pm, £9 accompanying adult free, additional adults £9, 0151 709 3789, age range 8-11 years (Grades 1-3), perform with musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Woodwind IITales from the riverbank Museum of Liverpool, 11am, drop-in event, find out about all our Mersey friends IIMake and Learn Museum of Liverpool, 2-4pm, drop-in event, find out more about our collections and make your own piece of artwork IIShipshape Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1-4pm, at intervals, dropin, fun experiments to find out just why boats actually float IICarnival crafts International Slavery Museum, 1-4pm, drop-in event, make your own colourful headdress IICrafty crowns Lady Lever Art Gallery, 1-4pm, drop-in event, create a crown and be a May Queen or King for the day

Sports & Leisure IICycle for Health Croxteth Hall and Country Park, 10am, booking essential, 0151 296 7054

Other Events IICharity Dance Event: One Small Step The Brindley, Runcorn, 7pm, £7.50, 0151 907 8360, in aid of North West Cancer Research IIJelly Liverpool Leaf Cafe, Bold St, first floor, 9am-5pm, 0151 707 7747, casual all day work IIWoW Festival: The Judgement of Hakim The Lantern Theatre,

Blundell St, 7.45pm, £10/ £5, 0151 703 0000, interactive theatre IIWoW Festival: Howard Marks is Mr Nice Secret Space, Water Street, 7.30pm, £10/ £8, 0151 709 3789, talking about his extraordinary life as international cannabis smuggler and discussing his best-selling book, Mr. Nice IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIPhysical Fest: Morning Moves The Bluecoat, School Lane, 9-10.30am, £5/ £4, 0151 702 5324, workshop, Elinor Randle (Tmesis Theatre) IIPhysical Fest: Clown Open To The Space Between Us The Bluecoat, School Lane, 11-6pm, 0151 702 5324, workshop

FRIDAY 31ST Music IISteve Earle & The Dukes The Philharmonic Hall, Hope St, 7.30pm, £26/ £34, 0151 709 3789, godfather of the alt country scene IIThe Twist Show Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton, 7.30pm, £20/ £22, 0151 666 0000, incredible tributes to the greatest stars of the 50's and 60's IICatalyst O2 Academy 2 Liverpool, 7pm, £7.05, 0844 477 2000 IISteve Gibbons Band The Citadel, St. Helens, 7.30pm, £12, 01744 735436 IIEzio Eric's, Mathew Street, 7.30pm10.30pm, 0151 236 9994 IIAlexander O'Neal The Green Room, doors 6.30pm/ start 8pm, £25, 0870 787 1866 IINeil Griffiths Gallaghers Pub and Barbers, Birkenhead, Wirral, 8.30pm, 0151 649 9095, guitarist and all-round musician IIBruce Molsky The Philharmonic Hall, Rodewald Suite, Hope St, 8.30pm, £15, 0151 709 3789, fiddle player IIThe Roseville Band Telford's Warehouse, Chester, free entry before 9pm, £4 thereafter, 01244 390 090, alternative horn-driven rock IIExtra Curricular The Compass, Chester, 8pm, £6, 01244 344890, soul music with rock and electronic music style

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LOWDOWN MAY

IITim Shaw, Ronny Hughes, Jon Keats, Tony Mac, Richard Batty, The Rockits The Cavern Club, Mathew St, FREE till 8pm, then £4/ £3 adv, 0151 236 9091 IIThank Funk it's Friday: The Robert Mather Duo Studio 2, Parr Street, 10pm, 0151 707 3727, Funk IIThe Computers plus The Dead Formats Mello Mello, Slater St

Theatre & Dance IICharity Dance Event: One Small Step The Brindley, Runcorn, 7pm, £7.50, 0151 907 8360, in aid of North West Cancer Research

IISeymour Mace plus guest The Slaughter House, Fenwick St, 8pm, £15 Comedy Seated Ticket, Meal Deal Options from £26, 0151 227 5946, MC Neil Fitzmaurice introduces Seymour Mace along with Phil Butler and Craig Murray IIBottleTop Comedy: Stand Up And Deliver Envi, Fleet Street, 7.30pm, £5/ £3 Concs, 0151 214 3242 IICaimh McDonnell, Suzi Ruffell, Jeff Innocent The Laugh Inn, Chester, doors 7pm/ start 8pm, 0800 612 9714

