Liverpool gigs vital to city's venues, singer says

Webster, who will perform at Liverpool's Phase One, said memories from such venues were "more important than anything"

A series of gigs to be held alongside Eurovision will showcase Merseyside's "massively important" grassroots venues, one of the star performers has said.

The United By Music tour will see 20 shows take place in Liverpool and Birkenhead across the week of the song contest in May.

Organisers, the Music Venue Trust (MVT), said the shows, which include sets by Jamie Webster, Lightning Seeds and Miles Kane, would showcase sites that "remain the lifeblood of UK music".

Webster, whose album Moments peaked in the top three of the UK charts in January, said he "wouldn't be the artist that I am today if it wasn't for grassroots venues".

The city is preparing to host the UK's first Eurovision for more than 20 years, which will see two semi-finals and a final take place at the M&S Bank Arena between 9 and 13 May.

The United By Music shows, which will take place in Jacaranda, The Kazimier, The Cavern Club, Meraki and 16 other small venues across the area, will run alongside the festivities between 8 and 12 May.

The MVT said a "diverse range" of headline artists from Liverpool, including Crawlers and The Mysterines, would be "playing in iconic music venues" along with "the very best new acts the city has to offer" for "a whole week of music that is uniquely Liverpool".

Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie (second from left) said small venues gave artists a "grounding"

Webster, who will play at Phase One, said smaller venues were "massively important because it's where artists like myself learn to practice the craft".

"It's where I learned how to deliver the songs in a way that connects with people and it pays dividends to what comes next once you've put in the groundwork at these venues," he said.

"Some of my most favourite memories and some of my fans' most favourite memories come from these grassroots venues.

"It's more important than anything really, more important than any amount of money.

"Cities need the cultural art entertainment hubs to thrive, and I wouldn't be the artist that I am today if it wasn't for grassroots venues."

Lightning Seeds' Ian Broudie said he also believed such sites were vital to musicians.

"Growing up in Liverpool, I saw so many inspiring artists in Eric's and playing there myself meant everything to me," he said.

"I would have had no career without that grounding.

"Grassroots venues really are that important."

The shows have been supported by the National Lottery.

MVT chief executive Mark Dayvd said they were "thrilled" to be working with the organisation again to "create an event that really speaks to the history and the future of one of the UK's greatest music cities".

"This is an event that doesn't just celebrate Liverpool's musical history, it's highlighting the next wave of exceptional talent the world will come to know and love."

Christopher Torpey, who is communications director at Birkenhead's Future Yard, said the venue was "thrilled to be involved", as the partnership between the MVT and National Lottery had already been a "really fruitful and positive one".

He said the previous Revive Live tours, held in the aftermath of the pandemic had been "a much-needed lifeline... that helped us get back on our feet after Covid".

"We’re really looking forward to celebrating such an exciting period of live music with this latest initiative, as the spotlight falls on the region for Eurovision," he said.

"We’ll play our part in showing the world why the Liverpool City Region is a world leader when it comes to music, right through from performers to production to punters.”