It’s always nice to have a pint in the Philharmonic pub. It’s a lovely old building, a listed building, containing the countries only authentic Victorian gentleman’s toilet. Many well known household names have drunk in the place over the years including John Lennon. Folken going to tonight’s gig milled around in little huddles. Most of them looked to be my age or older. Middle aged, middle roader’s, on a big night out. Not one Rasta or Dread head amongst them. I stood out against them like a pear on an apple tree.

Across the road outside the venue folken were making steady steams through the doors. Some going in, some coming out for a last smoke before the show. I took up a seat next to the crossing on a handy bollard and lit up a Cohiba idly observing those arriving. A Dread head and his pale skinned young lady approached the crossing. For a moment my eyes locked with the Dread as he glanced over me. The barest of nods were exchanged with a smile.

I finished my cigar and headed in myself. I got as far as halfway up the stairs when I overheard a lad talking to his young lady and her pal,

“He’s not going on until half eight. I just asked the girl there, so we might as well ……..”

“Is that for definite man ?”

“Yeah, I just asked the girl on the door there. Half eight he’s coming on.”

“Thanks mate.”

I turned around and went outside for another smoke. It was only ten to. I had plenty of time to hit the bar and scan around for faces I might know before I had to find my seat. I thought I saw Ian Prowse (from Pele/Amsterdam) in the bar but he was fully bearded and kept his back to me most of the time.

I found my seat. I was over on the right hand side at an angle that was going to make taking any decent photos difficult. Before too long the band hit the stage and Jimmy began the set with ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’.

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

Folken were excited and enjoying themselves, but nobody was on their feet yet. Seated gigs, I hate them. I so kills the buzz especially when the bouncers start having a go at anyone brave enough to stand up and actually attempt dancing. I wondered how that would go this evening.

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

From ‘You Can Get It’, Jimmy went into ‘King Of Kings’, ‘Wild World’, ‘Haku Matata’, and ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’. The band were top notch and I was particularly impressed by the sax and trumpet players. Jimmy’s voice was smooth and soothing.

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

A couple of rows behind me a couple of fat girls were standing up taking photos and trying to boogie in their seat places. On stage the sax and trumpet players gave them appreciative nods and Jimmy gave them a smile. On the auditorium floor two bouncers began hassling the girls to sit down. They were sticking to their guns but one lost her nerve and did sit down while her pal was ushered down in front of me where there were a few empty seats and the view of the stage was terrible.

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

On stage Jimmy went into ‘Planet Earth’. Meanwhile I was having words with the bouncers and trying to convince the two young lads and a young lady to stand up with me and begin the revolution and give the two girls some moral support on the next song. Jimmy struck up with a rousing version of ‘Vietnam’ re-titled ‘Afghanistan’. I stood up. The folks next to me stayed sat.

I didn’t care. I was here to have a good time. Life was too short not to. Maybe folken would be encouraged and begin standing with me and the girls, maybe they wouldn’t. I got a nod off the brass section, Jimmy’s smile widened a bit. Everyone else remained seated. The bouncers left me alone.

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

We passed through ‘World Upside Down’ and ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ started. Within half a minute I started getting hassled by one of the bouncers,

“Can you sit down please so the people behind you can see ? This is a slow one.”

No shit ?! Well bugger me sideways. You know I just kind of wandered in off the street. Who’s the band ? Instead,

“Not really, no.”

“This is a slow one, can you please sit down.”

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

I made a shooing motion with my hand and took out my camera. Slowly and deliberately I popped off a few shots. Two more bouncers gathered lurking by the wall down by the stage. I could see how this might go. I wanted to see the end of the gig though. I reckoned I’d made my point. I was happy to make it all over again come the next song. Lets see how they liked that.

Elsewhere I could see pockets in the crowd just itching to get up and dance but just not quite daring to. The next tune was ‘Rebel Rebel’. I stood up. I heard the girls behind stand up. One or two were standing upstairs in the balcony. The bouncers looked frustrated and nervous. Jimmy followed up with ‘I Can See Clearly Now’. A couple of people near the back stood up. One or two to the back of the middle section stood up. Large parts of the audience were twitching.

Jimmy Cliff; Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 1/9/2011

‘Reggae Night’ followed. The crowd were all singing along and having fun, but still seated. The next tune ‘Bongo Man’ was a slow one. I didn’t need the bouncers to come try hassling me to sit down again, I was grateful for a five minute breather. I’d forgotten how putting down some skanky moves could tire you.

That was the end of the set. The crowd all stood up to clap him off stage and back on for his first encore ‘One Love’. This time when the band struck up they all stayed standing. They’d finally engaged themselves and brought Jimmy back for two more encores, ‘The Harder They Come’, and ‘Wonderful World’, before the house lights went up. I turned to the three youngsters next to me,

“I told you I’d have ‘em all on their feet before the end of the show.”

They looked back at me blankly like I had three heads. Kids, life isn’t a rehearsal. This is it. Have it.

Back over at the Philharmonic pub I got talking to Steve Wood, an aspiring alternative DJ looking for a break. We compared notes on the gig, and swapped some news and gossip until my taxi arrived. Nice to meet you Steve.

Jimmy Cliff is a legend. He’s come up through the ranks of the music industry the hard way and commands much respect from musicians, gig goer’s, and the wider culture to which he belongs. At the age of seventy five the man is more lively and energetic on stage than most twenty something’s. His voice remains in perfect working order and his band are superb.

There is something I have to comment on though. Not that I particularly want to but if I didn’t I’d be failing in my job as a chronicler of cultural history. You might expect given that;- 1. this was a reggae concert, 2. this wasn’t just any reggae artist, it was Jimmy Cliff, 3. this is Liverpool, that the audience would represent a huge cultural mix. It didn’t. The audience was mostly straight, over forty, couples on a night out, and at least 95% white.

Kind of makes you wonder doesn’t it. Another time I’d spend the next couple of thousand words speculating about that, but right now I just don’t have the time. You’ll just have to imagine what I might have said.

Viper 5/9/2011

This review coming to the Members Live Lounge with full colour pictures soon.

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