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Culture in Liverpool
In Conversation – Ethan Leyland
Up and coming Merseyside Fashion Designer Ethan Leyland takes time out to speak to Steve Kinrade about how he became interested in fashion and design, his influences, and the challenges of a young working-class student navigating the demands of an intensive degree course in the fast moving fashion industry. Liverpool Noise: Can you remember how old you were when you first took an interest in clothes and fashion? Ethan: I would say that my interest…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: Woman | Women At The Shakespeare North Playhouse
The press release to Rowena Gander’s Woman | Women boldly promises it to be a show that challenges traditional, normative ideas of lesbian relationships through a mixture of physical theatre and comedy. A show that will take a deep dive into the themes of pace, compatibility, attachment and internalized homophobia, showcasing how these issues resonate differently across individuals. This is a labour of love for Ms Gander, the culmination of experience gained over many years…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: ‘Giselle’ At Liverpool Empire Theatre
Witnessing the English National Ballet’s revival of their 1971 Giselle was an experience to savour, one that elevated the standard for this beloved classic to new heights. The company executed each element to near perfection—Mary Skeaping’s renowned choreography and direction, the meticulous recreation of David Walker’s original set, the evocative lighting and costumes, and the orchestra’s powerful score under Gavin Sutherland’s expert direction. Together, these components coalesced into a afternoon matinee performance of extraordinary intensity…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Theatre Review: Twelfth Night at Shakespeare North Playhouse
Warrington’s theatre company, Not Too Tame, have provided the Prescot venue with a real marmite of a production. Some of you are going to love it, whilst others, not so. But what can’t be doubted is the level of commitment that the ensemble of the cast bring to their performance. The play’s setting shifts from Illyria to one of a musical industry setting, one which seems to dwindle in importance as the play progresses. But…
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Music
New Noise March 2024 Music Roundup
Check out the latest releases from the Liverpool music scene. Spring is now officially just round the corner and what better way to usher in the seasonal positivity than a track from that Scouser in exile, Lewis Evans. Only The Strong is a nicely laid back track which Lewis channels his inner Clint Mansell of Nineties funsters PWEI with the help of French rappers LBLK. Evans should be applauded from the house tops for ploughing…
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Music
New Noise February 2024 Music Roundup
January doesn’t seem to be the longest month anymore, and as life seems to get quicker, the first month of the year seems to disappear in a flash. But the second month of 2024 gifts some great local musical releases to our ears… First up we have The Guize, who never ever disappoint. Bardo House, their new single, is full of great tune-age and riff-age, delivered with a huge dollop of Guize campness. This would…
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Music
New Noise January 2024 Music Roundup
As 2024 kicks off, here’s our roundup of releases for a notoriously quiet month. First up is Zenith, with their heavy heavy Bodycount. And I love this track, for many reasons, ok, well four. Number one, it starts a lot like Deep Purple’s Highway Star, with a very similar Blackmorian guitar tone. Secondly, this track isn’t produced to within an inch of its life. Its gritty, fuzzy and at times it sounds they are playing…
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Music
New Noise December 2023 Music Roundup
Well another year has slipped effortlessly through our collective grasp, and to signal the end of the old and in with the new, here at Liverpool Noise we welcome the collective efforts of our local musicians to add their artistic perspective to this transition. So first up is Centerfold with their second single Changing World, whose press release assures us that they are a “modern rock band”. However, that’s where the relationship with modernity ends,…
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Music
Helen Maw Releases Reflective Instrumental Piece ‘After Hours’
Helen Maw’s latest release could be seen as a brave move – being that it is an instrumental piece – but it is one that pays off in a handsome fashion. Indeed, it highlights Maw’s musical strengths away from the singer-songwriter genre. Sonically, After Hours is most interesting, as it manipulates not only melody but depth of sound. The low bass notes that signals the sound of the piece is a constant throughout, which reminds…
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Music
The Heavy North Release Their Debut Album ‘Electric Soul Machine’
At last! The Heavy North deliver their long awaited and eagerly anticipated debut album Electric Soul Machine – and proves the adage that good things come for those who keep hanging on. The ten tracks sum up the album’s title, and at the same time the musical manifesto of the band. For this is a tight, tight combo that grooves effortlessly at a whim, and incorporates top riffage in the vein of the much missed…
