LIVERPOOL BEATLE WEEK
Saturday 25 August 2007
Penny
Lane Festival. John's first home.
Rain at The Liverpool Empire.
Top bands at The Adelphi.
Penny Lane - a world-famous road-sign!
PENNY LANE. The authorities have to paint the road-name directly on the wall! Otherwise the road-signs are stolen immediately!
Penny Lane
PENNY
LANE. JOHN has explained that when he
wrote this song with PAUL, he was re-living
his childhood. He lived in Newcastle Road,
just around the corner from Penny Lane, for the first five years of his
life. Daily for another six years he walked down Penny Lane
to and from school. We
will soon visit his old school and birth-place.
We enter...
Dovedale Infant & Junior School
DOVEDALE INFANT & JUNIOR SCHOOL, Dovedale Road. Both John and George attended this school up until the age of 11, but neither knew each other. However George's older brother, Pete, was in John's class.
The school above is the one pictured in Beatles Liverpool guide books. But doesn't it look too young? We walk a little further along the road...
Dovedale County Junior School
DOVEDALE COUNTY JUNIOR SCHOOL. Looking more like the right age. The question is: Is this actually the building of John's and George's school up until the age of 11? I would be very thankful if someone with insight, could answer this question. Please send me an e-mail.
We go back to...
Penny Lane shops
PENNY LANE SHOPS. During the filming of the 'Free As A Bird' video many Liverpool landmarks were used. When the bird in the video flies over the gates of Strawberyy Field, its next location is Penny Lane, where children run across the road holding hands, a man unloads eggs, a nurse sells poppies and a banker leaves the barber's shop. There is a fire engine and, in a shop window, a birthday cake with "64" on it. For these shots, most of these shop windows were redecorated for the sequence. Vintage cars, vans and a bus were also used to dress the set to re-create Penny Lane in the 1950's.
We go a little further along Penny Lane. We come to...
The Penny Lane
roundabout
"Behind the shelter in the middle of the ROUNDABOUT, the pretty nurse is selling puppies from a tray..."
The bank
"On
the corner is a BANKER with a motorcar,
The little children laugh at him behind his back.
And the BANKER never wears a mac
In the pouring rain - very strange..."
The barber
"In PENNY LANE there is a BARBER showing photographs of ev'ry head he's had the pleasure to know..."
We enter...
9 Newcastle Road
Me, Bengt, outside 9 Newcastle Road
(Photo: Marcus)
9 NEWCASTLE ROAD, just around
the corner from Penny Lane. This is John's first home, where he lived with
his mother Julia, his father Alfred
and his grandparents, George & Annie Stanley.
Father Alfred returned to sea soon after
John's birth and with the confusion of wartime lost contact with home for
almost two years. Julia grew tired of waiting for him and this led to the
break-up of their marriage. By 1944 young John had gone to live with his Aunt
Mimi and Uncle George in Menlove
Avenue.
After the war, Julia lived here with her new man, John
Dykins. In 1947 their daughter Julia
was born. And in 1949 their second daughter Jaqueline
was born. That means, they are both John's half-sisters.
Recently Julia published her book Julia
Baird: 'Imagine this - growing up with my brother John Lennon.'
(Got it signed at The Adelphi, but haven't got time to read it yet. You
know, this website...)
The number "9" over the door is still there...
Number 9
NUMBER 9 played a fascinating part in John's life. He was born on 9 October 1940. His first home was at 9 Newcastle Road. And he died on 9 December 1980.
We meet an old friend...
Great Lennon singer Marcus outside 9 Newcastle Road
Marcus & me outside 9 Newcastle Road
(Photo: Ulla)
Time for some good music now...
At Millennium Green
Clube Big Beatles
CLUBE BIG BEATLES. This Brazilian band were back in Liverpool for their 13th time in a row! A record! And they are worth it! You're so good!
We go to...
The Repeatles
REPEATLES. Another great gig! You're one of our favorites! (We saw them a lot!)
