Bill Ryder-Jones, Future Yard

Future Yard, Day 1

There’s great excitement on The Wirral this weekend as the inaugural Future Yard festival takes Birkenhead by storm!

The town sits on the banks of The Mersey, just a couple of miles across the river from Liverpool, and, owing to this proximity, has, like the rest of the Wirral peninsula, tended to be overshadowed by its neighbour. Wirral bands (including OMD, the Boo Radleys and Bill Ryder-Jones’ old band, The Coral) have had relatively few venues in which to play, and have often been associated, by default, with the Liverpool scene (with the obvious exception of Half Man Half Biscuit, who famously rarely venture beyond Tranmere!).

But now, The Wirral Fights Back!

Future Yard sees a number of local performers, and a heady range of guests from elsewhere, playing at Birkenhead Town Hall, Birkenhead Priory and the Bloom Building over a glorious Bank Holiday weekend.

Tonight’s headliner was The Wirral’s favourite son, and regular subject of this journal, Bill Ryder-Jones. In fact, I saw him play twice tonight - a beautiful solo piano set in the Priory chapel and then a powerhouse band set at the Town Hall.

I also saw Queen Zee (for the second time in a month) and Squid at the Bloom Building; as well as the hotly-tipped (and rightly so) Black Country, New Road and the excellent Stella Donnelly (I love this video https://youtube.com/watch?v=0Q0t_dDKjyI ) at the Priory.

The tune of the day can only be the song with which Bill closed his Town Hall show. Of course, it’s ‘Two to Birkenhead’ https://youtube.com/watch?v=5a7TcW_2b9s

The quote of the day came from Bill as well. Apparently “One in ten people come from Birkenhead.” Who knew?!

I’ve almost used my Extra Photos allowance for the year but if you want to see pictures of all the acts I’ve mentioned you can find them on Instagram, where I’m also known as folkiebooknerd.

I didn’t know which of many shots to choose for today’s Blip, but when Bill kindly shared this one on his own Instagram feed, he made the decision for me! If it’s good enough for him etc...