In Jamie Webster's footsteps!
- Liverpoolfestivalen
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
At the age of 16, Harry Fazakerley was hired as a permanent pre-match musician at the same pub where his great idol, Jamie Webster, began his musical journey. In July, he is ready for the Liverpool Festival!
Harry Fazakerley is a 17-year-old guitarist from Walton Vale, just ten minutes from Anfield Stadium. Music has been a central part of his life since childhood.
“I've always had music around me,” says Harry. When I was seven years old, my mom signed me up for guitar lessons, and since then the guitar has been with me every single day.
But it wasn't just music that was important to Harry, it was also his love for Liverpool FC. The combination of his passion for music and football has led him to experiences he could never have imagined.
At the age of 15, Harry got his first taste of real pub atmosphere from the stage when he got the chance during an open mic night at The Lord Strange pub in Prescot.
– I had just been singing in my room. Suddenly I was in a room full of people listening. The smell of beer, the laughter, the intimate atmosphere, it felt like I belonged there.
In Jamie Webster's footsteps
His first paid gig came at The Kop End Bar, a pub close to Anfield that is a gathering place for supporters before and after matches. Here he was thrown straight into a room where the fans sing louder than the speakers. The job was the start of a regular engagement throughout Jürgen Klopp's final season.
Today, Harry is a regular musician at The Halfway House, the pub where Jamie Webster began his musical journey. Jamie has been a great role model all along.
"At my first open mic night I sang two of his songs. A year later I'm playing in the same pub he started at. It feels almost unreal," says Harry.
Liverpool FC means everything to me. It has since I was a little kid, and it will forever. Being a part of this has always been a dream come true that very few people get to experience. I feel very privileged!
On match days the atmosphere is electric with sing-alongs and a great atmosphere. Scarves flying, beer glasses clinking, and a chorus of red voices raising the roof. For Harry, standing on stage in front of dedicated supporters is an honor he never takes for granted.
“I never would have dreamed that one day I would get to play alongside legends like Bruce Grobbelaar, Sammy Lee, Phil Thompson, John Barnes and Jamie Carragher,” he says with a smile. It’s absolutely surreal! And the highlight was meeting Kenny Dalglish himself, the guy on the poster above his bed.
Releasing his own music
Harry or Faza as he is also called also releases his own music and his debut single Patience has been played several times at Anfield, which has made the stadium even more special for the young artist. Earlier this summer he also released a new single, Temptress, which is also worth checking out.
– Hearing my own music at Anfield… it's indescribable. It makes the place even more magical for me.
There have been quite a few gigs since then, the highlight so far perhaps being playing in front of 1,500 people at Boxpark in the Baltic Triangle, he is also soon set to headline with a full band at the O2 Academy Liverpool. He is an upcoming star who will soon find his way to Gjøvik!
Harry draws a lot of inspiration from local musicians and bands from Liverpool.
– I look up to bands like The Cheap Thrills – they actually live in the same area as me – and also Keyside, The Sway and The Kowloons. There's something really special about that Scouse music.
From Walton to Gjøvik!
We booked Harry a while back and actually considered giving him playing time already during this year's festival, but we thought that those who are waiting for something good can wait a little longer. So finally, at the end of July next year, Harry will pack his guitar case and head towards Gjøvik and the Liverpool Festival 2026. He is really looking forward to both being on stage and meeting supporters from several countries. He will be at the festival every day!
We look forward to introducing Harry to an international audience when he takes on the Pepsi Max stage at the festival.
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