Brad asked people to “not be disheartened”
Brad Kella performing at the Tickle the Ivories festival in Liverpool ONE(Image: Liverpool ONE)
Brad Kella tried to reassure his Scouse fans as he was asked why he won’t be performing in Liverpool during his upcoming tour. The pianist has become a household name since he starred in and won Channel 4’s The Piano last year.
Growing up in Bootle, he and his twin brother entered foster care at the age of seven, and later he endured periods of homelessness. Things began to change for him when his performance on one of the Tickle the Ivories pianos in Liverpool ONE caught the attention of Channel 4 producers, leading to his life-changing participation in The Piano. After winning the show, he has gone on to perform in venues such as the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London as well support Gary Barlow on his national tour.
Yesterday morning, Brad played on one of the public pianos to mark the start of the Tickle the Ivories Piano Festival, which is returning for its 15th anniversary in 2025. This took place at the grass-covered steps in Liverpool ONE, officially known as the Sugar House Steps.
Brad’s performance attracted many onlookers in town. Speaking to the ECHO, Brad, who now lives in Fazakerley, said it felt like a “full circle moment”. He said: “A year and a half ago, I was homeless playing on these streets trying to earn money through a bucket, so the fact that I’m here today after finishing a tour with Gary Barlow and the album being out is just amazing.”
Brad’s debut album, ‘Phoebe’s Melody’, released last month, is named after his two young daughters, Phoebe and Melody. This familial tribute is “pure legacy” for the father of two.
He said: “I know I’m not going to be here forever, but I want them to know that their dad has tried his best and has got an album with their names on.”
Brad Kella spoke to the ECHO after his performance yesterday morning(Image: Liverpool ONE)
Brad added that fatherhood is “a massive responsibility”. He said: “I was so scared and pessimistic going into it at a young age, but they’ve brought more emotion to my music. I’m more committed to my music sounding good because I want to make a living out of it for my kids.”
Brad is hoping to do just that through his upcoming tour, with him taking on four cities across the UK in early autumn. Notably, Liverpool is not a stop on the tour.
When the ECHO asked him for a reason behind the absence of a hometown show, he said: “I can’t say too much because my management will get me in trouble, but don’t be disheartened, we want to give this city something a bit more special.”
Despite the national attention he has received, he is determined to ensure to retain his ties to his roots. He said: “It’s always good to remember where you came from. I play to all types of audiences but the one thing I’ll always emphasise is the fact that I’m a Scouser. I’m proud that I’m a Scouser and I love this city to bits.”
This year’s theme for Tickle the Ivories is The Power of Music, with five specially designed pianos created in collaboration with local artists positioned across Liverpool ONE. One of the pianos has been specially designed in honour of Brad Kella and his story, which will become a returning feature each year.
The musician’s ambition is to inspire Scousers and beyond with his new piano, hoping that people will “see my name on the piano and look me up and want to come and play”. It’s not just pianists he seeks to encourage though.
Brad claimed he wanted everyone with a “big ambition” to believe in themselves. He said: “I love seeing other people do well, it’s the one thing that brings me happiness.”
The 24-year-old has already achieved so much in such a short space of time, from his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” for John Lewis’ 2024 Christmas advert to his sold-out performance at the Liverpool Philharmonic, but he has no plans of stopping there. He’s playing a number of festivals across the UK this summer and dreams to compose music for “a big film”.
pianos has been specially designed in honour of Brad and his story(Image: Liverpool ONE)
The free-to-use pianos are located at the steps by John Lewis, South John Street, Peter’s Square, College Lane and the entrance of the ODEON cinema.
The festival is hoping to encourage local talent to get involved and fill the streets of Liverpool city centre with symphonies of every genre from classical through to dance music.
Geoff Metcalfe, a pianist and specialist piano tuner who has been looking after the Tickle the Ivories pianos for the last 14 years, also performed yesterday.
Geoff also tuned and played piano for one of Adele’s albums in the record studio. Recently, he tuned Bruce Springsteen’s piano ahead of his sold-out Anfield concerts.
There was also a performance of Liverpool Inspirational Voices The Bradbury Fields choir, led by Tim Taylor. This commemorated the late Frank McFarlane, who was a regular pianist over the years and hosted several ‘pianothons’ and fundraisers for Bradbury Fields.
Liverpool Inspirational Voices is a health and wellbeing service offered by Bradbury Fields, a charity that works with blind, partially sighted and people with dual sensory impairments to achieve their potential.