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Local Liverpool Music Scene The local music scene of Liverpool is most known for the Beatles, who rose from working class families to the best selling worldwide musical act of all time. Usually the mere mention of Liverpool throughout the world strikes up instant images of the Fab Four. One of the problems with trying to rise out of the Liverpool music scene is that every artist will always be in the shadow of the greatest band of all time. At the same time, being from the home town of the Beatles can generate interesting discussions. Other famous acts from the city include Echo & The Bunnymen, Franke Goes To Hollywood, Badfinger, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Searchers, Billy J. Kramer, Cilla Black and Billy Fury. The list is fairly long of songs that pay tribute to Liverpool, a working class town that has become a world famous tourist attraction. Some of the best known songs about the city include "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles, along with "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by Gerry & The Pacemakers. Other songs have included "Going Down to Liverpool" by the Bangles, "I Wish I Was Back in Liverpool" by the Dubliners, "In Liverpool" by Suzanne Vega, "Leaving of Liverpool" by the Pogues and the Dubliners, "Liverpool 8" by Ringo Starr and "Mersey Paradise" by The Stone Roses. Local ordinances have shaped the sound of the community. Since the 1960s the pattern has moved toward quieter residential neighborhoods and stricter permits for live venues in Downtown areas. The outright banning of live music hasn't happened yet, but anything is possible when an uptight government feels society needs restraint of they get too many complaints about noise levels. Some great venues have been shut down due noise complaints. The LIverpool Music Awards, presented by the Liverpool City Council, are held in August at St. George's Hall. The awards are regional, celebrating the music of Merseyside. Entries begin in May then nominees are announced in July. Winners in 2013 included Katie Nicholas, Lumin Bells, Esco Williams, Natalie McCool and The Hummingbirds. For artists aspiring to get attention in the local scene, some of the places in Liverpool that would make vivid imagery in lyrics include the Cavern Club, where the Beatles made their mark, Lancashire, Scousers, Albert Dock and Merseybeat. Historically, Merseybeat was the sound of Liverpool dance music in the 1960s that mixed rock and roll, skiffle and R&B. This movement got its name from beat music developing around the River Mersey in North West England. The Beatles and a band called The Merseybeats helped popularize the sound in the early sixties. Other Merseybeat bands included The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Mindbenders, The Dakotas and Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. The essence of the music was a heavy emphasis on the drum beat and a separation of roles between guitar, bass and drums instead of one unified sound of each instrument conforming to the same rhythm. This new arrangement style, influenced partly by Buddy Holly, was part of what made The Beatles sound so fresh to American rock and roll fans. |