Could it be true? Are live gigs back? If you haven’t heard the news, it seems the UK is experimenting with hosting non-socially distanced concerts. Liverpool’s Sefton Park hosted 5,000 people (in a venue with a capacity of 7,500) but with zero face masks, social distancing, or vaccine passport requirements. Organized by Festival Republic, this concert serves as a pilot, the first officially non-socially distanced performance in the Northern hemisphere since the outbreak of COVID-19. The lineup included Zuzu, The Lathums, and British band Blossoms.
Comprised of Tom Ogden, Charlie Salt, Josh Dewhurst, Joe Donovan, and Myles Kellock, Blossoms paid tribute to Liverpool’s favorite sons with a cover of The Beatles‘ “Paperback Writer,” a track which they previously covered in an at home video during the early months of quarantine. Blossoms’ indie-pop sound nods to the history of rock music, and the high energy in their productions translates the melody of “Paperback Writer” seamlessly. Although it is usually more exciting for a band to change a cover more, Blossoms get a pass for staying true to the Beatles when performing the song in their home city.
While their live cover is less complex sonically than their at-home cover, this version had something that has been missing in cover songs for months: live crowd participation. Bathed in red light and smoke, the crowd pushes against the barrier as Ogden sings “he wants to be a paperback writer” and the 5,000 fans sing back.
🎥 PAPERBACK WRITER // @BlossomsBand covering @thebeatles @ Sefton Park pilot gig 2021 (Melodies? Nailed it) pic.twitter.com/O4UIOQBTEl
— At Most One Tour (@atmostonetour) May 3, 2021
For more great Beatles’ covers, click here – including another recent “Paperback Writer” cover by Saxon.
