This week’s Culture Radar guest is George Maund, Programmes & Operations Administrator at Metal Liverpool. George also plays in the band Landscraper and works on the Box Office team at The Tung Auditorium.
Loved: In a summer where the lack of Africa Oyé has been decidedly felt, it was a delight to catch Caribbean diasporic rhythms in the form of coastal Colombian hiphop group Systema Solar live at Future Yard. Thanks go to Luma Creations for the booking. Prior to that, it was hats-off time to the Independents Biennial for all they achieved in re-launching themselves back into the world – by taking over Port Sunlight – with perfect opening party music to supplement, courtesy of Queensway and co. Welcome back and well done, all!
Looking Forward To: Awaiting the return of the hard-working, attentive team behind the Quarry venue to what they do best – this time at the former Magnet premises, 45 Hardman Street – has to be the most anticipated moment of the year for me. Right before that they’re hosting a gig at Metal on Sunday 3 August, one for any fan or frenemy of the snare drum.
Trivia: We’re super proud of our Cultural Welcome Guide, a printed plain English booklet that acts as an introduction to all Liverpool’s free museums, galleries, festivals and other venues. It’s also available in Arabic and Ukrainian online. The CWG was put together with and for new arrivals to the city, specifically refugees and asylum seekers. Metal’s site in Liverpool was witness to the first ever train journey almost 200 years ago, a moment that ushered in the modern era by ‘making the world smaller’ through industrial transport. Go figure!