LIMF celebrates 40 years of punk and counter culture

Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) has announced the full line-up for its very special 76 – 16: From Eric’s To Evol event as part of its LIMF Presents programme.

For the last 40 years the punk-indie attitude has been prevalent in Liverpool and has led to the creation of some of the most influential cultural movements the city has ever seen.

These are movements that have connected not just with the people of Liverpool but with the world. LIMF showcases those key venues, artists and scenes. With incredible live performances at its heart ‘From Eric’s To Evol’ is the inter-generational story of Liverpool’s underground music scene and how it has redefined itself in terms of music, fashion and popular culture over 40 years.

Buzzcocks, Clinic, Poltergeist, Pete Bentham & The Dinner Ladies, Feral Love, Veyu, Lying Ba****ds, Organ Freeman, Queen Zee & The Sasstones will play the Arts Club on Saturday 23 July

And Lightning Seeds, Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah!, The Clang Group (featuring Clive Langer from Deaf School) and Sugarmen will be celebrating the local Liverpool scene at the O2 Academy Liverpool on Sunday 24 July in what will be an unforgettable live show.

An exciting addition will be the Story of Punk and Counterculture Panel in partnership with The Guardian where experts will be discussing the impact of punk and counter-culture since the 70’s being held on 20th July at District Liverpool.

The panel will , address  the important issues and questions surrounding the punk movement such as – what are the drivers for counterculture movements? Is it music, fashion, inspirational individuals, key venues or a mix of all of these? What exactly is punk’s legacy? Panel members include:

John Robb – Musician/Journalist/Author (Panel Host)
Paul Du Noyer – Journalist and Author of ‘Liverpool: Wondrous Place’ as well as books on Deaf School, Paul McCartney and John Lennon
Pete Wylie – The Mighty Wah!
Pauline Murray – Lead Singer of punk rock band Penetration
Craig Pennington – Bido Lito! Magazine (Publisher) and Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (Director)
Jayne Casey – a leading light of Liverpool culture since the 1970s

Tickets start from as little as £10.00 inclusive of booking fee and can be purchased with more information from www.limfestival.com

Music Director Marc Jones said:, “Liverpool has always had a small but very important underground music scene. In 1976 Eric’s opened its doors and punk exploded into life, thanks bands like the Clash, Ramones and Sex Pistols who all played Eric’s!

“In many ways Eric’s has been as influential to Liverpool as both the Cavern and Cream have been and out of this scene came a set of Liverpool bands that went on to dominate the 80’s…bands like Echo & the Bunnymen, Wah! Heat, Teardrop Explodes, OMD and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

“It’s a great tradition that has been continued by the likes of the Lomax, Zanzibar, Evol and the much missed Korova. It’s a great story and one we will be telling at this year’s Liverpool International Music Festival through a unique live show demonstrating how it has redefined itself in terms of music, fashion and popular culture over 40 years!”

UNESCO City of Music Co-ordinator Kev McManus said: “This is a real celebration of 40 years of music and counter culture in Liverpool. It will excite interest from music lovers from across the world. It is a particularly poignant event for me personally as my passion for music and my involvement in the music scene in the Liverpool music scene was ignited by attending a series of memorable gigs at Eric’s.

“These two shows and the accompanying panel discussion are a tribute to the great music and memorable venues that have lit up the Liverpool music scene over the last 40 years. Places like Eric’s, the Warehouse, the Picket, Zanzibar, Kazimier, Korova, Planet X, and the bands that played these venues have played a vital role in ensuring that the Liverpool music scene has remainder so vibrant over the last 40 years.

“The two nights showcase some of the best of the new Liverpool talent like The Sugarmen who have just signed to Warners. But I’m delighted that we have managed to secure Liverpool artists who were part of the original Eric’s scene in the shape of Ian Broudie, Pete Wylie, Will Sergeant as well as the likes of The Buzzcocks who played Eric’s many times.”

Liverpool Waterfront