Dave Monks Presents: Urbanparcs at the Cavern Club, Liverpool 

Wednesday 24th November 2021

It’s bitter cold in Liverpool tonight.  We’re back in the ‘sound city’ and couldn’t be happier, for tonight is another Dave Monks Presents line up at the much loved Cavern Club. Walking across city centre to this iconic venue there’s a vibrant and busy feel to these historic streets.  Live music drifts out to tantalise us as we pass various bars, pubs and clubs. Liverpool is always alive with diverse and rich musical sounds; it’s a delight for the senses. Tonight’s lineup is a good one, handpicked by Dave Monks himself. It’s a BBC Introducing event, and all 3 acts feature regular song plays during the Dave Monks Show on BBC Radio Merseyside. 

As we turn the corner onto the musically and culturally famous Matthew Street, home of our venue, there seems to be a real buzz about.  It’s coming from the direction of our destination, the Cavern Club.  A great many people are entering – it looks to be a busy night!  Keen to get in and out of the cold, we too enter. WOW….it’s heaving!!  We find a venue brimming with people. It’s packed to the rafters!  There is such an air of excitement in here tonight, more so than usual. It would seem that word of Urbanparcs’ performance has spread!!

Gigs are always something great in the Cavern Club but, given its rich and vast musical history, that’s to be expected. It opened its doors for the very first time in June 1957 at number 10 Matthew Street and was initially a jazz club. It was just a few years later when ‘the beat’ exploded onto the music scene. Founded in Liverpool and evolving from ‘skiffle’, the beat or the Liverpool beat, also known as the Mersey beat, in 1960 had helped to make the Cavern Club become the most publicised venue, not just in the UK, but in the entire world!  Sadly in 1973 British rail enforced closure to make way for the building of the then new underground railway. The warehouses that stood above the Cavern Club were demolished, whilst the club itself was filled with rubble and sealed.  This wasn’t to be the end of the Cavern Club: it relocated to premises across the street and reopened.  In the early 80s plans were published to excavate the original Cavern Club in a bid to restore it to its former glory, but it was found to be unsafe, disturbed by the demolition of the buildings above.  It had impacted the structure of the below ground venue, so instead it was painstakingly reconstructed, with the use of original bricks and materials being integral, reopening back in its original spot at number 10 Matthew Street in 1984. The Cavern Club is happily still situated here today, with the Cavern Pub now located opposite on the site that the club operated from during the 70s. Although the original club is long gone, it’s still in its spiritual home and original location, and retains much of its originality. There is a real feeling of nostalgia within these walls, which is felt at every visit.

Nikki and the Waves – 1st Act

Nikki and the Waves_Credit: Christabel

Up first tonight is north-west based, ‘daydream pop’ band Nikki and the Waves.  Formed nearly 3 years ago, this band have a really individual and niche style.  I love them already!  There is a great vibe in here tonight, it’s busy and energetic and full of people eager for live music. Needless to say, these guys go down very well! Indie electro, art pop, funk, this is a whole beguiling mixture of genres, sounds and influences. Stylistically this is very cool.  Our eyes are glued to this performance: it’s so fascinating; the sound is quite something; the melodic singing seems sad, almost melancholic, but the feel of the songs as a whole is upbeat. Contrasting of the sounds, it all seamlessly blends together and works really well. Nikki’s vocal range is exceptional and is perfectly suited to the quirky sounds of this experimentally brilliant band’s sound. Very eccentric, very entertaining.  The sound is extraordinary, at the base is real electro and synth, mixed with trombone and keys, a real early 80s American funk vibe is in the undercurrents. The combination of sounds and styles really take you somewhere else. It’s eagerly devoured by the audience; it induces dancing and creates a real feel good. Great performance, amazing stage presence, really cool – almost otherworldly, upbeat, attention-grabbing and must-see. It’s left us wanting more. I can’t recommend seeing this band enough – true escapism, and thoroughly enjoyable!!

Setlist: Corduroy, Shirts, Phone Song, Chess, Kinda Cold, August, Lame, 1g.

Urbanparcs – 2nd Act 

Urban Parcs_Credit:Christabel

Ed Fisher – Vocals, guitar and keys, Ben Hawkins – Lead guitar, Sean McLoughlin – Rhythm Guitar, Adam Steele – Bass, Heath Campbell – Drums

Next up is Newton le Willows based Urbanparcs. I’ve previously seen Urbanparcs and was suitably impressed. We had a large crowd already and it’s multiplied: we now have a completely packed out venue. The feeling now is one of eager anticipation; everyone is waiting for this next performance.  It’s a real feeling of contained excitement that’s in need of releasing – like pressure building – a shaken can of fizzy music which, once opened, will explode its sugary-sounding madness. The ‘feels’ keep on building – the area in front of the stage is rammed. 

