Louis Gibney has spent 208 straight days trying to sing his way on to the Anfield stage with Zach Bryan, and the Liverpool musician now has a sign with “210” on it ready for Friday night. The 19-year-old from Litherland wants to be the fan pulled up during Bryan’s show at Anfield on June 12, where the American singer is due to play in front of a full house.
Gibney has turned the run-up into a social-media campaign, posting cover versions of Bryan songs every day and collecting thousands of likes along the way. He said it would be a dream come true to be invited up, adding that he sings at Anfield on matchdays and would be performing in front of about 80,000 people if his name is the one Bryan picks out.
The push has landed because Bryan has made a habit of bringing a crowd member on stage at each live show to duet on “Heading South,” and that has given Gibney a clear target. Another fan, Ollie Hawkins, was invited on stage at Bryan’s Hyde Park show after posting cover songs for 23 days, which has only added to the belief that the singer does notice the people making noise online.
Gibney said he first came across Bryan’s music three years ago, when he was beginning to take his own songwriting more seriously, and was later blown away by “Something In The Orange” and “Pink Skies.” He was invited on stage earlier this month at Liverpool comedian Adam Rowe’s Haw-Yee country music event, a small but useful sign that the campaign has already opened a door.
Still, nothing has been promised for Anfield, and that is the point of all this effort. Gibney said he is in the Gold Circle right at the front and hopes Bryan spots the number 210 in the crowd before or during the show; if not, the 208-day run may end as one of the more determined fan bids to get noticed at a major concert in the city.
