Anfield showpiece plan as dock concert moved

Sep 17 2007 By David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

A MAJOR concert is to be staged at Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium as a highlight of the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations next year, the Daily Post can reveal.

The Liverpool Sound gig is being switched from the Salthouse Dock, which organisers had hoped could be drained in order to create a spectacular “floating” stage.

Last night, council leader Warren Bradley promised a “superb” world-class event, which would attract thousands to enjoy the music of famous names from the city and beyond, on the second May bank holiday of 2008.

Paul McCartney has been widely touted as the headline act for the showcase open air show, but his appearance is yet to be officially confirmed. Sources close to the Liverpool Culture Company last night revealed the decision to change venues followed a detailed risk analysis of plans to stage the gig at the Salthouse Dock.

The Daily Post understands organisers were keen to avoid an embarrassing repeat of the last- minute cancellation of the Mathew Street festival for health and safety reasons, two weeks before it was due to go ahead this August bank holiday.

The Salthouse plan would have involved draining the dock, which is between the Albert Dock and Wapping, then building a stage and tiers of seating to hold up to 25,000 people.

The basin would have then been re-filled so the stage appeared to be floating on the water for the Sound gig, which is being touted as one of 78 highlights of the 2008 programme.

Others would include the Tall Ships race, the return of the Clippers from their round-the- world race , and the Tour of Britain cycle race, as well as spectacular opening and closing ceremonies.

Insiders said the plan had been complicated by the sheer number of agencies involved in making it happen. It is understood the technicalities of draining the dock would also have made the venture extremely expensive.

Organisers are said to have decided the most sensible option was to stage the event at an existing venue, and the views of leading artists were also taken into account over the decision to move it to Anfield.

It comes after the Daily Post revealed last month that plans for Sound at Salthouse, billed as: “one of the highlights in the (2008) calendar that will reverberate around the world with the greatest pop music of our times”, were looking uncertain because of worryingly high cost estimates.

It is hoped the event next May 26 will attract global coverage, and talks with television companies over rights to broadcast the concert are understood to be continuing.

Last night, Cllr Bradley said: “This will be a massive music concert to identify all the genres that have made people famous in the city, from pop to jazz to classical.

“The concert that will take place in 2008 will be absolutely superb, bringing in some of our famous stars from the city and some not from the city.”

The council has gone out to tender for a public relations company to help in the delivery of the event. In the tender document, the council states the concert will be “a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience over the late bank holiday weekend 26 May 2008, a live concert in a world heritage setting.

“A surprising show with world- famous contemporary stars who can talk of how the Liverpool music scene inspired them and their music and how that music has travelled around the world and come back home to be redefined in the place it was born.

“An international concert, world-class musicians, funny and famous hosts and a fantastic waterside location.”

Last night, opposition leader Joe Anderson hit out at the decision to switch the venue. He said a show supposed to showcase the city’s historic waterfront had turned into something “ordinary”.

Cllr Anderson said: “It’s another embarrassment. It was supposed to be a showcase of the city and its waterfront.

“It’s not the first time there has been a gig at Anfield. There is certainly nothing individual or exciting about this.

“It’s another let-down. Something that they shouted from the roof tops was going to happen, and it ain’t.”

The Liverpool Culture Company last night declined to comment and the Daily Post was unable to contact Liverpool FC.

Former Mersey TV boss Phil Redmond, who was last week given responsibility for overseeing the artistic programme for 2008, said: "Negotiations are still ongoing but the planned concert is to form the focal point of a celebration and reminder of how the Mersey Sound shook the world. It is the concept behind the event that is important – not the venue - as any nightime concert in the dark needs more than a simple lightshow. This one will have something unique; something that only Liverpool’s musical heritage can provide"