Alun Parry
Encyclopedia
Alun Parry is an English
folk singer/ songwriter and community music festival organiser from Liverpool
.
Parry began his musical career as busker shortly after learning to play guitar, and went on to be awarded the title of Merseyside
’s number one busker by the local media. He is known for his slice of life lyrics and punchy performance style. A story telling musician, Parry often weaves social commentary into his tales, and political songs feature as part of his repertoire.
He went on to become a solo acoustic artist before recording his first album Corridors of Stone in November 2006. The album represented a new sound for Parry as he was backed by drummer Thomas Western and bass player Rob Harper, formerly a keyboard player with The Mighty Wah.
Lianne Steinberg, a music writer in the Big Issue said of the album: "The Liverpudlian singer-songwriter packs more weight in the punch of his folk songs than most acoustic musicians do in a lifetime".
Parry followed this up with a commemorative EP of original songs dedicated to Liverpool
to celebrate the city's 800th Birthday, featuring drummer Howard Northover and bassist Chad Draper.
Spencer Leigh described Parry as "one of the most incisive songwriters on Merseyside". BBC Radio’s longest running folk radio programme, BBC Radio Merseyside
's Folkscene, featured Parry’s music during a one hour profile, broadcast in December 2006, and a second one hour profile in September 2009.
Parry has been a champion of the local music scene, having promoted Second Friday events, Payday Playtime band nights at 'The Casa' and for hosting his weekly Acoustic Slice showcases at Liverpool's Parr Street Studios from 2006 to 2008. Liverpool.com described Acoustic Slice as "by far the best acoustic night in Liverpool."
The Liverpool Echo
, in the run up to European Capital of Culture
year, named Alun Parry, along with the city's other poets, playwrights, authors and songwriters within the top 30 reasons why Liverpool was culturally great. In January 2008 Parry was chosen by BBC Radio 4
to present a grassroots music special to introduce Liverpool
’s European Capital of Culture celebrations.
Parry is also the founder and organiser of the Liverpool Working Class Music Festival, supported by the TUC, which has taken place annually since September 2008 with the aim of bringing the very best radical musicians to Liverpool for a celebration of working class life through music and song. It is the only annual festival dedicated to political song in Europe.
In September 2009 the album We Can Make The World Stop was released by Irregular Records, a Brighton based record label specialising in radical song, and closely associated with protest singer Robb Johnson
. Other performers supporting Alun on the album were Barry Briercliffe, Stu Thompson, Jon Withnall and Sharon Latham.
In February 2010, Parry founded and launched the Woody Guthrie Folk Club which aims at being a home to songs of struggle, humour and justice. The folk club takes place monthly on the final Thursday of each month.
Outside of music, Alun Parry was the founder of AFC Liverpool, a co-operative football club who have been playing in the North West Counties League Division One since the 2008/2009 season. He stood down from the club chairman's role in November 2008 but was unanimously made Life President by supporters at the club's AGM in August 2009.
He is the presenter and producer of the fortnightly football podcast LFC KopCast.
He is also a social documentary film maker. He is the co-director of the social documentary My Fifties Liverpool which was screened at FACT Independent Cinema in April 2011.
He is a graduate of the University of Liverpool
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
folk singer/ songwriter and community music festival organiser from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
Parry began his musical career as busker shortly after learning to play guitar, and went on to be awarded the title of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
’s number one busker by the local media. He is known for his slice of life lyrics and punchy performance style. A story telling musician, Parry often weaves social commentary into his tales, and political songs feature as part of his repertoire.
He went on to become a solo acoustic artist before recording his first album Corridors of Stone in November 2006. The album represented a new sound for Parry as he was backed by drummer Thomas Western and bass player Rob Harper, formerly a keyboard player with The Mighty Wah.
Lianne Steinberg, a music writer in the Big Issue said of the album: "The Liverpudlian singer-songwriter packs more weight in the punch of his folk songs than most acoustic musicians do in a lifetime".
Parry followed this up with a commemorative EP of original songs dedicated to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to celebrate the city's 800th Birthday, featuring drummer Howard Northover and bassist Chad Draper.
Spencer Leigh described Parry as "one of the most incisive songwriters on Merseyside". BBC Radio’s longest running folk radio programme, BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
's Folkscene, featured Parry’s music during a one hour profile, broadcast in December 2006, and a second one hour profile in September 2009.
Parry has been a champion of the local music scene, having promoted Second Friday events, Payday Playtime band nights at 'The Casa' and for hosting his weekly Acoustic Slice showcases at Liverpool's Parr Street Studios from 2006 to 2008. Liverpool.com described Acoustic Slice as "by far the best acoustic night in Liverpool."
The Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
, in the run up to European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
year, named Alun Parry, along with the city's other poets, playwrights, authors and songwriters within the top 30 reasons why Liverpool was culturally great. In January 2008 Parry was chosen by BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
to present a grassroots music special to introduce Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
’s European Capital of Culture celebrations.
Parry is also the founder and organiser of the Liverpool Working Class Music Festival, supported by the TUC, which has taken place annually since September 2008 with the aim of bringing the very best radical musicians to Liverpool for a celebration of working class life through music and song. It is the only annual festival dedicated to political song in Europe.
In September 2009 the album We Can Make The World Stop was released by Irregular Records, a Brighton based record label specialising in radical song, and closely associated with protest singer Robb Johnson
Robb Johnson
Robb Jenner Johnson is a British musician and songwriter, who has been called "one of the last genuinely political songwriters", and is known for his mix of political satire and wit...
. Other performers supporting Alun on the album were Barry Briercliffe, Stu Thompson, Jon Withnall and Sharon Latham.
In February 2010, Parry founded and launched the Woody Guthrie Folk Club which aims at being a home to songs of struggle, humour and justice. The folk club takes place monthly on the final Thursday of each month.
Outside of music, Alun Parry was the founder of AFC Liverpool, a co-operative football club who have been playing in the North West Counties League Division One since the 2008/2009 season. He stood down from the club chairman's role in November 2008 but was unanimously made Life President by supporters at the club's AGM in August 2009.
He is the presenter and producer of the fortnightly football podcast LFC KopCast.
He is also a social documentary film maker. He is the co-director of the social documentary My Fifties Liverpool which was screened at FACT Independent Cinema in April 2011.
He is a graduate of the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
.
Discography
- Corridors of Stone (2006)
- Liverpool 800 EP (2007)
- We Can Make The World Stop (2009)