Editorials
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Cael Oak Wears His Heart on His Sleeve With ‘Precious To Me’
Liverpool’s thriving grassroots scene continues to produce artists unafraid of wearing their hearts on their sleeves — and with his new single Precious To Me, Cael Oak steps confidently into that space. The track is one of his most personal to date. Blending pop accessibility with acoustic warmth, subtle rock dynamics and a thread of country-inspired honesty, Precious To Me captures a moment many will recognise but few articulate so openly: falling in love with…
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Review: Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes at Liverpool Empire
A Stage Lit by Obsession, Beauty and Brilliance. There’s a particular electricity when Matthew Bourne arrives at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. Not polite anticipation. Expectation. Bourne doesn’t do decorative ballet; he does storytelling with teeth. And The Red Shoes remains one of his most psychologically loaded works. Inspired by the 1948 Powell and Pressburger classic, Bourne strips away any lingering romantic haze and gets to the bruise beneath the beauty. This isn’t a fairy tale about artistic destiny. It’s about…
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Review: The Spare Rib Galentine’s Burlesque Extravaganza
Something with a little spice. Tonight, I witnessed a very empowering and powerful evening of burlesque. I was warned before the evening starts that once you go to one show you will be hooked and I have to completely agree. I will definitely be going back. The evening was compared by the fun and fantastic Tilly Mint; who is co-producer of The Spare Rib Burlesque & Cabaret. Tilly kept the evening moving and had a…
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Live Review: James Arthur at M&S Arena
A far cry from his X-Factor beginnings, James Arthur packed the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on Valentine’s Day with a sold-out show full of thousands of adoring fans. The energy from the crowd was consistently high, helped along by the nostalgic tunes and remixes of DJ Imbo – sporting some Arthur merch – with classics such as Call Me Maybe and Timber. There was even a little extra entertainment from some enthusiastic members of…
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Review: Under The Mersey Moon at Floral Pavilion
Under the Mersey Moon is more than just a musical; it’s a celebration of Liverpool’s unique cultural heartbeat, wrapped in the warm embrace of country music’s storytelling tradition. The production’s return to the Floral Pavilion this Valentine’s weekend feels like a homecoming, not just for the cast and crew, but for the audience who find themselves swept up in its infectious charm. The play follows the story of Danny an aspiring country singer trapped in…
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Motel Sundown Share Uplifting New Single ‘Watch Which Way the Wind Blows’
Motel Sundown’s latest single Watch Which Way the Wind Blows arrives as a radiant prelude to their Signs In The Rush of Light EP, due this Spring — and it’s a beautifully assured statement from a band whose songwriting is something genuinely compelling. The track pairs an upbeat tempo with the trio’s flawless harmonies, making for a listening experience that feels both buoyant and emotionally resonant. Lyrically, the song explores themes of loss and resilience,…
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Exploring Sincerity and Vulnerability: Sophie Grace’s ‘i still need you.’
Sophie Grace is an emerging artist on the North West music scene with her upcoming single i still need you. set to be released today (30 January). Based in Liverpool and currently studying at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts’ School of Music, Sophie Grace is at the centre of a city defined by its musical success, which is helping her find her own as a rising Indie Folk artist and producer. Originally from the…
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52 For 26 Poetry Project: Tom McClennan
A tender look at family, ageing, and the gentle freedom found in grandparenthood from one of Liverpool’s community storytellers… Tom McClennan is a Liverpool storyteller in every sense: a retired English teacher, a poet, a playwright, and a fixture in the local theatre scene. As chair of the Board of Trustees at Valley Community Theatre, his commitment to community art is as deep as his love of words. Valley Theatre itself is more than just a stage — it’s…
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Review: Kittel Doktor Faustus of the Third Reich
Kittel: Doktor Faustus of the Third Reich emerges from the pen of Charlotte Pickering — the alter ego of Liverpool writer and music tutor Catherine Harrison — whose earlier novel Messiah of the Slums marked her as a storyteller unafraid of moral complexity. This piece plunges audiences into the chilling true story of Gerhard Kittel: a brilliant theologian, a celebrated interpreter of Jewish scripture, and a man who willingly bartered his integrity to serve Hitler’s…
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The UK’s Biggest Japanese Film Festival Is Coming To Liverpool’s Picturehouse at FACT This March
Liverpool is set to welcome the UK’s largest annual celebration of Japanese cinema this March, as the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 (JFTFP26) arrives at Picturehouse at FACT. Running from 1–31 March 2026, the festival brings an ambitious programme of films spanning classics, contemporary hits and UK premieres — including the UK premiere of a brand-new film by legendary director Takashi Miike. Exploring identity through Japanese cinema This year’s programme is curated around the…
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alright (okay) Hit Restart and Find Their Sound on decent (fine)
