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This past Saturday night, Zanzibar, the Liverpool night spot renowned for giving small but talented bands a platform to share their music, hosted a night dedicated to great music and an even greater cause, Musicians Against Homelessness, raising awareness for Crisis, a national charity who work directly with thousands of homeless people every year, offering advice and courses in twelve areas across England.
Arriving at the small but stylish bar tucked away on Seel Street, no seats are filled yet but the stage and equipment are ready to go. There is a set list of popular, local bands tonight consisting of Rain, Joe Symes and The Loving Kind, Digsy, Hegarty and The Quicks, who are all determined to raise awareness for homelessness through their music.
This charity night was suggested and largely organised by Joe Symes of Joe Symes and The Loving Kind, who approached the venue in order to secure a spot for the bands to play. He says, ‘I just want to shout out Tony, the owner of Zanzibar, for letting us use this brilliant venue. We’re also doing five other dates across the UK for the cause, after building a relationship with Alan McGee (Former Creation boss who discovered Oasis and started the Musicians Against Homelessness campaign) We wanted to show our dedication. We strongly believe that nobody should be homeless in this day and age.’
The venue started to fill at a rapid rate, but after a few hours of waiting with no bands appearing on stage, the crowd becomes confused. It turns out a few of the bands decided to pull out last minute, leaving the remaining few musicians pressured to put on an even better show.
The Quicks are first to take to the stage, a Widnes/Liverpool alternative rock band who warm up the supportive crowd with ‘Live Famously’, a catchy song that’s impossible not to tap your feet to, with sounds comparable to Arctic Monkeys and Oasis. Everyone in the venue really enjoys the music of this four-piece, and it’s easy to see why they consistently bring in local crowds.
They get through their set with enjoyable ease, with the highlight being a slightly heavier song ‘Lift Your Head’, that especially shows off the vocal range of frontman, Tony Swift. Tony himself addresses the crowd before playing their newest song, ‘Fake Smiling Judas’, to talk about the cause they’re playing for tonight. He says, ‘Homelessness, I’m sure a few of us have been there before. It affects a lot of people. Think about that when the nights are drawing in.’
Joe Symes and The Loving Kind are next up. This is a band who since the release of their self-titled first album have embarked on a non-stop tour around the UK, supporting some major acts such as Alt-J, Bloc Party, XTC and have also played Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds After Party at 02 Academy Liverpool.
When the three-piece take the stage it’s clear to see they have supportive fans in Liverpool, and it’s easy to see why when they start playing. Their songs are true rock n roll anthems that will stick in your head for days afterwards. With crowd favourite ‘Where do I belong?’ being belted out, this is a band who know how to put on a live show. They have a fresh yet popular sound to them, with a mix of well-written melodic tunes and fist-pumping grittier songs, it’s no surprise to see how well their set goes down with the crowd.
Even though some bands may have pulled out last minute, these bands alone have done more than enough to save the night and put on an amazing show for an important cause. Anybody looking for gigs in your hometown, see any of these bands and you won’t be disappointed.