Fact of the matter is there will be a life after and life before the European Capital of Culture 2008 for Liverpool. Liverpool will take its place next to the previous culture capitals, a formidable list of great European cities. The programme started in 1985 with Athens being the first to gain this great honour, and since then Paris, Florence, Prague, Lisbon and Madrid have followed suit.

The honour, which prior to 1999 was known as European City of Culture, means an exciting 2008 is planned for this great North West city. To date over 350 events have been planned involving great liverpoodlian‘s such Sir Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr. The events will cover a massive range of subjects from Music, the arts, street theatre, architecture and of course this being Liverpool –sport!

Liverpool is currently celebrating its 800 year birthday and it’s a city whose heritage is important to it, and whose waterfront is named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is of course is a city known worldwide because of the Beatles, whose songs turned places of Liverpool into key tourist attractions, such as Penny Lane and Strawberry fields. Other places key to the Beatles is also popular venues such as the famous music club the Cavern.

Liverpool hotels are prepared for the expected influx of visitors next year. And many are advising booking early so as not to is out on the actions. The hotels in Liverpool have promised to be accommodating for all budgets and group sizes, and with the events being all year round I am sure that many will not be disappointed.

A sound proposal as been put forward to measure the success of the 2008 honour and that is to measure the number of overnight stays in Liverpool. Attracting Tourist will help boost Liverpool economy and signs are local business are planning for just that.

Most cities become renowned for at least one thing in particular. Paris is synonymous with romance and fine-dining, New York is famous for skyscrapers and yellow taxis, whilst London is known as the home of the Queen and red double-decker buses. And Manchester, England’s unofficial ‘capital of the north’, is no different.

But whilst its illustrious and world renowned football club Manchester United may well be the first thing that comes to people’s minds when asked to think about one thing they associate with the city, Manchester has produced some of the world’s greatest and most influential bands ever.

Indeed, for music lovers, this north-western city of around half a million people is synonymous with great bands of the past and present. And this reputation is perhaps one of the reasons why so many young people move there to study at two of the top five biggest universities in the UK; the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

As far back as the 1960s and 1970s, Mancunian bands such as the Hollies, the Bee Gees and Freddie and the Dreamers were selling records by the bucket-loads. And in 1965 alone, Herman’s Hermits outsold the Beatles, selling over ten million records in a seven month period.

In the past four decades, Manchester has spawned countless internationally-renowned bands covering a myriad of genres. The Buzzcocks released the first ever independent-label punk record in early 1977. And The Smiths – fronted by the charismatic Morrissey – formed in 1982, going on to become one of the most influential ‘indie’ bands of all time.

Take That conquered the pop music world too, forming initially as a five-man boy band act in the early 1990s and selling almost twenty million albums between 1991 and 1996. And all this before we even begin to discuss other influential giants of the music world such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Simply Red, New Order and David Gray.

So, it would seem that there is certainly something in the water in this magnificent city. And for those looking to experience life in a city that has been living and breathing music for countless years now, the Manchester of today doesn’t disappoint either. As such, ‘Band on the Wall’, ‘Night and Day’ and ‘The Roadhouse’ are among the key venues to catch new and established acts, not to mention over thirty smaller venues that combine to accommodate what can only be described as a thriving live music scene.

England’s ‘capital of the north’ is a veritable magnet for music lovers – both for those who come to stay and for those who are simply passing through – which means that Manchester hotels are always in great demand. And for those wishing to sample the Manchester music scene first hand, there is sure to be something to suit all budgets.