Photos and writing by Shavorne Wilbraham
The Farm are enticing a new audience on their tour with Happy Mondays, and their night in Liverpool showed everyone why.
Mountford Hall, what a lovely venue. To be fair, you’d expect nothing else in Liverpool. It was the perfect setting to welcome none other than the city’s own The Farm, who were special guests to national treasure Shaun Ryder’s Happy Mondays.
The hall has seen its fair share of iconic performances over the decades, but on the night The Farm took the stage, the venue that is just a little over 2000 in capacity was transformed into something far more intimate that felt part community gathering and part capsule of the city’s rich cultural heritage.
As one of Liverpool’s most enduring bands, The Farm brought not only their unmistakable sound but a sense of unity and vibrancy that rippled through the crowd from start to finish.
Despite having lived through the height of the indie scene, I had never actually caught The Farm live until I was assigned to cover a fundraiser last year for Zoe’s Place, an extraordinary hospice offering respite, therapy, and bereavement care for babies and children with life-limiting conditions.
The event drew a cross-section of Liverpool’s musical royalty, from The Zutons and Red Rum Club to Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch and, of course, The Farm.
To my surprise, they became one of the standout acts of the night, leaving me slightly embarrassed that I hadn’t been better acquainted with their back catalogue.
Witnessing All Together Now being belted out by 15,000 people inside the M&S Bank Arena was nothing short of spine-tingling and is now etched permanently into my memory as an outstanding musical moment.
When news broke that The Farm would be supporting the Happy Mondays, it felt like the perfect pairing and a prospect that filled me with genuine joy.
The lights dimmed and the music stopped playing, prompting the crowd to cheer as they all entered the stage.
The Farm are Carl Hunter (Bass), Keith Mullin (Guitar) Steve Grimes (Guitar) Roy Boulter (Drums) Ben Leach (Keys).
At the centre of it all stood frontman Peter Hooton, whose stage presence immediately made impact with his sharp wit and effortless charisma.
As a Stoke-native, I’ve often remarked to my mum that every Scouser is a natural comedian, and tonight’s performance served as further proof.
The familiar cadence of Liverpool humour flowed effortlessly throughout the evening as Peter engaged the audience with warmth and ease, punctuating the set with wry asides while also promoting the band’s most recent release, Let the Music (Take Control), issued last June.
It is striking to consider that more than three decades have passed since the group unveiled their debut album, ‘Spartacus’, yet the energy, personality, and unmistakable character that defined their early work remain fully intact.
Musically, the set struck a careful balance between nostalgia and progression. As expected, the crowd responded instantly to the enduring favourites Groovy Train and All Together Now, which naturally drew the loudest reactions, their anthemic qualities undimmed by time.
The newer material showcased a different dimension.
Tracks from Let the Music (Take Control) were delivered with conviction, blending contemporary production elements with the band’s signature rhythms.
While still unfamiliar to some in the audience, the songs were received warmly, helped along by Peter’s contextual anecdotes and charismatic introductions. My fresh-faced friend Lily, (only 20) had got tickets to see the Happy Mondays in Manchester.
As a result of this gig, she ended up digging through The Farm’s back catalogue, which probably tells you everything about how well their set went down. Mind and Bank Robber were definite highlights for me and really hit the mark with the crowd.
A short but impactful set list which laid the foundations perfectly for the Happy Mondays.
The performance confirmed not only their enduring place in British music but also the lasting connection they maintain with their audience.
When it came to the final song, the mood in the room shifted as people recognised what was coming.
The first notes of All Together Now prompted an immediate reaction, with phones raised across the venue as the crowd prepared to document the moment. The audience joined in almost instinctively, their voices building steadily through the chorus.
The hall’s buzzing atmosphere, the pockets of loyal fans and new ones being born and the inter-generational enthusiasm were all palpable as they created a backdrop that elevated The Farm’s performance into something that felt both entertaining and meaningful.
Mersey Music 