Quarry, Liverpool – 10th October 2025
It was the first frosty Friday night of the year. Darkness, dim lamplights, dragon breath ‘n all. Musicians and music fans alike descended on the new ‘Quarry’ venue for Paul Nazole’s debut album launch. As a rare glimmer of light for the withering collection of Liverpool music venues, ‘Quarry’ has reopened on Hardman Street (the same team from 17 Love Lane have moved to the former site of The Magnet and the Hot Water Comedy Club). The place was rammed, the atmosphere electric and the sound quality was elite (big kudos to the Quarry team for this successful revamp over the summer). Support on the night came from a very talented trio of local artists: Jonny Taylor, Tom Lane, & Lily Almond.
Unfortunately, we arrived late to the party but managed to arrive in time for Jonny Taylor’s set. I’ve managed to catch his solo acoustic sets a couple times over the years, which were both brilliant. His songs truly shone in a full band setup, with echoes of The Who, The La’s and The Byrds rebounding around the set. The crowd were now officially warmed up and raring to go for the main act.
Enter Paul Nazole, armed with a 10-piece band and ready to blow the roof off with his new album. Paul blazed through the album, with each song showcasing different flavours and elements. Beginning with one of his latest singles, Nebuchadnezzar, he had the crowd won over from the start. Why Go Home was the ideal follow up track and perfectly captured the mood in the place. A personal favourite was Reflections, an ethereal song with a soaring melody and psychedelic guitars. In The Shadow of a Mountain was a contemplative folk song that showcased a different side to the album, reducing the band dynamics down but bringing both a newfound intensity and vulnerability into the space. The Tower was a rip-roaring rammer. Laced with a big leading Spanish riff played in unison on the guitar and trumpet. It had a timeless grandeur akin to Scott Walker’s The Sevent Seal, which is about the highest compliment I can pay to a piece of music.
The set then finished with In Your Mind, a meditative song that Paul wrote several years ago as a hospital worker during the pandemic. He poignantly stated that it was the song that gave him faith in releasing his own music, and we’re so grateful that his first album is finally out there. A fitting end to a brilliant night, one that has fully restored my faith in the Liverpool music scene. It was a privilege to bear witness to these songs fully realised with such a talented band.
My key take from the night: Albums are still sacred, thanks to artists like Paul Nazole.
Go buy the eponymous debut album at the link below: https://paulnazole.bandcamp.com/album/paul-nazole-2
Kieran Linford