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Music
In Conversation – April Moon
We recently caught up with the prolific giggers April Moon, and chatted about musical influences, the process of how they write together, and their thoughts on the local music scene. They recently took part in Klee Music’s EdenHurst Sessions, and their five song set – including a fantastic cover of Emilio Pinchi’s Holiday – can be purchased in limited CD and download formats from www.kleemusic.co.uk. Liverpool Noise: You guys are from Canada. How come you…
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Music
In Conversation – Dorothy Bird
Dorothy Bird is a singer-songwriter based between Liverpool and Berlin. With ringing endorsements from BBC Introducing, Tom Robinson’s Fresh On The Net and BBC6music Mixtape, Mersey Radio and a plethora of tastemaking magazines both in England and her native Germany. We had a chat with her ahead of her upcoming Liverpool show and debut album release. Liverpool Noise: It looks like 2022 is going to be an exciting year for you, what with your upcoming…
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Music
In Conversation II – Christy Bellis
The Klee Music EdenHurst Sessions was a programme to record and film twelve artistes over the course of 2021 at Liverpool’s 3rd Planet Recording Studios, under the watchful eye of up and coming Producer / Engineer Jose Ibanez. Each Artiste performed, under live conditions, a five song set including one cover song from the Klee Music Publishing UK catalogue. The sessions were filmed and edited by Scott Mealey, and the tracked audio mixed and mastered…
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Music
In Conversation – GUISE
GUISE have been dropping immense songs over the last year and have certainly carved a niche for themselves in the local music scene since they write and produce great songs and are extremely charismatic. We caught up with Jassy, Louie and Mike and riffed on such subjects as the merits of cheeky spandex, favourite bands and influences, and the importance of always aiming to be yourself… Liverpool Noise: Congratulations on your sold-out gig for the…
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Music
Ruby Walvin Releases New Single ‘Minus Five’
“You had me at hello”. Not only is this one of many famous quotes from Jerry Maguire, but it is a phrase that perfectly sums up that feeling when you just know immediately that something is right. And in the cultural realm, it is when the creative bullseye has been hit with one perfectly executed art arrow of musicality. Such a moment was arrived at within the first few seconds of Ruby Walvin’s delicious Minus…
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Music
In Conversation – Alison Benson
The Klee Music EdenHurst Sessions was a programme to record and film twelve artistes over the course of 2021 at Liverpool’s 3rd Planet Recording Studios, under the watchful eye of up and coming Producer / Engineer Jose Ibanez. Each Artiste performed, under live conditions, a five song set including one cover song from the Klee Music Publishing UK catalogue. The sessions were filmed and edited by Scott Mealey, and the tracked audio mixed and mastered…
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Music
Mike Blue Releases ‘Battles We Have Won’
Mike Blue is someone who reminds me of a musical comet, in that he regularly drops into our conscious and then seemingly disappears again, having left traces of universal musical magic for us to feast on. And with Battles We Have Won, he again blazes his creativity across the cultural firmament for all to see. And what a vision! I have always considered the mercurial Mr Blue as being somewhat of a song-writing talent, but…
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Music
Cal Ruddy – In Conversation
During 2021, in between Covid lockdowns, Klee Music managed to wrangle a bunch of musicians into performing a five-song set live at Liverpool’s 3rd Planet Recording Studios. Under the watchful eye of rising Liverpool musician / producer Jose Ibanez, each set was filmed by Scott Mealey, the end product for each artiste being released each month during 2022. These were the Klee Music EdenHurst Sessions. Cal Ruddy kicks off the 2022 programme, and we caught…
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Music
In Conversation – Neil Campbell
Steve Kinrade had a brilliant, in-depth chat with Neil Campbell about his inspirations, his unqiue production techniques and much more. Liverpool Noise: Congratulations on your latest release! What was the inspiration that led you to The Great Escape? Neil Campbell: Thanks! The way I work is that I have sets of compositions that are about 60% complete before I go in to record them. At that stage they are often mainly elaborate chord progressions with…
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Music
New Noise December & 2021 Roundup
New Noise: December Roundup For those of us who hoped that 2021 would provide something of a new start from the horror that was 2020, the new year didn’t quite press the re-set button to a state of what could be glibly called “normality”. However, where 2021 did not let us down was the quality of music released by our local musicians. And as we reach the end of the year, the high standards established…