Arts

IIEvery Man and Woman is a Star Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details IIMessing about in boats Merseyside Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIRemembering the Battle of the Atlantic Liverpool Cathedral, see 1st for details IITitanic and Liverpool: the untold story Maritime Museum, see 1st for details IIAlive Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details IIDouble Take Walker Art Gallery, see 17th for details

IIBeautiful Thing The Playhouse, 7.30pm, £12-£23, 0151 709 4776, glorious urban love story

IIAn Age of Confidence Sudley House, see 1st for details

IIInternational Photography Festival Across the city, see 18th for details

IIFailure The Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, 8pm, £10/ £8 Concs, 0844 873 2888, one woman show combining visual absurdity with contemporary dance, comedy and social commentary

IIDLA Piper Series: This is sculpture TATE, 10am-5.50pm

IIDeadwood dot-art Showroom, see 1st for details

IIThe Games of Art The Black-E, see 1st for details

IIBirkdale Orpheus: Carousel Southport Little Theatre, Southport, 7.30pm, 01704 564042, based on the play 'Liliom' by Ferenc Molnar IIPhysical Fest: Conflux International Outdoor Locations, City Centre, street theatre shows

Comedy IIComedy Central at Albert Dock Baby Blue, Albert Dock, 6pm, £15£33, 0151 702 5834, Headliner: Jeff Innocent, Compere: Andy Robinson, Supporting: Dana Alexander, Sam Avery

IIFace to face with the statues of the great hall The Great Hall, 10am-5pm, admission £1, 0151 225 6911 IIElvis and Us Experience The Beatles Story Pier Head, 9am-7pm, £6 incl. Fab 4D, 0151 709 1963 IIOil boom, Delta burns International Slavery Museum, see 1st for details IIThe 43 Game: Invitation The Black-E, see 1st for details IIJudy Chicago: Voices From The Song of Songs The Black-E, see 1st for details IIStrangers in a Strange Land Walker Art Gallery, see 1st for details

Family IICelebrating 25 Years - Albert Dock: Making History Waterfront at the Dock, "kids go free" family fun weekend to celebrate 25 years of regeneration IITales from the tent Museum of Liverpool, 3pm, drop-in event, museum story based fun for our littlest visitors using puppets and props in our magical tent

Other Events IIFood Slam Fridays Camp and Furnace, Greenland St, 8pm-2am, 0151 708 2890, Dance, drink, devour, music, street food, cocktails, DJs, chefs, mixologists IIWoW Festival: The Judgement of Hakim The Lantern Theatre, Blundell St, 7.45pm, £10/ £5, 0151 703 0000, interactive theatre IIWoW Festival: White Men Can`t Jump The Kazimier, 8pm, £6/ £4 panel after party, £5/ £3 after 10pm, 0151 709 3789, DJs discuss role of white 'champions' of black music, After party & DJ sets IISouthport Food and Drink Festival Victoria Park, Southport, 12pm-6pm IIMagical Mystery Tour Albert Dock, 11.30am & 2pm, £15,95, Tickets from www.cavernclub.org, 2h Tour of Beatles Liverpool IIWorkshop: Liverpool landscape lunchtimes Museum of Liverpool, 1-2pm, sketch the landcscape from the spectacular second floor windows IIPhysical Fest: Neutral MaskExpressive Mask The Bluecoat, School Lane, 10am-5pm, 0151 702 5324, two-day workshop

IITitanic storytelling Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1, 2 and 3pm, drop-in event, listen to the adventures of Polar the Titanic bear IICarnival crafts International Slavery Museum, 1-4pm, drop-in event, make your own colourful headdress

ADVERTISERS IF YOU’RE READING THIS SO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE READ LOWDOWN EVERY MONTH AGAIN AND AGAIN. GET IN TOUCH TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU. ADS@THELOWDOWNMAGAZINE.COM - 0151 538 5224 For more of everything visit www.thelowdownmagazine.com

May 2013 Wednesday Thursday Friday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

