Shaun, one of our team, visited the British Music Experience in Liverpool recently and then took a trip on the world-famous Mersey Ferry. This is his blog about a great day out...

One of the best things about big cities is that there is always something new to do, and Liverpool is no exception. Having lived in North West England for 25 years before moving to Shropshire, I have been to Liverpool many times, but I have never visited the British Music Experience – which opened in 2017 - nor have I been on a ferry across the Mersey, so I thought it was time to change this!

Liverpool is famous as the home of The Beatles and the city is packed with sights relating to The Fab Four, but many people also see Liverpool as the spiritual home of British pop music, as so many talented singers and performers have come from there. It is designated as a UNESCO City of Music.

Liverpool has a number of first-class museums, including The Beatles Story, so the competition for visitors is great. The British Music Experience, tucked away in the magnificent Cunard Building – one of the ‘Three Graces’ on Liverpool’s Waterfront – is perhaps one of the lesser-known attractions, but it really shouldn’t be.

The British Music Experience tells the story of British rock and pop from its early days born out of American jazz and blues, right through to the present day and the likes of Adele, Harry Styles and Dua Lipa. It’s not a huge museum and an hour and a half is probably enough time to do it justice, but it really is a fascinating place to visit for music lovers of all ages.

My main reason for visiting was to see their temporary Live Aid exhibition, which celebrates 40 years since the global phenomenon raised millions to help alleviate poverty, and it was a real nostalgia trip reminiscing about the amazing event at Wembley Stadium that I went to when I was a teenager. 

Along with the displays, there is a film or performance every 30 minutes. A couple of these were about Live Aid, but we were told to expect the unexpected, and it was a shock to most people when Boy George appeared on stage singing Karma Chameleon. (Well, OK, a very realistic holographic image!)

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful in the museum and explained how to get the most out of our visit. An audio tour was available via cell phone for those who wanted it.

British popular music took off in the 1950s with the likes of ‘trad jazz’ and ‘skiffle’, which fused American folk, blues and jazz. We discovered that in 1962, before Beatlemania, jazz clarinettist Acker Bilk was the first British act to top the American charts with Stranger on the Shore. Of course, it was the 1960s when British pop music conquered the world and there was plenty to see relating to The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the explosion in female singers such as Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Cilla Black and Petula Clark.

Spot the famous faces in the Star Café at the British Music Experience!

Moving on to the 1970s, we were transported to the glam rock era, when the biggest stars were David Bowie, Elton John and Queen. Punk hit the headlines in the late 70s and it’s hard to imagine now just what an earthquake that caused. Of course, the 80s was the era of excess and the displays highlighted how political and economic change affected popular music. Brit Pop and Cool Britannia dominated the 90s, when Oasis, Blur and The Spice Girls hit the charts.

Travelling through the decades, the whole experience focused on major British performers, many of whom had donated memorabilia, as well as the biggest trends of each era and, while there is so much more that could have been covered if space was unlimited, it’s a fascinating attraction to visit, with so much to enjoy. For those looking for a more hands-on approach, there were instruments to play, as well as a vocal booth and dance studio…

It’s easy to forget just what a big influence British pop and rock music has had globally, but the British Music Experience sets out to show just how important it was – and still is.

The Liver Building from the Gerry Marsden Terminal

Mersey Ferries' Gerry Marsden Terminal is literally over the road from the British Music Experience, so we quickly joined the queue for the last River Explorer Cruise of the day. A trip on the Mersey really is a must in Liverpool – on the ferry made famous in the song Ferry Across the Mersey, written by Gerry Marsden and performed by Gerry and the Pacemakers. It’s great to see all the landmarks from a different perspective, and the informative commentary explained so much. I had no idea that, in the early 60s, before they made it big, The Beatles performed on 'Riverboat Shuffle' cruises on the ferry.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a visit to Liverpool on a tailor-made tour of England, perhaps following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest rock and pop icons, please do contact our friendly team today.