Some bands know exactly who they are from day one; others discover their voice through growth, experimentation, and time. Liverpool alternative rock outfit alright (okay) fall proudly into the latter — a band who’ve evolved steadily since forming in 2019, refining their sound through countless gigs, new ideas, and the creative spark that arrived in full force during their 2023 restart. That reboot sparked something real. Their live shows grew sharper and more unpredictable, picking…
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Helen Maw Crafts a Song of Calm Reflection on The Beacon
Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Helen Maw closes the year on a quietly powerful note with her new single The Beacon. From the outset, The Beacon draws you into a soft, intimate world. Gently sung yet emotionally weighty, the track showcases Helen Maw’s beautiful vocal delivery — delicate, controlled and full of feeling. There’s a haunting quality to the song, one that doesn’t rely on volume or drama, but instead finds its strength in restraint. Every line feels…
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Motel Sundown Return with Urgent New Single The Waiting Game
Liverpool alt-country outfit Motel Sundown continue their strong run of releases with The Waiting Game, a track that once again highlights the band’s knack for immediacy and melody. From the very first seconds, The Waiting Game wastes no time pulling the listener in. The vocals arrive instantly, setting a sense of urgency that’s carried throughout the song’s brisk tempo and driving rhythm. It feels restless by design — a fitting backdrop for a track that…
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The Coral Unwrap a Dark Festive Treat with Their First Ever Christmas Single, ‘She Died On Christmas Day’
After three decades of spinning seaside psychedelia, haunted fairground melodies, and Merseyside myth-making, The Coral have finally delivered something nobody saw coming: a Christmas song. But, in true Coral fashion, She Died On Christmas Day is no cosy fireside singalong — it’s a beautifully eerie slice of festive noir that feels pulled straight from a cursed jukebox on Coral Island. Their first new release since 2023’s Top 5 album Sea Of Mirrors, the track arrives…
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Review: Cinderella At The Epstein Theatre
The Epstein Theatre’s long-awaited return to festive pantomime arrives with Cinderella — a sparkling slice of Christmas magic that feels both like a celebration of the theatre’s revival and a warm embrace of classic panto tradition. It doesn’t reinvent the fairytale, but it absolutely delivers what Liverpool families crave in December: colour, comedy, charm and a generous dusting of glittering seasonal magic. Coronation Street star Katie McGlynn leads the charge as the fairytale heroine, joined…
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Liverpool PT Rebecca Burgess Launches Her First Manifestation Book
Rebecca Burgess, one of Liverpool’s most recognisable fitness and wellness figures, has launched her debut manifestation and rituals book, marking a bold new chapter in her unique fusion of movement and spirituality. Rebecca has cemented her position as one of the most popular female PTs not only due to her fabulous tailor made classes but also because of her bubbly personality and spiritual connection and work on positive mindsets and manifestation, which resonates with so…
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Keyside Return with Heartfelt Anthem ‘Rock My Love’
Liverpool four-piece Keyside return with one of their most emotionally charged and musically uplifting singles yet. Rock My Love is a track rooted in hardship, told through the lens of redemption, and wrapped in contagious melodies that belie the darkness at its core. It’s a beautiful contradiction — one Keyside have fast become masters of — and it cements their rise as one of Merseyside’s most powerful new storytelling bands. Drawing on deeply personal experiences,…
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Motel Sundown Share Reflective New Single ‘What Do I Know’
With their new single What Do I Know, Liverpool trio Motel Sundown return with a track that feels like a deep breath you didn’t realise you were holding. Recorded at Coastal Sound Studio in Liverpool and mixed by acclaimed producer Sean Reid (Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, The Charlatans), the song is the latest glimpse into their forthcoming EP, due in spring 2026. Described by the band as capturing those fleeting moments where life suddenly feels…
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Review: Sherlock Holmes, The Hunt for Moriarty at Shakespeare North Playhouse
Produced by Blackeyed Theatre and adapted by Nick Lane, Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty at Shakespeare North Playhouse is a crowd-pleasing, well-paced night of theatre that serves both brain and heart. It keeps the plot moving, gives the central partnership room to breathe, and trusts audiences to enjoy a good puzzle without being patronised. The result is an accessible, entertaining evening that feels deliberately made for local theatergoers. London, 1901. As the British Empire…
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Ty Freeman Captures Lightning In A Bottle On New Single ‘Better Man’
Birkenhead-born newcomer Ty Freeman has released Better Man, which he describes as his “most personal and powerful single yet“. Released on 17 October, the track was recorded in Real Sound Recording Studio in Milan and mastered by Graeme Lynch at Liverpool’s Kempston Street Studios. Written during a period of deep emotional collapse and awakening, Better Man finds Freeman confronting trauma, abandonment and the lingering ghosts of a relationship that pushed him to a breaking point. “It’s not a heartbreak song”, Ty…