Back to Millennium Green...
Blue Meanies USA
BLUE MEANIES, USA. They had promised to "get the crowds off their seats and dancing in the street..." And how the succeeded! Great to hear their mix of songs by The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Byrds and The Monkees, to name a few.
The field is crowded! Time for one of the very best bands now...
Bob, Alex & Jay - Instant Karma
Mark - Instant Karma
INSTANT KARMA. This afternoon, their Psychedelic Set. And how they play it! 'I'm The Walrus' was fantastic. And 'Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey' totally blew us over! Wow!
Laura & Steven - 'Hey Jude'
Time for our heroes from home...
Micke, Magnus, Per, Benny & Olle - Pepperland
Mick & Magnus - Pepperland
Per - Pepperland
Olle - Pepperland
Magnus, Per & Benny - Pepperland
PEPPERLAND from our hometown Gothenburg. Look how happy they are to play in Liverpool! Again, for three of them! Micke, Benny and Olle has been here before with the famous band Lenny Pane. Magnus is a new member. Per was a Lenny Pane member, but this is his first visit to Liverpool Beatle Week. Great to see their enthusiasm on stage. And their harmonies - Wow!
Some food and a little nap now.
Then, time for tonight's
big event. We go to...
Liverpool Empire Theatre
First a great 'Acoustic' set...
Clube Big Beatles
Leo & Leo - that's true!
Leo, Leo & Edu
Leo - 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'
CLUBE BIG BEATLES. We got a fine little gig by this excellent Brazilian band. Not so 'Acoustic', but very relaxed in a nice way. And 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'! Pure magic, Leo!
Hal Bruce
HAL BRUCE. A great little gig from this Canadian gentleman.
Time for tonight's main event...
Rain
RAIN
is one the premier Beatles Tribute Bands in the USA. And at last they had
come to Liverpool! What a night!
But hey! Something went wrong here! Suddenly the Empire guards stopped everyone trying to take photos. So the
picture above was the only one I managed to shoot before the naughty guards
stopped me. (Otherwise, I would have been able to present loads of great
photos here with my great seating - First row!)
I find the whole situation absurd! Hey! This is a cover band! I'm an old man - I've seen the Originals! The Beatles aren't with us any more. But look at their friends, THE ROLLING STONES! This Original Band permit fans to shoot as many amateur photos they want during their concerts! You've probably already seen the beautiful pictures I shot at their concert in Gothenburg August 3rd, 2007. The guy you can see on many pictures with Mick Jagger is Mick's personnel body-guard! And he, and his colleague guards, did NOTHING to stop us fans from shooting photos!
It's all about LOVE my
friends...
(And some humbleness...)
We rush to Fridays bar at The Adelphi...
Alex, Jim, Jay, Mark & Gabriel - Instant Karma
Jay & Mark - Instant Karma
INSTANT
KARMA. Tonight we got one of their very best gigs this year in
Liverpool 2007. And at this wonderful venue - Fridays Bar! Thank U!
Don't miss the highlight here below:
SEE THE AMAZING VIDEO! 'Instant Karma' (2.9 MB)
We go to The Empire Suite
(also at The Adelphi)...
Itchychoo Park
Itchycoo Park joined by Steve & Arnie, The Repeatles
Itchycoo Park joined by Pete, The Repeatles
ITCHYCOO PARK. A friend told us: "Go and see Itchycoo Park, they're fantastic!" And he was right! They were a great band! So nice to see them together with their Repeatles friends!
Time for an amazing Rolling Stones Tribute...
Stevie & Tony - Rocks Off
Stevie & Tony - Rocks Off
Toggan & Stevie - Rocks Off - so cool!
Stevie & Les - Rocks Off
ROCKS OFF! Another outstanding gig! You're our Favorite Band No. 1!
All photos and text by
Bengt Wärmlind.
(The photos may not be used without my permission.)