Pete Wylie's Classic inspiration

“The point of Classic was to celebrate my favourite songs,� he says. “We’ve done 20-25 songs each night, I’ve never had so much fun in my life. I’ve had a ball playing the songs I’ve never had the chance to play before.
“At the second Classic we played Michaelangelo by Jimmy Campbell, Liverpool’s lost psychadelic warrior. He’d been ill, and he died a few days before the gig, which made it all the more poignant.
“At Classic 11 we played Visions of Johanna by Bob Dylan. I got to sing the lyrics of that amazing song. I went to see him at the docks years ago, and there’s this one line: ‘The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face’. I started crying, and the girl next to me said ‘what does it mean?’. I don’t know to this day, but it’s a great line.
“At most of the gigs we’ve done a David Bowie song. Starman is the song that made me believe I could be a musician.
“But it was Moonage Daydream at Classic 7 that really stood out for me. If you don’t feel the music in that song you might as well go and dance with Shayne Ward in a phone box. There’s nothing else for you.
“For the July gig Nasher from Frankie Goes to Hollywood came down and did The Power of Love. It was stunning. I got to play the guitar, and halfway through he turned to me and whispered ‘I don’t remember booking Dave Gilmour’.
“At Classic 9 we did a tribute to Eric’s – 25 songs that brought back the energy and the excitement of those days.
“We did Complete Control by The Clash, the song that underpinned everything I believe about music. I toured with The Clash in the early days and I’m still friends with the remaining members.
“That was a highlight in a night of highlights.�
Classic Christmas takes place on December 29 at the Zanzibar. For more information, see www.myspace.com/petewylie.