‘Winning it would be my Glastonbury’
For many musicians, performing at Glastonbury represents the zenith.
Playing at the world’s biggest - in both size and repute - arts festival is something to strive for, something that, once achieved, can frame a whole career.
But, if all goes to plan, the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in faraway Kiev will be Jamie Webster’s Pyramid Stage come Saturday evening.
You probably know by now that Webster is a Scouser who follows Liverpool home and away; an electrician by day, singer by night.
He is the figurehead of the ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ phenomenon that has become synonymous with the Reds’ surge to a meeting with Real Madrid in Ukraine.
Download the song on iTunes or Google now - all proceeds go to An Hour For Others
Prior to this weekend’s Champions League final, Webster will headline LFC’s pre-match show in Shevchenko Park.
After this weekend’s Champions League final, he could be added to a lineage featuring Dean Martin, Chris Rea, Johnny Cash - and, ahem, the Baha Men - as an artist whose song has soundtracked continental glory for his team.
The prospect gives Webster goosebumps.
“It’s my Glastonbury! It’s hard to explain. If we win that European Cup and this song keeps kicking on, I don’t think there’ll be a happier time in my life,” Webster told Liverpoolfc.com
“I follow them everywhere, I spend all my hard-earned money, I’m an electrician by day, and if we can do this… I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it now.
“It’s great, I don’t know what to say, I’m lost for words. If we win this and this takes off and it’s the soundtrack of this [season] I can’t even tell you! Thinking about us winning it alone is too much to comprehend - so let’s just hope anyway.”
Videos of joyous, wild, celebratory singalongs of Webster’s version of ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ from BOSS Nights in the city have become lore on LFC social media this season.
On Thursday, the song was made available for download on iTunes and Google, with all proceeds going to the Anfield-based charity An Hour For Others.
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As each European hurdle has been cleared, the legend has grown.
Its origin from a Liverpudlian perspective, Webster explained, involves Phil Howard and Liam Malone: ‘Two young lads who saw the Napoli version and have then written a Liverpool version.’
“We started hearing it in the ground at Porto away and the morning after the game we saw a little video of it. Me and the mates I go to the match with were saying we need to get everyone behind this song because this could be the song like ‘Ring of Fire’ that spurs us on through Europe,” the 23-year-old recalled.
“So obviously through playing the BOSS Nights I have a small reputation as a local fan who plays Liverpool songs and stuff like that. The Mo Salah song had already took off at one of the gigs I was at.
“Then I’ve gone home and thought ‘I’ve got to put this to music’. So I found a chord pattern that fits it and since then it’s just got bigger and bigger by videos and social media.
“Dan Nicholson and all the lads who are involved in BOSS Night and were involved in BOSS Mag, what they’ve done for me and for the supporters of Liverpool as well - people are piling to get down to these gigs now because they feel like they’re part of something. What they’ve done for me and my platform is unbelievable.
“And then it was just ‘let’s get it out there’.”
We’ve conquered all of Europe…
Click here to buy 'Allez, Allez, Allez' on iTunes
Click here to buy 'Allez, Allez, Allez' on Google
For more information on An Hour For Others, click here