A new walking tour reveals little-known stories from Sefton Park\u2019s music and arts scene including connections with artists from the Bunnymen to Oasis, Pulp and the 1975.<\/p>\n
The two-hour tour has been created by Paul Fitzgerald, who\u2019s spent most of his life connected in various ways to music in the city. After starting out in bands, he went on to be a tour manager, work in merchandising, music education and \u2013 after five years running the Bridewell \u2013 most recently as a music writer It was writing a monthly column focused on Liverpool music history, particularly from the \u201880s and \u201890s, that he first came up with the idea of The Music and Art of Sefton Park walking tour.<\/p>\n
He said:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been really passionate about the things that happen in this city, the little known bits and weird daft facts. It\u2019s not all mop tops and pretty buildings, there\u2019s a lot more than that, and it\u2019s not all in the city centre, there\u2019s so much outside of the centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to have a tour that\u2019s unique, covering the history of this area and specifically the park, and how it inspired and continues to inspire musicians and artists.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul\u2019s own love of music is rooted in Sefton Park, when he went as a 15-year-old to see Echo & the Bunnymen play Larks in the Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf all the thousands of gigs I\u2019ve been to since, that\u2019s still the one that stands out. That\u2019s where all of this really started for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe things that are in this tour are a lot of the reason I live in Aigburth and I brought my kids up here. When I was still living at home in Childwall and at catering college, I started going to the lunchtime sessions they brought back at the Cavern.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone said to me, \u2018if you go to the Albert in Lark Lane you might see one of Echo & The Bunnymen drinking in there\u2019 so I used to get the 68 down to Lark Lane and every time I went back for things like Larks in the Park or Earthbeat or the parties that used to happen, I always thought I\u2019d love to live there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first moved here, we knew we\u2019d stay, and the energy and atmosphere still exists down there now and it still hasn\u2019t lost its magic for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul put around two years of research into compiling the tour, which is packed with information and quirky tales most people have never heard before.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more than a walk in the park \u2013 it\u2019s for people who want to know more, beyond the Beatles, and hear the stories they don\u2019t already know. There are no documentaries about the things that are mentioned in my tour and that\u2019s what I wanted: to stand outside of traditional Liverpool tourism.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Music and Art of Sefton Park walking tour starts at St Michael\u2019s train station, passing the historic St Michael\u2019s Church which has become one of Liverpool\u2019s best live music venues.<\/p>\n
Then it\u2019s over Aigburth Road via Sefton Park library to Livingston Drive, which was home to lots of bands and artists in the 80s and 90s and, as a result, many of Paul\u2019s anecdotes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe go on to Stuart Sutcliffe\u2019s house in the park, up to bandstand where Larks in the Park, the BBC gigs, and Earthbeat festival were, and then take it forward to the big stuff that goes on now.<\/p>\n
\u201cLastly we hit the Lane and that\u2019s when the stories pile on top of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
They include a who\u2019s who of famous names who lived, worked and drank there, such as Courtney Love at the Albert and Bjork playing the Police Station when she was just a teenager.<\/p>\n
The tour ends at the Motor Museum recording studio, which is where the connection with all kinds of bands from Oasis and The 1975 to Atomic Kitten comes in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Paul launched the Liverpool Culture Walks with research help from some of those featured on it, and he hopes to build on the concept.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is to have my own tour, but long-term to get other people who have similar passions, similar cultural interests or backgrounds who want to do their own tours under Liverpool Culture Walks, so eventually I hope it\u2019s going to build into something much bigger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI plan to back it up with events too and audio tours which people can download and take in their own time.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy point is to be different, to step outside the usual sights and say, \u2018what else is here?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Find out more about the Sefton Park walking tours here<\/a>. Find out what\u2019s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n From the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North \u2013 visit\u00a0thenorthernguide.com<\/a>\u00a0and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram\u00a0HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nFind more music events across Liverpool here<\/a>. <\/p>\n