The band enter the stage and take their places, an extended intro of ‘Fire’ is played and the crowd go wild; but once Ed (Fisher), Urbanparcs himself, swaggers onto the stage, swigging from a bottle of beer, that built-up pressure finally explodes.  It goes off….big time.   The place erupts, we have actual screaming; it’s wild, it’s untamed, it’s frantic.  I have honestly never seen crowd madness at this level.  It’s the stuff of supergroups on big stadium tours!  It’s actual, full-on hysteria!  Of course, Ed (Fisher) does have real star appeal: multitudes of swagger, and a real presence – it’s quite something to witness.  At only just turned 18 this guy is surely one to watch closely!  Another who features heavily on playlists at BBC Radio Merseyside, having had great success with all singles released so far. Coupled with this huge following of fans he’s brought tonight, this shows that he’s hot property already. Putting much heart and soul into this staggering performance, it’s totally gone to another level in here now.  Mosh pit – check; Screaming – check; Mania – check… It’s Urbanparcs mania!! It’s actually almost comparable to the mania caused by a legendary band of a past era that also performed at this venue and caused a stir !! Mentioning no names of course!  Urbanparcs sound is of funky indie pop: light and breezy beats, laced with glistening, joyful guitar lines over strong bass foundations.  Toe tapping, it’s high energy in music form with charisma, style and likeability added; down-to-earth, with great crowd interaction.  

Ed bops around on stage, dancing with guitarists and sprinkling that magical musical glitter over us. Retro-feeling pop tunes are sung out to us, and are readily received; everyone knows every word to every song. It feels like a neon party, luminous energy being showered on us from every angle. It’s a brilliant set from start to finish, each song seeming more vibrant than the last. Ed’s raspy vocals with deep and rich throaty tones, perfectly controlled, sit well amongst this luminescent and 3D feeling sound…but with soul behind it. Catchy and signalling, you get feels of summery days, of happiest times about to arrive, it fills you with positivity and enthusiasm. Ending on that same high he started on and with another extended version, this time of ‘Show me love’, the screams of the crowd haven’t once faltered!  Leaving us on the massive high he created superbly, this has been one hell of a performance.  It’s felt huge.  Urbanparcs you smashed it!!   Well done Ed, and well done to the band who were equally brilliant.

Setlist: Fire, Hay fever, Kool Aid , Don’t let me down, Late night drive, Too much to ask, Show Me love. 

Lois Levin – Final Act

Lois Levin_Credit: Christabel

Our final act, closing tonight’s event, is Liverpool based Lois Levin, setting a completely different tone in here now, with some well received, calming, chilled out but funky vibes.  Lounge jazz themed, tonight’s performance is to be the first ever for Lois (Levin) with a full band, which suits her perfectly, building on that jazz feel, and the addition of a double bass is perfection. It’s ultra soothing jazz vibes. Lois’s voice ranges from deep mellow, rounded and low tones, to loud, high and piercing.  The drumbeats are frisky but light and it’s predominantly piano based, giving a real vintage feel. Very layered and intricate sounds over feel-good, smooth and super-laid-back bases and tempos. It’s welcomed whole-heartedly.  After the brilliant madness of the earlier performances, this grounds us and restores the calm. It’s really leaving us feeling soothed, warmed and comforted, but still energised, just in a less frantic kind of way. Autumnal tones, feelings of sunsets and crunchy fallen leaves underfoot and cosy woollen jumpers are evoked;  listening to these sounds is like welcoming a very much loved old friend,  it’s safe, familiar and uplifting. On stage the band are very likeable, cool and confident and very laid back, they gel together very well  Smiling often throughout tonight’s performance, this obviously means so much to them. and it’s very well deserved.  Excellent, laid back set. 

Setlist: Late to the Rave,  I’m not the Same, Lucky, Burden, You don’t make me feel good anymore.

As ever with Dave Monks Presents, an excellent line up.  I particularly enjoyed the real mix of musical genres tonight. The brilliance of art house/’dream pop’ Nikki and the Waves was enchanting; the indie/funk charisma and musical mania of Urbanparcs were mind blowing, and the soul lifting lounge/jazz of Lois Levin was inspirational.