Sound City’s move back into the centre of Liverpool seems to have gone down well with our man, Amos Wynn. He shares his thoughts.

Sound City 2021 proved to be a huge success and well worth the wait after multiple delays.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused chaos to the entire music industry, but as the live scene gets back up and running, we are being reminded just how special it can be.

This year’s festival picked up things superbly and included what could be one of the best days in its entire history.

Due to restrictions being in place back in May, Sound City found itself in a new slot.

With the British weather always being unpredictable, having the event in October made no difference to the smooth running of the weekend.

Another noticeable change was the venues.

After spending the last few years based in the Baltic Triangle, which was a huge hit, the festival made the move to the city centre.

On the whole this proved to a successful transition, with some of Liverpool’s best venues playing host to the array of talent on show.

With the Bombed-Out Church acting as a central hub, it felt special to be in the heart of the city.

The majestic Grand Central also proved to be a great main stage and provided a unique atmosphere.

One of the early acts to perform there was Sound City regulars Spinn.

The four-piece have got audiences dancing at the festival for years, and 2021 was no different.

They have certainly become masters of dreamy indie pop on the Liverpool music scene.

Older tracks like She Takes Her Time are perfectly complimented by their newer, more mature, songs.

Elsewhere, The Arts Club also acted as one of the new venues.

Despite being one of the best in the city, it was seemingly not big enough for fans of Snuts, with some stuck outside as the venue was bouncing to the sound of the Scottish band.

Up in the loft, local act Tom Rogan was demonstrating to the crowd he was yet another superb singer-songwriter currently in Liverpool. While he is known by many for his social media antics; the Arts Club crowd will remember him for a strong acoustic performance.

Saturday’s action started well, with Scottish band Parliamo and local five-piece The Sway keeping people entertained out of the rain in Leaf.

It will be exciting to see how the latter can grow in the next few years, as they hold the potential to join some of Liverpool’s best on the current music scene, and they’re certainly not short of a singer to get them there.

Over on the main stage, one of the best line-ups in Sound City history was getting underway, with Mason Owens kicking things off for a lot of the crowd.

He was shortly followed by Stanleys, who demonstrated Wigan has more than one talented band knocking about, as they delivered a smashing performance, with What’s Been And Gone sounding like a true anthem.

Monks and The Mysterines both proved to be huge in front of a home audience, setting things up perfectly for what was to follow.

First, it was Jamie Webster who can only be described as the new king of Liverpool after a rousing and spirited set.

His songs and lyrics represent working class people more than any politician ever could, with one party in particular coming under fire both on the stage and off it.

Webster took great pride in stating he enjoyed the crowd chanting “Fuck the Tories” more than hearing his own tracks being sung back to him.

The whole of the set provided powerful moments to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, in a truly immersive display.

If things couldn’t get better, the night was rounded off by the fantastic Red Rum Club.

The only way has been up for the band throughout the last few years, with each release better than the last.

A headline slot in their hometown is thoroughly deserved, and they made the most of the moment.

From a band who deserve to go all the way to the top, to one who are already there, as The Lathums took to Grand Central on the Sunday, just days after their debut album went to number one.

Songs from How Beautiful Life Can Be were well received by the crowd, as the Wigan act demonstrated their full range.

They were quick to show off their recent success, by walking on stage with their Official Charts trophy.

One of the best things about Sound City is the platform they provide for smaller acts.

Social Contract and Polar State both put on good shows in EBGBS, while Phoebe Axa provided some pop in Kazimier Gardens.

Rounding off the festival was Rejjie Snow, and even with some technical issues, he did a solid job at closing things.

Overall, Sound City has been greatly missed during the pandemic, and last weekend demonstrated just how vital it is.

The changes to the set up seemed to be a smooth transition, with the talent of the line-up setting the bar high for next year.