BLAH DE BLAH AND MUCH MORE !
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BLAH DE BLAH AND MUCH MORE !
Martyn Best , our inside man and Associate Director at Tranmere Rovers Football Club , reviews the recent amazingly successful Wirral Festival .
The football season is over and summer beckons . So , what can a football club do now - especially one which regards itself as “ More than just a football club ”.
Over the last few years , Tranmere Rovers has experimented with a number of music events with mixed success . Who can forget the three-day joy of Madness , the Libertines and Little Mix in 2017- although it ’ s hard to imagine Kier Starmer rocking up this time .
But , we all live and learn , and on the recent May weekend blessed with fine weather , Monopoly Events , renowned for their Comic Con events , teamed up with the club to deliver an outstanding day of live music and tribute bands , kids funfair , dance-offs and walking dinosaurs in a hugely successful Wirral Family Festival day .
An audience which would grace many a regular season game was treated to the sounds of Coldplay , Take That , Ed Sheeran , and even Queen , a remarkable 33 years after the loss of Freddie Mercury . Then there were the echoes of The Killers , Elton John , Arctic Monkeys , and the finale of Oasis , and all in all an extravaganza of great music from some amazingly polished bands . The children of the Wirral enjoyed the Superhero show , the touching moments of Frozen and Beauty and the Beast and both Barbie and Weird Barbie livened up the day .
The UK is experiencing a live music boom , with a string of hitech new arenas set to open and an increase in the number of major stars on tour . But the arrival of streaming services and the challenging economics mean the costs for live music are soaring , especially for families . The top average ticket prices last year was led by Taylor Swift at £ 257 , through Elton John (£ 137 ), Bruce Springsteen (£ 132 ), and Coldplay (£ 127 ).
It ’ s not that the public has had enough of these prices but these costs help explain the massive popularity of tribute acts and high
quality covers bands , and Tranmere Rovers had recognised this , and the opening acts at the Wirral Family Festival were perfect examples of this in action , and the great value that was delivered to their fans and Wirral residents .
The Edinburgh-based Noel Gallagher ’ s High Flying Carpets got the crowd going in front of the main stage with a superbly accomplished set .
One band , however summed up everything that was good about the day . With a laid-back sunshine vibe perfect for the occasion , the Manchester-based Blah de Blah reeled off a string of classics from an eclectic range of disco , pop and indie artists like Blondie , Diana Ross and even The Smiths with all the songs given a ska or reggae groove . Somewhat fearlessly , they started with UB40 ’ s ‘ Food For Thought ’ – regarded by aficionados as one of the best British hits from the early 1980s , and delivered it with a pounding drum and bass groove .
The band ’ s name is a droll reference to the fact that live music is all that really matters – everything else is ‘ Blah de Blah ’. With the football season done and dusted at Prenton Park , and the importance of live football to us all , that seemed a good philosophy for the day .
Nicky Palios , Vice Chair of the club declared , “ This event demonstrates once again the commitment of the club to the people of the Wirral , and how Tranmere engage with all aspects of our community .
“ We have had such great feedback for what was a really joyous event for everyone .
“ My thanks to Andy , Si and the whole team at Monopoly and at the club for helping us deliver such a memorable day .
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