Timely decision saves the day

Sep 17 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

MANY people thought the idea of draining a dock and staging a concert there sounded ambitious when it was first mooted – and that now indeed appears to be the case.

But never let it be said that Liverpool cannot acknowledge the lessons of history and act accordingly, because the event that is to take its place next May will be one of the undoubted musical highlights not just of Capital of Culture celebrations, but Britain’s entire musical calendar next year.

The original proposals to stun the unsuspecting fish, drain the Salthouse Dock, and usher the crowds into tiers of seating around the sides for next spring’s Liverpool Sound gig certainly captured the headlines – and the imagination of many – when the ides first emerged.

But it is to Liverpool’s credit that alarm bells over the complexities of organising such an event are sounding now, when there is still a full nine months to go, rather than when there might only be a few weeks to go . . . with disastrous consequences.

We have witnessed this summer what happens when events are called off at unpardonably short notice, as with the Mathew Street Festival, and it did Liverpool no favours.

This time around, however, those responsible for the concert have been courageous enough to bow to the immense difficulties involved in good time – and nothing will be lost.

Instead, Liverpool has the mouth- watering prospect of a rare concert in the magnificent Anfield stadium, with the calibre of performers on the day ex- pected to attract global interest, including possibly extensive TV coverage.

This will be a prestigious event in a world-famous venue, with the eyes of the world trained on Liverpool. The city council must be commended for their pragmatism in forestalling the shame of another possible fiasco.

As we have said before, there is still every expectation that Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year will be the best ever. Developments such as this show we are still very much on track.