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The Cavern Club, which was opened on January 16, 1957, is a legendary rock and roll club at 10 Mathew Street, Liverpool, England, where Brian Epstein was introduced to the Beatles on 9 November1961.
History
Alan Sytner opened the club having been inspired by Paris's Jazz district, on the city's Left Bank, where there were a number of clubs in cellars. Sytner returned to Liverpool and wanted to open a club similar to Paris's Le Caveau. He eventually found a perfect cellar for his club, one which had been used as an air raid shelter during the war.
What started as a jazz club, eventually became a hangout for skiffle groups. Sytner ended up selling the Cavern Club to Ray McFall in 1959, after moving to London. Blues bands and Beat groups began to appear at the club on a regular basis in the early 1960s. The first Beat night was held on May 25, 1960 and featured a performance by Rory Storm and the Hurricanes (which included Ringo Starr as drummer). The club closed its doors in March of 1973, and was knocked through during construction work on the Merseyrail underground rail loop.
World Fame
The venue has been made world famous by The Beatles, and it was in 1961, that the band made their first appearance at the club. The band had returned to Liverpool from Hamburg, Germany, where they had been playing at the Star-Club for up to eight hours a night, every night. Their stage show had been through a lot of changes and some in the audience thought they were watching a German band. From 1961 to 1963 The Beatles made 292 appearances at the club.
In the decade that followed, a wide variety of popular acts appeared at the club including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Elton John, The Who and John Lee Hooker. Future star Cilla Black worked as the hat-check girl at The Cavern in her pre-fame days.
The Cavern Club Today
In April 1984 the club was taken over by Liverpool F.C. legend Tommy Smith in association with Royal Life. It was re-built with some of the same bricks that had been used in the original club. The new design was to resemble the original as closely as possible. This was a difficult period of massive economical and political change in and around Liverpool and the club only survived until 1989 when it surcome to financial pressures and closed its doors for 18 months. Then in 1991, two friends ; a school teacher called Bill Heckle and a Liverpool cabbie, Dave Jones decided they could make a go of it. They still run the club today and despite being a world famous tourist spot, the club continues to function primarily as a live music venue.
On December 14, 1999, former Beatle Paul McCartney returned to the Cavern Club stage to play a set publicising his new album Run Devil Run.
The Cavern Club continues to shine as one of the UK's favourite venues. It has around 40 live bands performing every week; both tribute and original bands, although the majority are trying to follow their peers into a career in music writing and performing their own material. Bands come from the four corners of the British Isles and further afield to play at the Cavern and it's quite normal to find bands from New York, London, Madrid and Sydney all on within the same week. A normal night on the Beatle stage is free to enter, but the big stage offers 5 or 6 original bands performing for just a few pounds entry. The Cavern makes every effort to ensure the people who come to perform as well as those who come to see them, leave having had a great night and an experience worth talking about.
Some band comments, "Hi there I just wanted to say that last night was wicked and we all fully enjoyed it.. The Cavern is really a great place and all the other bands were great.. And thank you for letting us play.. It was brill..Thanks." The Huskies, Grimsby),
"We had a great night on Wednesday when we played at the Cavern. The sound was spot-on, the venue was by far the most professionally run outfit we have come across, and you made us feel right at home. Thanks Pass it on to all who made our evening!" Cropduster, Preston
The Cavern is also used as a tour warm-up venue with semi-secret gigs announced at the last moment. Arctic Monkeys did this is October 2005, as well as many other before them.
Also, opposite the club is the Cavern Pub which is a bit of a museum to the famous bands who have played at the club in its 49 year history. See memorabilia to Status Quo, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson and many others; but don't forget the 50th birthday party next year and the opening of the Hard Days Night Hotel very soon.
Culture in Liverpool | Nightclubs in the United Kingdom | Music venues
"Cavern Club"