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HAMBURG 2 (Room 112)
If Hamburg was where The Beatles honed their stage act, then The Cavern in Liverpool is their spiritual home, where they played more than any other venue. The Cavern was where they were ultimately ‘discovered’ by their manager, Brian Epstein, in November 1961.
This dark, damp, sweaty cellar was opened on Mathew Street, Liverpool, on 16 January 1957 by Alan Sytner. It was inspired by a Parisian nightclub called ‘Le Caveaux’ which Sytner had visited. The Cavern began as a jazz club but soon welcomed the region’s young skiffle bands, including John Lennon’s first band, The Quarrymen, who played there twice: once in 1957 and again in January 1958, when Paul also made his Cavern debut.
After the band’s return from their first trip to Hamburg, The Beatles played their first gig under that name at The Cavern on 9 February 1961. It was a lunchtime session, and over the next two years, the band virtually lived there, playing close to 300 gigs. The exact number is debated—Mark Lewisohn’s official research states 272, but Cavern DJ Bob Wooler claimed there were dozens of unadvertised performances. Regardless, The Beatles became synonymous with The Cavern, which, although rebuilt, still stands at 10 Mathew Street and occupies over 50% of the original site.
Artwork © Shannon
HAMBURG 2 (Room 112)
If Hamburg was where The Beatles honed their stage act, then The Cavern in Liverpool is their spiritual home, where they played more than any other venue. The Cavern was where they were ultimately ‘discovered’ by their manager, Brian Epstein, in November 1961.
This dark, damp, sweaty cellar was opened on Mathew Street, Liverpool, on 16 January 1957 by Alan Sytner. It was inspired by a Parisian nightclub called ‘Le Caveaux’ which Sytner had visited. The Cavern began as a jazz club but soon welcomed the region’s young skiffle bands, including John Lennon’s first band, The Quarrymen, who played there twice: once in 1957 and again in January 1958, when Paul also made his Cavern debut.
After the band’s return from their first trip to Hamburg, The Beatles played their first gig under that name at The Cavern on 9 February 1961. It was a lunchtime session, and over the next two years, the band virtually lived there, playing close to 300 gigs. The exact number is debated—Mark Lewisohn’s official research states 272, but Cavern DJ Bob Wooler claimed there were dozens of unadvertised performances. Regardless, The Beatles became synonymous with The Cavern, which, although rebuilt, still stands at 10 Mathew Street and occupies over 50% of the original site.
Artwork © Shannon