This year's Mathew Street Festival was also not without a little controversy because a group of original Mersey musicians were not to take the stage, as in past years. The omission caused a protest with people asking why they were omitted.
Brian Jones, sax player with The Undertakers, started The “Bring Back the Merseybeat Stage to Liverpool” campaign to get a response from Merseybeat fans. Ironically, a group of the musicians played a club gig that same weekend. A £10 admission was charged (unlike the festival, which was free) and the room sold out. The musicians later got together and cut a record to voice their protest called “The Wall” under the collective name of Mathew Street Banned.
Now calling themselves the Mathew Street Band, the group has now decided to take the show on the road. The launch party will take place on Oct. 29th at the Pan Am Club on the Albert Dock in downtown Liverpool. The group, which includes veteran members of the Merseybeats, the Undertakers, the Dominoes, Lee Curtis and the All Stars, the Cryin’ Shames, Rhythm & Blues Inc. Ricky Gleason & the Top Spots and the Bumblies, will be joined at the gig by Lee Curtis of Star Club fame, Geoff Nugent of the Undertakers, the Bumblies, Sixties revival band Shooter and the Krystalettes.
The gig will be filmed for an upcoming documentary. Tickets for the show are available from the Echo Arena website or by calling 0844 8000 410.
The band has also thrown membership in the band open to any musician who played in Mathew Street. Also, a special “Fans of the Mathew Street Band” membership is available for anyone who loves the music of the MerseyBeat and wishes to become official members of the band. (We've been named an honorary member.) Details can be found on the Liverpool Beat website www.liverpoolbeat.com where you can join the band, get the up-to-date news of the tour and hear soundbites of their music.
Links:
- Echo Arena Tickets: www.echoarena.com
- Websites: www.liverpoolbeat.com
- Facebook Campaign: Bring Back the Mersey Stage for the Mathew Street Festival
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