Liverpool Views

BBC radio station 6 Music visits Liverpool to reflect the musical heritage, people and places of the UK's Capital of Culture after the Fab Four put Merseyside's music firmly on the map.

6 Music's visit is part of Navigator - the network's biggest project to date which maps the musical hotspots of the UK.

From The Bunnymen to The Bandits, Liverpool's musical heritage and current music scene is told through local lass Janice Long's programme Dream Ticket, a special Lamacq In The City with Steve Lamacq introducing great new Liverpool bands such as Ladytron and Mountaineers at the Carling Academy, Craig Charles who visits credible music landmarks with a special 6 Music plaque and Andrew Collins' afternoon show.

Steve Lamacq says: "In terms of musical vibrancy Liverpool has taken over from Manchester as a place for energy and ideas at the moment. A lot of people associate the city with bands like The Coral - who played the last time I compared there - but Ladytron are another great example of one of Liverpool's major musical traits which is making great pop music with a slightly maverick touch."

Craig Charles says; "I can't wait to get back up to Liverpool. I grew up there so my teenage years were spent listening to A Flock of Seagulls, Echo And The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, Wah! and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, so it's gonna be great to get the opportunity to play all my old favourites again. Liverpool is a fantastic place which, in my opinion has a musical history and current scene which is unrivalled."

Liverpool Capital of Culture team are fully behind the 6 Music Project Sue Woodward, Liverpool's Creative Director says:

''I'm delighted BBC 6 Music is acknowledging that Liverpool has been, still is and will continue to be as vibrant as it was in its Sixties hey day. Liverpudlians have an acute skill for expressing their feelings to music and the city's legacy to British and World music is one of the city's main cultural assets and a reason why we were chosen to be European Capital of Culture in 2008. The fact that BBC 6 Music has required an entire week to explore the city's scene speaks volumes. Not many cities in the world, never mind the UK, could match that and still have something to spare.''

Dream Ticket - Janice Long
From Monday to Thursday Janice Long presents a special Dream Ticket (10.00pm-12midnight) featuring all the best music from Merseyside from the BBC concert archive. Janice will focus on a decade a day from the Seventies to the present day, featuring music and interviews from the BBC archive from bands and venues associated with the Liverpool area.

On Monday Janice starts by looking at music from the Seventies with Deafschool, Badfinger, OMD and Elvis Costello; Tuesday takes listeners to the Eighties with music from Julian Cope, Teardrop Explodes, The Christians, Echo And The Bunnymen and The La's,; Wednesday concentrates on great bands from the Nineties such as Lightning Seeds, Cast, Space and The Farm and Thursday brings listeners back to the current decade looking at great new Liverpool bands such as The Coral and The Bandits.

Lamacq In The City - Steve Lamacq
On Friday Steve will be at the Carling Academy introducing hot new talent for a special Liverpool Lamacq In The City. The exciting line up consists of Ladytron, Franz Ferdinand and Mountaineers.

Ladytron hail from Liverpool and take pop music to a new level with their keyboards, rhythm boxes, female vocals and striking image. Franz Ferdinand are currently recording their debut album and take their name from the Duke whose assassination started World War One. Franz Ferdinand take "edgy, sexy, kinetic pop music into the mainstream". Mountaineers are a three piece Liverpool based band whose debut album Messy Century is out this autumn, the electronica outfit use computer software to transform their folk like pop songs into something truly fresh and creative.

On Saturday 20th September (1.00-4.00pm) Steve will be broadcasting live from Liverpool University with a special show giving listeners a taste of up and coming bands on Merseyside who he thinks will be the next big thing. The previous night's gig with Ladytron, Franz Ferdinand and Mountaineers will be played out in this show.

Craig Charles - Slap My Plaque
Slap My Plaque is a regular feature in Liz Kershaw's lunch time show (weekdays 1.00-4.00pm) where she puts spotlights on the musical heritage of the nation. For an entire week Craig Charles will be slapping a plaque on the places which were central to the Mersey Scene over the past four decades.

On Monday, at 11.00am Craig kicks the week off outside what was Eric's Club on Matthew Street. Originally called 'The New Cavern', Eric's was the place everyone hung out at in the Seventies and saw early gigs from the Clash, the Sex Pistols and Echo and Bunnymen. After thousands of pounds has been spent on doing up the Cavern, 6 Music think it's about time Eric's was restored to its former glory too.

6 Music listeners can then tune into Liz Kershaw's show every day that week where Craig visits other forgotten landmarks:

Tuesday - The original site of Probe Records, the record shop run by Geoff Davies and a focal point for the thriving local scene in the Eighties where the likes of Julian Cope, Pete Wylie and Pete Burns have all worked.

Wednesday - Penny Lane -"full of fish and finger pies" according to the Beatles but also the address of a flat shared by Pete Wylie and Ian McCulloch.

Thursday - Craig will be at Zanzibar's on Seel Street, home to the 'Bandwagon' night which has spawned so many of the new Mersey bands like the Bandits, The Basement and The Coral.

Friday - Craig ends the week with a trip to the Liverpool Academy at Liverpool University, which has been home to many legendary gigs, including Hawkwind who recorded part of their Space Ritual album there back in 1972.

Teatime With Andrew Collins (weekdays 4.00-7.00pm)
On Monday 15th September Clive Langer from cult new wave/post punk Liverpool band Deafschool is Andrew's guest. Clive has also produced the likes of Elvis Costello, Madness, Teardrop Explodes, David Bowie and Morrissey.

Listeners are also asked to vote for The Coral or The La's in Battle Of The Bands - a regular feature in Andrew's show when two comparable acts go head to head with the finest songs and archive interview clips.

Gideon Coe's Mid morning show
Each weekday Gideon's regular feature Great Lost Album will be from or relating to the Merseyside music scene and 6 Music listeners can vote for one of three tracks Gideon offers to play in full.

6 Music listeners can head down to The Picket on Hardman Street where they'll find the BBC bus waiting for them to pop in, log on and tell 6 Music all about their views on the Liverpool music scene.

For further information go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music or contact Juliet Wioland at BBC 6 Music Press office on 020 7765 4330.

The programming will also be documented throughout the week on BBC Radio Merseyside