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Vice Blog

SCANDINAVIA – LIVERPOOL SOUNDCITY!

I woke up the next morning with that sweet sensation you get whenever you wake up in a luxury hotel. But this heavenly feeling was quickly interrupted by some disturbing news. I got a call from reception saying that my room in the Beatles hotel had been double-booked, and I had ten minutes to get out. So much for the English breakfast!

It’s against my principles to do anything before a cup of strong coffee. While I was drinking it, I got a call from Liverpool’s own Anna Maloney. She was already waiting for me at reception. I gulped down my coffee, showered, packed my things and ran down to meet here.

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Anna works for VisitBritain and knows everything about her hometown Liverpool. We took a cab over to Tate Liverpool for some lunch and the opening of a Gustav Klimt exhibition. Liverpool, if you didn't know, is the European capital of culture this year, which explains why there are a host of marvelous cultural happenings going on. I really enjoyed the exhibition, but I enjoyed the champagne we had for lunch even more. Afterwards we cabbed it over to my new hotel called, er, Parr Street Studios. I was a little cautious as I watched the grand old buildings of the town centre disappear, and saw the streets getting narrower. But not to worry! Parr Street Studios turned out not only to be a famous recording studio for bands like Echo and The Bunnymen, but also a hip hotel with Marimekko fabrics covering the room sofas. I quickly settled into my neat little room, and headed out to explore my surroundings.

This side of town was a little funkier (see photo), with a bunch of charming little cafés crammed in next to each other. It seemed I was now living in the bohemian part of town. The atmosphere was more relaxed. I had coffee and caramel pie and ventured into a cute little second-hand vinyl store just to be part of the vibe. I visited a bombed-out church where some hippies are now putting on punk rock shows. I then remembered that I wanted to see some shows that night, so I headed back to the hotel to freshen up.

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I saw Sons And Daughters play at the good old Carling Academy, but they were a bit of a disappointment. It seemed to me they didn’t have what it takes to be a brilliant recording artist. I’m particularly referring to good songs here.

I soon left in hopes of catching Silver Jews at Zanzibar, but as soon as I arrived at the door, I was told that the place was packed and that only a platinum pass was going to get me in.  I then

headed across the street to the beautiful Alma de Cuba, an old white church turned into a nightclub.

Santogold was playing, and she rocked like a little motherfucker. There was something great about her and her DJ and the two sidekicks giving it on the altar of an old church. My mood got so uplifted that I even went as far as buying a beer. After finishing it I walked around the corner to my hotel room to catch some sleep.