The wharf at Burscough was developed into a retail and leisure complex in 2011 and its arts centre has a capacity of about a hundred. It must seem like Madison Square Garden to Henry Priestman compared to some of the venues he plays. Kitchens, launderettes, garden sheds, living rooms, back gardens are all the same to him.
For the uninitiated, Henry Priestman, born in Hull and a graduate of the Liverpool College of Art, has been a presence on the Liverpool music scene since the mid seventies with bands such as The Yachts, It's Immaterial and The Christians. In addition, he has composed music for X Box games, BBC wildlife programmes and the title song from the West end musical Dreamboats and Petticoats.
However, it is as a live performer that he really finds his metier, whatever the venue. "It's like a sing-along with a load of mates", he proclaims at one point. He is accompanied by his faithful companion of the road Les Glover aka Loved Up Les. They prove the perfect foil for each other. So simpatico is their relationship that when Henry needed a hernia operation earlier this year, Les' popped out in sympathy. They turn it into a game of one-upmanship, apparently a left side hernia is more painful than one on the right. Les wins the hernia wars.
Priestman has been suffering from a flu bug and takes the stage with an inhaler contraption that amuses Les: "Blue Velvet!" He exclaims. Requests for Roy Orbison's In Dreams are politely declined, as are those for Yachts songs: "They are too high!" he growls.
It would take more than mere illness to deter Priestman, in fact, he uses it to his advantage, revelling in his temporary "Barry White phase".
Many of the songs are are worldly wise, rather than weary. There is an acceptance, a recognition of the process of growing older as lines such as Old's "I'm the same age as my father was when I first thought he was old" serve to illustrate. The autobiographical "Did I Fight In The Punk Wars For This?" tells of how the values of punk were devalued: "What started out with good intention all just turned to shit." Then there is a rip roaring "Don't You Want Me No More", a song that rails against retirement or redundancy: "You gave me a clock, now it's stopped. The first half concludes with True Believer, where a quartet of local ukulele players join Henry and Les. It's an anthem of the eternal optimist.
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Part two opens with the sweet and tender Valentine Song which melts the collective heart of the audience. Touching and exquisite, a more affecting paean to love is very rarely heard. Similarly moving is "We Used To Be You" a topical tale that will strike a chord with any parents who have just seen there offspring leave for university. He Ain't Good Enough For You laments a daughter's choice of boyfriend, but "The thing that's really frightening is I think I was just like him and it hurts"
Les Glover is a fine singer songwriter in his own right, as the three songs he sings from his CD The Love Terrorist remind us. In-between his cheeky interjections and ringing the bell to signify the 'merch' stall is open, Rock Ferry Fox and I Am legend are delivered with wit, style and melody, as is his tribute to Hank Williams (with whom he shares a birthday) Hank and Me (The Hillbilly and the Punk").
One of Henry Priestman's best known songs is The Christians' Ideal World, originally written about apartheid, is particularly pertinent during these times and he sings it with heart and conviction: "Your money fills your pockets, Fear fills their tiny minds, At last the world is talking now, This ain't no way to treat mankind". It could have been written yesterday.
The finale has the whole room standing, stomping, clapping and whooping as The Coolest Dance (Irish Jig) careers manically through it's breathless coda. All this whilst Henry Priestman was feeling unwell. One question remains, just what exactly was in that inhaler?
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