Live Review

Porked! – Zanzibar, Liverpool

• 21st Nov 2007

Back to the good old times at Zanzibar last weekend. Saturday saw the ‘Porked Out night. Although the smoking ban has halted the atmosphere somewhat, the Zanzibar still had that enigmatic glow. What better way to spend Saturday night watching some top local and touring acts.

Revenge Tragedies, Ego- Armalade and The Miracle Cure all seemed to be gaining good crowd feedback with their own mini anthems. The bands seemed to burst with passion on taking to the Zanzibar stage.

The Vagabonds never let anyone down and Saturday was actually the first proper time I got to scrutinise them for a full set. They have been described as ‘spikey’ and indeed they are, but where their music grows along the back of your neck and your ears burn with excitement. Songs like ‘twothousandandseven’ and ‘Boys in the Dirty Boots’ bounced off the Zanzi walls resonating around the brain enough to make you stamp your feet and shout like a punk pikey.

Peter and The Wolf have underpinned Liverpool music for the last few years and their live sets just keep getting more and more tight that they could play their songs with their eyes closed. ‘Working Away’ is a true foot stomper with lead singer Marc Sunderland talking his small army and turning them into a music industry force. Variety was then shown with the waltz of ‘White Noise’ and the blast from the past ‘Lovers Scorn’

Although these lads got on quite late with the crowd decreasing The Pedantics blasted out some harmonious scouse magic. ‘Take It Like a Man’ sounded like it had come from the souls of the Mersey. Alas there was no showing of personal fave ‘Firebelly’ but the band made up for it with their crusading ‘Let It All Out’ that left me huming it for the rest of the weekend like I had known it for years.

Awesome, I urge you all to go out every night and discover the secrets of local music and what better way then to start at Liverpool music week coming soon!