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Rebel At Sea plus guest, Acoustic Liverpool Soundcity Festival Liverpool Soundcity Festival Dave O’Grady plus guest, Blues and Folk #IndieNight PARR JAZZ: Victor Brox Studio2 Unplugged, Acoustic Music Solitaire, Acoustic Music Lights Up Cabaret Night Studio2 Rocks with Robbie Robertson Jc Villafan and Friends, Hip Hop and Soul Mouth Of The Mersey, Story Telling PARR JAZZ: Greyish Quartet WOW Festival: In My Own Words Olé Olé, Spanish Music and Food WOW Festival: The Apartment in Rome Rumjig, Swing Funk John Byrne plus support, Indie Rock Music In The Afternoon WWDN: Theatre & Film Quiz, £1 per player PARR JAZZ: The Dixie Ticklers Domestic Abuse Services Music Night Belicious Beats, Live Music Brickhouse plus DJ No-Bed, Funk Studio2 Hullaballoo: Electronica, 80’s Pop Soul4Soul, Disco Soul Solitaire, Acoustic Music PARR JAZZ: Jamie Brownfield & Liam Byrne Xander Brothers, Blues Rock Studio2 Acoustic Night The Robert Mather Duo, Funk

8pm 9.30pm 9.30pm 9pm 8pm 8pm 7.30pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 7pm 7.30pm 8pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7pm 10pm 8pm 6pm 7.30pm 8pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 9pm 9pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 8pm 10pm

Studio 2, Parr Street Studios: 33 – 45 Parr Street, Liverpool L1 4JN Tele: 0151 707 3727 email: Studio2.parrstreet@btconnect.com barsliverpool.co.uk

studio2@parrstreet

studio2atparrst

£3 £2 £3 £3 £8/£6 £3 £5/£3 £3.50

£5

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LOWDOWN APRIL

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CLASSIFIED ADS 30P PER WORD, BOX & BOLD £5, COLOURED HIGHLIGHT £5 CONTACT: CLASSIFIEDS@THELOWDOWNMAGAZINE.COM Food & Drink, Nightlife

Shopping

Health, Beauty, Wellness

SANTINO Authentic Italian cuisine now available at 449 Smithdown Road, Wavertree.

0151 733 3644

JACKSON’S FASHION specialise in being unique. Our collections contain one of a kind clothing and accessories for women who want to stand out. Each item is made here in Liverpool with the highest quality, as we believe in putting our customers first. Please view our items on-line for an affordable, eye-catching wardrobe Jacksons Fashion. www. facebook.com/JacksonsFashion

BLEACH Whether you want to feel good, look good or just be totally pampered. Bleach Hair and Spa has it all! Specialising in all aspects of ladies and gents hairdressing, beauty treatments and spa facilities you can treat your mind body and soul. www.bleachliverpool.co.uk

SOUND FOOD & DRINK, Duke Street. A friendly cafe/bar, open 10am til 1am 7 days a week offering hearty soups, ace pizzas, great coffee, world beers and live bands/ DJs. Sound Food & Drink, 52 Duke St, Liverpool, L1 5AA, 0151 707 6363

Music/Entertainment PROFESSIONAL STUDIO Budget rate. Newly refurbished analogue/digital recording studio.

Soundcraft 24 track 2 inch tape machine with Soundcraft 2400 series desk. Unbeatable drum sound. Tape recordings streamed into Pro Tools or Logic on an up to date iMac. Ideal for serious demos or self release EP/album projects.

Archiving of tapes to digital format can be arranged. Introductory rate of £100 for 6 hour session.

2/3 hour sessions available - rates negotiable. Contact dombryan@ hotmail.com CURLY MUSIC Cash Paid for Quality Used Instruments and Equipment. Large range of New & Used Guitars & Amps, Accessories, Effects, Drums & PA etc in Stock.

45 Ranelagh Street Liverpool, 0151 709 8383 – curly.music@ btconnect.com.

AFRICAN DRUM GROUP. Every Tuesday night from 7-9pm in the old police station off lark lane.

And every Thursday night from 7-9pm in mello mello (40-42 slater street, entrance on parr street.

All welcome. Contact Steve for further details on 07724450867 ATTENTION ORIGINAL ARTISTS/BANDS/POETS The Ian Prowse Monday Club is at Cavern Pub 8-11pm every week (Mon - just in case...) No covers strictly original material.

PILLBOX VINTAGE FAIRS An endearing, lovely, and unique shop for hand crafted accessories and ideas for your hand crafted life.

Visit our website at www.eluganu. com Pillbox Vintage Fairs offer the very best in vintage and retro at their regular monthly events. Leaf on Bold St – Last Sun of every month and The Shipping Forecast – First Thurs of every month.

