I had the fabbest day yesterday in Hope Street at The Hope Street Feast.

If you’ve never been before it’s the bestest thing. There’s so much weird and wonderful stuff going on as well as some great music too.

And Hope Street really does need celebrating in my view.

I started off with a full set on The Phil’s outdoor stage in Myrtle Street that was a joy to play. Thanks everyone for turning up and singing along.

Then came the biggest treat of all. After my set, I whizzed next door into the Philharmonic itself where Ian Prowse (of Amsterdam and Pele fame) had asked me to play a song with him during his set.

I’ve never played the Phil before – one of the few Liverpool venues I’ve not – so I was delighted to accept Ian’s offer.

We didn’t know what we were going to play yet of course. Ian suggested an old Billy Bragg rocking number, To Have And Have Not.

I’ve not played that since I was a stroppy teenager but there’s a compartment in my head labeled “Billy Bragg Songs”, so all I needed to do was open that and it all came flooding back.

A quick rehearsal back stage ten minutes before we went on stage and we nailed it.

The Phil itself was packed out which was brilliant. What a lovely venue it is. I always felt it would be a lovely place to settle down and play some music for people and I wasn’t wrong.

And then 1,2,3,4 – “Up in the morning and out to school, mother says there’ll be no work next year!!”

Joyous stuff. Great to have the teenage nostalgia mixed in too.

And you know what the hardest part about singing Billy’s songs is? Not drifting into a cockney accent. It took me all my Scouseness to sing in my own voice and avoid yelling “Ap in the morrrrnin an ahhht to school.”

I managed it though. A great day.

(Thanks to my namesake Sue Parry who was sat in the front row and took the snap on her phone.)

I’ll be appearing on the After 8 stage run by The Phil’s Rodewald Suite at The Hope Street Feast on Sunday 18th September.

As ever, it’s a great line up with the likes of Amsterdam’s Ian Prowse and Groundpig’s John O’Connell playing the same stage during the day.

You can catch my set at 2.45pm, and the stage itself is in Myrtle Street.

If you look in the publicity it doesn’t name me, it just has Special Guest. Which makes me feel all super important hehe. I might even wear shades.

Oh alright then, I won’t. But I will have a great time, so come and join me.

On Monday (August 15th) I’ll be singing as part of the Liverpool Bloody Tuesday Commemoration.

This is the 100th anniversary of the day that two unarmed Liverpool men were shot dead by soldiers on Vauxhall Road during the 1911 Transport Strike.

The soldiers had been sent onto the streets to help put down the strike by Winston Churchill. Five days later, two more civilians were killed by troops in Llanelli.

These are the last occasions in history when British soldiers have killed civilians on the streets of mainland Britain.

As with Bloody Sunday, Churchill and the government whitewashed the whole thing.

This event is aimed at restoring to public memory the names of the two men killed, John W. Sutcliffe and Michael Prendergast.

It may also serve as a reminder to those calling for troops to be sent onto the streets today.

I will be singing as part of the ceremony, as will Ian Prowse from the Liverpool band Amsterdam.

MEET AT THE ELDONIAN VILLAGE HALL, VAUXHALL ROAD, LIVERPOOL, AT 11AM, MONDAY 15 AUGUST 2011.

TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAYING OF WREATHS AT THE SHOOTING SITES AND AT FORD CEMETERY

It has to be one of my favourite local festivals this one. Liverpool’s Irish Festival begins today with a stunning programme of events.

There’s too much to detail here but the highlights are Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Brian Kennedy, The Irish Sea Sessions, Damien Dempsey with Amsterdam, and TV comic Dara O Briain.

Full event details are here

Two years ago this wonderful festival was the reason I ended up writing my song The Limerick Soviet, of which I knew nothing up until that point, so I’m forever thankful to it.

Press play to hear it:

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Click here to find out the full story of The Limerick Soviet

Following the dreadful events in Haiti leaving thousands dead and even more without hope, a benefit gig will be taking place at The Cavern Club in Liverpool on Friday 29th January 2010.

As well as myself, it will feature Nigel Clarke of Dodgy, Ian Prowse of Amsterdam and Pele, and Darren Poyzer and band, plus others that organiser Clair Chapman is trying to get confirmed.

Tickets are £10. All proceeds go to Plan UK who are working in the affected areas.

Hope you can come along. Tickets are now on sale from The Cavern.

More details here at the Love Haiti website.