Liverpool International Pop Overthrow The Cavern Saturday May 27th
Well what can I say about the IPO??!?!?!!? Surely the greatest 'non-mod' MOD event ever! That we were able ter see so many outstanding mod, garage and power pop bands all together and one after the other was unbelievable! Credit goes out ter the genius that is David Bash, a little on the eccentric side but a very nice chap indeed.
Well.. Thursday and Friday was mainly centred on the Electric Crayon Set, and they really did the business with two outstanding sets to a mostly bemused crowd... mainly down ter the set times I'm sure. A smattering of Smash Palace and Spearmint was quite good too...
Saturday was unbeatable!
Started off before 2pm and caught the first of 2 sets by the Stabilisers, brilliant upfront Medway ramalama and Alan Crockford looks much happier with 6 strings instead of 4!
The Stabilisers
Then we all went off ter the Grapes fer summink ter eat before getting back ter the Cavern and bumping into Jonny. Couple more pints and a chat and then before yer know it the Goldenhour were on! Great start then bam! a Spinal Tap moment and Neil the singer took a funny turn. Yer have ter remember the Cavern is quite a confined space, low arched ceilings and about 80 feet underground... they finished the track like troopers and then treated us to a cracking version of 'The Cat' - well rescued!!
The Keepers were on next and they were awesome, a brilliant set of their own stuff which is top rate and a couple of well picked covers including the scouse pleasing Weed Bus (including getting crowd members up ter shake maracas) and their tribute ter Georgie Best a cracking version of Belfast Boy! It was great meeting Norm and Hugh too at last and cheers ter Hugh fer the pint!
The Keepers
Stabilisers were up next fer the second set of the day, and as full on as the first!!
Next up was Jonny with the Freebooting Profiteers! They just keep getting better and better - if yer thought the stuff yer've already heard it great, wait til yer hear the new stuff too! A blinding set!!
The Freebooting Profiteers
What can I say about the next band up!!? The Len Price 3... a complete and utter revelation! I've had the album fer the best part of 12 months and it's been easily one of my top 5 records of that period, but live, bloody hell!! If yer haven't already been ter see them, yer've gotta go!! The best live act I've seen fer..... ever probably! Showmanship, amazing tunes and a great venue.......... ace!!
How d'yer follow that! Well it was left ter Spain's The Phantom Keys. As close to an original garage beat band as yer likely ter find! 100% in to what they do and a great choice of covers to add to their originals.
We called it a day then and all headed off, I'd maybe had 3 or even 4 pints of shandy and was a bit er... tired.
Sunday was a later start and kicked off with a full set by the Goldenhour this time, Neil managing ter stay upright and they played a blinder!! Great tunes and top lads!
Next up the Urges from Dublin . Now anyone who pays attention ter what I rave about (hello mum) might remember me saying how much I dug their 3 track single, well that doesn't compare ter the live set!! These lads are dynamite and how they carried it off in as confined a space as the Cavern pub was amazing. Full on garage beat madness! A cracking bunch of lads too.
Then it was time fer the second set from the Len Price 3. Even the scouse scallies loved them!! Breathtaking stuff! Me and Cally are even considering getting them up here fer a gig... watch this space.
The Len Price 3
The Phantom Keys Then it was the Phantom Keys again. These fellas (and girl) deserve a special medal fer getting into the whole spirit of the festival more than anyone else! They were usually at the front of the stage supporting the other bands and dancing like maniacs. Helping out with the loan of gear fer the Urges, who ended actually using Ally from the Goldenhour's keybord in the end! Ace....
High point of the weekend.. the Len Price 3 and having Emily over with me on the Friday and Sunday... cooler at 11 than I ever was!
Low point... not being able ter stay in Lennon's fer the Freebooting Profiteers second set because they wouldn't let Emily stay (no problem at the Cavern Club or cavern pub though!) Bastarrrrds!
Special mention... the Phantom Keys alround enthusiasm, Paul (spiritualised) convincing David Bash's missus that he was in the Keepers, and was due on stage in about an hour. Seeing Cally again fer the first time in a while - top fella!
Mark Glover .
This article was first published on modrevival.net forums for which MR G is a moderator and enthusiastic king of mod/garage/powerpop/beat/R&B/blues and soul music http://com2.runboard.com/bmodrevivalforums
IPO is a massive experience for any punter or band playing the event. Loads of bands playing throughout the day, there was a veritable cornucopia of talent on display at this years IPO. As a musician playing this years IPO, rather than a reviewer, I only managed to catch a few bands, as I was gearing up for my own performances. Though I didn't get to see as many bands as I would have liked, what I did see was mind blowing. The Saturday night at The Cavern, especially in the front room, must go down as one of the gigs of the year. My first encounter with the action was witnessing The Keepers blasting through the last half of their set. I'm proper kicking myself that I didn't see more of this superb Belfast mod garage combo, but what I did experience was a white knuckle ride of all out action. Rock'n'roll from the Lagan Delta at full throttle.