LIVERPOOL RECORD FAIR AND VINYL DAY Play Sell Trade Buy Talk Vinyl The 3rd Liverpool Record Fair & Vinyl Day will happen on Saturday 4th May will be promoted in conjunction with Liverpool Sound City. We’ve got our regular dealers in attendance and are proud to announce that we’ve managed to add Ramone Records to the event who I’m sure will be a most welcome addition.Expect to find Funk, Soul, Reggae, World, Jazz, Rock, Punk, Metal, 60’s, Mod, Alt, Indie and so much more... As always it’s free entry and the fair will run from midday until 5.00pm ETHICAL MERCHANT SERVICES Card payments, Just nicer. Over 100,000 charitable donations and counting. Our ethical approach to merchant services is unique because we are a Not For Profit organisation. We give away 100% of our profit from every transaction we process. For the lifespan of using our service this becomes an integrated donation, payable to any good cause chosen by our customers. www.Ethecol. com for more info

Arts PERCY GULLIVERS PRINT SHOP & SOCIAL, 15 Slater St (above The Shipping Forecast), Liverpool. Housing one of the NW’s largest affordable selections of screen printed gig posters and highly collectable art prints, we act as both a gallery and event space.

Follow @percygullivers CREATIVE EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS by CRAFT CREATIVE EVENTS. Vintage Hen Parties, Kids Birthdays, Baby Showers, Corporate Team Building, Community & Educational Events, Charity Workshops, plus many more. Contact becky@thecraftcreative.com 01512032409 LIVERPOOL BASED DESIGNER and illustrator Sara Cullen works under the name Cat and Fox Adventures. As well as designing for television shows including Nickelodeons ‘House of Anubis’, Sara produces personal work in the form of limited edition Woodland Collection prints which were featured in Creative Review’s blog and The Guardian’s Buy of the Day. You can buy them from her online shop www.catandfoxadventures.com

RED PILLS FOR SALE. Warning – may ruin the enjoyment of a pointless and vacuous life and lead to deeper perception and improved rates of BS detection.

Ref 4321 MUSIC MANAGER LOOKING FOR GULLIBLE ARTISTS. Must be prepared to sign long contract with no guarantee of success or competence. Proven track record of failure. Get in touch if interested. ref 0292 PUBIC HAIR SCULPTRESS Variety of shapes, sizes and colours, Festival special streak of lightening or favourite popstar or band logo. contact toni ref 0282 JABBA THE HUT LOOKALIKE Available to hire for parties and special events. Can also do bike tricks contact Joe ref 9373 NOT QUITE STATE FUNERALS suitable for ex dictators, megalomaniacs, delusional politicians, prices from £10 million completely tax free ref 0292 DEAD PEOPLES OLD STUFF for sale. Lots of old bric a brac from houses that no one wants anymore. ref 9272 COLOUR CHART RACISM TESTERS Specially designed charts to gauge how much trouble you can expect when you travel.

Simply hold our chart up to your face and match the colour and number to get a detailed description of what to expect from custome, police etc. Interested get in touch ref 9373

Misc

FOR SALE Fudge packing machine. Slightly soiled but still works fine. Very heavy object so buyer collects. ref 9383

POLITICIANS TRAINING REQUIRED: Budgie Trainer for 2 Budgies and 20-something lonely girl. Circus tricks preferable. Please email toni@thelowdownmagazine. com

SEARCHING FOR Little brats who have kicked the wing mirrors in my car three times now, right after I’ve had them repaired. Why don’t you find something else to kick? All I have to say is – karma is a bitch kids.

SUMMER LISTINGS APRIL

IF THE SHOE FITS THE MERSEY BEATLES MAY

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LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY THE SOLDIERS TALE SCOTTIE ROAD THE MUSICAL JUNE THE LAST 5 YEARS THE MARTINI LOUNGE ESCO WILLIAMS JUDY AND LIZA JULY

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HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 4-5 LIVERPOOL’S NEXT SUPERSTAR 14 ANNIE 21-23 AUGUST SUMMER SCHOOL SUNSHINE BOYS

15-7 SEP 29- 10 SEP

08448884411 | WWW.EPSTEINLIVERPOOL.CO.UK @EpsteinTheatre

facebook.com/EpsteinTheatre