Jamie Webster earns local hero status with historic show in Liverpool
On Saturday evening, Jamie Webster proved that he is Liverpool’s new favourite son with a celebratory sell-out show at the M&S Bank Arena. Previously, the only Liverpool-born solo artist to achieve this feat was Paul McCartney, and now, Webster can place his name next to the Beatle.
The 11,000 fans treated the local singer-songwriter like a god, and a sense of uplifting unity filled the arena. At the moment, life is tough for everyone, with prices soaring and wages stagnating, but Webster managed to bring his hometown together for one night. To be part of an amalgamation of solidarity on that scale was a powerful and moving experience, even if the venue marred it ever so slightly.
Unfortunately, before getting stuck into the positives, it’s time to discuss the elephant in the room. During Webster’s set, he told the crowd on more than one occasion that police were trying to shut the concert down and that he was being instructed to get off-stage, which he defiantly ignored. According to the Liverpool Echo, this was due to reports of overcrowding, and a full investigation has now been launched.
As I was seated for the concert, I didn’t witness any overcrowding in my section or see any unsavoury scenes and was unsure why the police were trying to stop the show. However, speaking firsthand, the queues at the box office were long and winding, with plentiful people struggling with their tickets which caused a lengthy wait.
There was a special atmosphere in the arena from the offset, with local band The Sway opening up the ceremony before The Snuts showed their sound was capable of conquering arenas. Webster previously supported the Scottish rockers at their Brixton Academy show, and they thrillingly repaid the favour. Unfortunately, most of the 45-minute interval was spent queuing to get a pint, which felt as though it stretched for miles. However, all was forgotten as soon as Webster stepped on stage to a rapturous reception and sent the crowd into delirium.
While he’s undoubtedly a political singer-songwriter, ultimately, Webster simply writes about the world around him and is unafraid to use his voice to speak out against injustice. The crowd see the world through the same lens and feel the same anger as Webster when they sing ‘Davey Kane’, which is about the desperate need for prison reform in the United Kingdom. Everybody knows their equivalent to the ‘North End Kid’ and shares a disdain for the Tory government, who backdrops a wealth of Webster’s work.
You’ve likely seen videos on social media from his concerts of Webster leading his crowd through a chant of “F*ck The Tories”, which has become his USP. From the offset, the crowds were chanting between songs, and when the singer finally gave the audience the greenlight to yell his phrase, the atmosphere somehow found an extra layer of hysteria.
Coincidentally, shortly after I wrote in my notes a suggestion that Webster is this generation’s equivalent to Billy Bragg, he miraculously appeared. Bragg had booked him to perform at the Left Field Stage at Glastonbury, which kickstarted a friendship between the pair. As we were in Liverpool, they fittingly played Bragg’s track, ‘Scousers Never Buy The Sun’, which was met emotionally.
Webster also paid a heartfelt tribute to Paul McCartney during the set by covering The Beatles classic, ‘Blackbird’. He also welcomed rising indie artist Brooke Combe to duet on Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)’, who wowed with her impressive vocals.
After resisting pressure from the police to get off stage on three occasions, Webster stayed to perform his closing tracks rather than going through a ceremonious encore. For his final song, ‘Weekend In Paradise’, there wasn’t a single person in the arena not belting it out at the top of their voice with every fibre of their body.
Despite logistical issues with the venue, which could have ruined the evening, Webster successfully cemented his status into Liverpool folklore. In the short space of a few years, he’s evolved from playing in the city’s bars to selling out the largest indoor venue in town, which should be an inspiring tale for any young, hopeful musician. As far as the population of Liverpool are concerned, Webster is a superstar, and more importantly, he’s one of their own.
