Check out the summer pops in Liverpool, a city with a great past and a tremendous future. Visitors can enjoy a huge variety of world-class attractions, ranging from the historic and artistic to summer pops music events and sporting. That is a list of a few of the best, but this list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many more great reasons to visit this vibrant city besides the summer pops. Liverpool 2008 is the European Capital of Culture! Liverpool delivers a vibrant blend of art, architecture, music (like the summer pops), sport and history, and well deserves the title European Capital of Culture 2008. Come and discover this wonderful city for yourself, with a break in one of its most luxurious hotels that are near all the attractions, including the summer pops events.
The summer pops in 2001 brought the legend that is Shirley Bassey to Liverpool, giving the summer pops an artist of world famous stature to add to the proceedings. She is a superstar who was ready to wow the summer pops audience with a voice that is known for being even more stunning in a live performance, than on recordings. Ms Bassey brought some essential glamour to the summer pops stage, entering the stage in a silver-sequinned halter neck dress and huge earrings. True to the diamonds she sings about, she displayed a huge diamond on her right hand, showing her as an A-list performer at the summer pops event. The singer was clearly out for a good time, using her unique and powerful voice and charismatic stage presence to give a great show to the summer pops throng of admirers.
Not only does she use her amazing lungs and vocal range – she also performs with her whole body, using her arms for expression and ‘owning’ the summer pops stage. Her performance at the summer pops was riveting and the welsh diva from Tiger Bay, brought her inimitable and natural style to the summer pops crowd, covering classic songs in her very own special way. Summer pops crowd members were treated to her own versions of The Doors’ Light My Fire, Crazy originally by Patsy Cline and the all time Liverpool favourite of Hey Jude by local legends, The Beatles. The 4000 strong summer pops crowd were obviously stunned by the rendition and joined in to sing the chorus with the singer.
Shirley Bassey completed her amazing summer pops performance by giving the audience the best of her greatest hits and most well known tunes. She powered through classics like Big Spender and Something, while treating James Bond fans at the summer pops to Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever, before throwing red carnation into the grateful summer pops throng.
Reportedly it was the hottest day in the city since the mid 1970s for the summer pops in 2003. Headlining the summer pops was another legend of the music world James Brown who promised to heat up proceedings at the summer pops even further – as the godfather of soul! He was fashionably late to appear on the stage, just over half an hour, but it was worth the wait and increased the sense of drama for the summer pops crowd. After stepping off their red hot soul train, the band came on stage, resplendent in a bright red blazer jackets and contrasting white pants, ready to give a great performance for the summer pops event and Liverpool crowd. Then followed even more of a build-up, with a long jam session from the backing musicians and the ten strong band got the whole crowd at the summer pops up on their feet!
The atmosphere was amazing as everyone started to dance but still no sign of Mr Brown himself – but the summer pops crowd were still excited! Someone then came on stage – but it wasn’t the big man himself! The summer pops compere came on in a beautiful white suit to make sure we all knew this was going to be a big American-style affair for the summer pops. The introduction we were treated to was: “Here is the hardest working man in show business!” and then the great man himself finally came on stage to a warm summer pops reception. He didn’t disappoint with his usual high energy and fancy footwork, while giving out his hits of ‘Living in America’ and ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’. He finished off this summer pops night with a fantastic rendition of ‘Sex Machine’ with couples dancing together in the aisles and the summer pops crowd erupted into applause when the song finished. Truly a night to remember at the summer pops in 2003, and not just because of the weather, but the hot entertainment on the summer pops stage!
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