'Something so serious like that throws you... but you have to enjoy every day, stop arguing with each other, get on with life and be happy'

THE Christians made a triumphant return to the stage in Liverpool on Friday to mark the reopening of the Epstein Theatre.

- By RYAN PATON

The performance was the legendary Liverpool band’s first show in their home city since On the Waterfront in June, a day frontman Garry Christian remembers all too well.

The Scouse group, renowned for their classic hits such as Ideal World and cover of Harvest for the World, have played countless shows across Merseyside over the course of an incredible four decade career.

The group remain firm favourites in the region and had been looking forward to one of their biggest gigs of the year, when they were booked to support Sting, on the Sunday that closed out the Pier Head festival three months ago.

However, their set over the summer went horribly wrong in a way they could never have imagined, when drummer Lionel Duke suffered a heart attack on stage.

Garry vividly recalled the traumatic moment he realised something was not right in an exclusive interview with the ECHO.

The 70-year-old said: “The first part of the day was so exciting to be playing in front of 14,000 Scousers.

“That's a great big thing.

“What happened is we started the show and we did Forgotten Town and we went into Born Again.

“In the intro of the next song, I was thinking this doesn’t sound right.

“I'm facing the audience, so I don’t know what's going on behind me. I look around and I saw Lionel hunched over his kit.

“I thought, ‘What's he doing fixing his pedal now?’ I realised he wasn’t moving and I dashed over there.

“I had to crouch down. I looked at his face and his eyes were just fixed.

“Then it all went crazy.”