Acclaimed Liverpool composer Neil Campbell releases new album:- 'The Smoky God'

AN acclaimed Liverpool musician has launched a new album inspired by an Edwardian era fantasy novel. Neil Campbell's new album:- 'The Smoky God,' was released on the:- 8 March 2024, and is based on Willis George Emerson's 1908 book of the same name.

Emerson's 'The Smoky God, or a Voyage Journey to the Inner Earth,' is a story presented as a true account describing the adventures of Olaf Jansen, a Norwegian sailor, who sailed with his father through an entrance to the Earth's interior at the North Pole.

Their journey spans across their lifetime and for 2 years the sailor and his father lived with the inhabitants of an underground network of colonies; described by Emerson as:- '12 feet tall' and whose world was lit by a "smoky" central sun - the 'Smoky God.'

Neil Campbell... At the end of the story our protagonist Olaf Jansen returns, via a South Pole passage, to the surface world but nobody believes his fanciful tale and he is institutionalised for many years in an asylum. Only on his deathbed is his personal testimony transcribed by Emerson in the book.

Most of the music for:- 'The Smoky God' was recorded at the end of Campbell's work with:- Joey Zeb, Andy Maslivec and Marty Snape in the band Bulbs around 2013.

Campbell recommenced pre-production of this recording in 2016 with Marty Snape in order to perfect the electronics. After moving the project across to Liverpool's Crosstown Studios with Roger Gardiner on bass and Viktor Nordberg on drums Campbell pulled together all the additional tracking, which involved a great deal of overdubbing.

A continuation of this work with engineer/co-producer Jon Lawton, they have brought to this album many production and arrangement techniques developed across recordings made together over the last 5 years, culminating in an album that melds progressive rock with systems (minimalist) music in equal measure.

The Smoky God can be ordered as a CD or in digital format now via:- NeilCampbell.BandCamp.Com.

The new 8 track Digital Album features the following tracks:-

1. Setting Sail 4:44
2. Franz Josef Land
3. Fresh Water Streams 2:57
4. The Opening
5. Anthem of the Giants
6. The Smoky God
7. Returning
8. Recollection

Hightown Pub and Kitchen has been forced to close

THE Hightown Pub and Kitchen has suddenly closed due to issues beyond their control. The family run pub has gained a fantastic reputation with its customers and had lots of events planned for 2024. After winning several prestigious awards and being nominated for other prestigious awards.

Things look good for the venue. Just last year, it was shortlisted in the:- 'Best Pub for Families' and 'Best Pub for Entertainment' categories in the 2023 Great British Pub Awards. Sadly, an issue has popped up out of the blue that has resulted in the difficult decision being taken.

The venues final night open was on:- Friday, 8 March 2024. This gave the shocked staff and customers a last chance to remember all the amazing things that have happened at this historic, landmark Pub, that was truly the heart of the community, before for closing its doors for good.

We wish all the staff and the business owners all the best and thank them for all the support they have given to the local community over the last few years.

In a statement the owners have said:- "It's with a heavy heart we send this message today. With the current climate of the hospitality industry worsening and the cost of living doing the same. We have made the difficult decision to close our doors after business this evening (Friday). We will not be open for business from:- Saturday, 9 March 2024. This therefore means that we can unfortunately no longer accommodate any of our future bookings, including this weekends for Saturday and Mothers day. We are making every effort to contact all those impacted via email, text or social media. We would like to thank the community for all their support in the last 3.5 years and for all the laughs, smiles and memories we�ve been able to enjoy and be a part of during our time here. Unfortunately, this is it from us! We wish the community and the future pub owners all the best and for one last time:- 'Thank you for all your continued support...' - this one really is a hard goodbye."

Fans of the bar's Thursday Night Quiz will be pleased to know that it's legacy lives on as it is now at the The Hightown Club (Hightown Cricket Club). Also, the The Pheasant Inn will be hosting 'Exercise Tiger 2024' a large event by both Military Vehicle Trust (MVT) and the Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion.

The Hightown Club has said:- "We have been asked to provide a new home for the Thursday quiz,so, from this Thursday we will be hosting Andy and 'quizzers' from:- 9pm. After a weeks break on:- Thursday, 28 March the quiz will be at The Club, every Thursday, commencing at the earlier time of:- 8pm. All welcome (including nonmembers) and it's �1 per player. Question 1, will you be there?"

With the sudden closure of the Hightown Pub and Kitchen, the Formby Branch of the Royal British Legion will now be holding it's special event at:- The Pheasant Inn, on Moss Lane, Hightown (L383RA) in conjunction with the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT) on:- Saturday, 23 March 2024, from:- 12 midday to 6 pm.

Sadly our Networking Events at the venue have also had to be cancelled. We are looking for a new location and are interested to hear from our readers for suggestions.

Let us know your thoughts on this news topic or if you have an alternative venue we could use for the networking events... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook or Twitter.

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Acclaimed Liverpool composer Neil Campbell releases new album:- 'The Smoky God'

Hightown Pub and Kitchen has been forced to close