Perhaps the best way to describe the Cavern on that Saturday night late in May was a sweat box sauna. The heat was unbelievable, with the walls soaking in the grime of human perspiration, the bands bounced onto the stage and risked total meltdown to entertain the hordes. Next up were the Stabilisers, maverick pop punk band featuring Allan Crockford formerly of The Prisoners. With scorching in yer face rabble rousing tunes, The Stabilisers added extra flame to the already scorching Cavern. ‘Mental Illness is Good For You', ‘Plastic Love', ‘Do The Brane' all an alchemy of pulverising rock'n'roll pounding into the brain, magnificent.
After The Stabilisers a certain Mr Magus played with The Freebooting Profiteers and he felt like his brain was gonna slide out of his ears, it was so hot. The rock had to roll, so we got up there and blasted out our tunes.
One of the most anticipated bands to play The Liverpool IPO 2006 were The Len Price 3 and they didn't disappoint. To be honest they were mind blowing, the already baking Cavern was about to go Supernova as The Len Price 3 rampaged through a posse of raucous mod garage tunes filled with energy, attitude and melody. Mixing up new tunes with classics of their already legendary debut album Chinese Burn, The Len Price 3 upped the stakes even further with an eye balls out action packed performance. Their show had that mystical vibe attached to it; you could almost hear the echoes of The Who at their most explosive or The Beatles at Cavern itself way back when. From the jangle super pop of ‘The Last Hotel' to the mad garage of ‘Chatham Town Spawns Devils', to the mod rave up of ‘Christian In The Desert', the maverick stomps of ‘Amsterdam' and ‘Shirley Crabtree' and to top it all a blazing version of Comanche thrown in to the stew. The Len Price 3 have proved themselves to be the best and most exciting live band in The UK gigging at the moment, fuck all those fashionable bands, The Len Price 3 are real rock'n'roll, raucous and tuneful.
The Len Price 3
The Len Price 3
After such a blistering set from the Len Price, it was gonna be hard for any band following them, but as luck would have it, the next band up were perhaps one of the most enthusiastic and deranged bands to play the IPO, Spanish garage beat masters The Phantom Keys. These guys (and one swinging chick) all togged up in their finest dandy gear decided that though you must look groovy, you also have to be young snotty and loud, so mixing up those classic grooves from the mid 60s garage explosion with total punk attitude and humour, the Phantom Keys ransacked their way through a set of fuzz-tastic originals and some great party covers to get the crowd going.
The Phantom Keys
Next up were Sonny a local Liverpool outfit playing their brand of laid back guitar pop with the occasional foray into country rock. They brought in a change of pace to the evening after such of horde of extroverted in yer face acts. Their melodies were strong and they played nicely arranged tunes. A band that could well be one to watch as they develop, as they definitely have the ability to craft a very strong tune.
Already a classic evening of explosive live music it was now time for the consummate musicians ‘The Innocents' to take the stage. Tasmania 's very own powerpop combo, whose debut single was way back in 1976, gave the audience a demonstration in vocals harmonies and song craft. I had no idea what to expect from The Innocents but I was mightily impressed. Their laid back grooves, soaring harmonies and chiming guitars is pop at its finest. Their harmonies were out of this world and their tunes catchy and memorable, not unlike, The Hollies. The Innocents gave yet another excellent performance to the hot and sweaty crowd.
My energy was now starting to go and the heat, post gig exhaustion and a few good beers were taking their toll, but there was still chance to catch one last act. The Shake rolled onto stage and started up a barrage of great rock'n'roll. The Shake are another superb band from Spain indicating that The Spanish mod garage scene is exploding with talent at the moment. The Shake played with huge energy and strong pop tunes are the signature for The Shake's sound. They played a whole set of great tunes, taking their kicks from The Jam, The Beatles, The Who and The Yardbirds. The Shake = great rocknroll.
The Shake
It was now time for me to leave the Cavern as I was now wiped out, so my apologised to the bands I missed after The Shake and those before The Keepers, but from the night I did witness, it was possibly one of the best nights of new talent and live entertainment I've ever witnessed. A big shout must go out to the man behind the IPO David Bash who enthusiasm and organisational abilities has made The IPO one of the hottest festivals around for talented bands of all guitar pop styles, awesome. Jonny Magus