Welcome To The Cavern Club
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Listen to The Beatles
'She Loves You' 
To connect to the web site of the modern day Cavern Club, click below
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Situated in Mathew Street in Liverpool, the Cavern Club was the cradle of Merseyside and then British and later perhaps even Global Rock of the Sixties. Originally located in a basement, the Cavern has undergone a number of transformations over the years. However, it still exists today as a premier location for modern Rock n Rollers. See below for RM's own presentation of 'The Cavern Club' |
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RM Radio 
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Many of the bands that played at The Cavern later contributed to the
British Rock Invasion of the Western world. Click below to see some of these bands at
The Cavern Backstages
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes was one of the original bands at the Cavern and
achieved a large popular following in the Liverpool music scene.
achieved a large popular following in the Liverpool music scene.
But the band The Cavern Club is
most famous for is The Beatles
ABOUT THE CAVERN
The Cavern Club was originally an arched cellar built of
bricks, under a seven-storey fruit warehouse. It had
previously been used as a wine cellar, and as an air raid
shelter during World War II. Because of its position
underground, it was well known as being damp, and very hot
when the club was full.
The Cavern Club first opened in January 1957. Over the next decades it closed twice
(1984, 1999) only to be soon reopened. Inspired by the cellar Jazz bars in Paris, it first
opened as a Jazz bar but before long, 'Skiffle groups' and Rock n Roll bands appeared,
the most famous of them being the Beatles who first performed there on 9 February
1961. It was the Cavern Club where Brian Epstein first saw them on 9 November
1961.
But before the Beatles, John Lennon also played there as member of the Quarrymen
and was instrumental in bringing Rock N Roll to the club, originally against the owners
wishes. Paul McCartney soon joined, and later Harrison also performed at the venue in
its lunchtime sessions. In the early 1960s, Blues bands and 'Beat' groups began
appearing, one prominent Beat band was Rory Storm and the Hurricanes which
included Ringo Star as the drummer.
After returning from playing in Hamburg, Germany, the Beatles made their first
lunchtime appearance at the club in February 1961. The Beatles made 292
appearances at the club, between 1961 and 1963 with their last occurring on 3 August
1963, a month after the band recorded "She Loves You" and just six months before the
Beatles' first trip to the U.S. By now Beatle fame and "Beatlemania" was spreading like
wildfire across England, and the small club could no longer satisfy the public's demand
for the group.
In 1962, the Hollies took over The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club, and the Hollies
were later followed through the 60s by many soon to be famous British Rock n Roll and
Blues bands. With this amount of musical activity happening in Liverpool and
Manchester, many record producers who had previously never ventured very far from
London began to look northwards to these and other major regional cities. In the rest of
the 60s many soon to be huge rock bands appeared including among them The Rolling
Stones, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Elton John, Queen among others.
bricks, under a seven-storey fruit warehouse. It had
previously been used as a wine cellar, and as an air raid
shelter during World War II. Because of its position
underground, it was well known as being damp, and very hot
when the club was full.
The Cavern Club first opened in January 1957. Over the next decades it closed twice
(1984, 1999) only to be soon reopened. Inspired by the cellar Jazz bars in Paris, it first
opened as a Jazz bar but before long, 'Skiffle groups' and Rock n Roll bands appeared,
the most famous of them being the Beatles who first performed there on 9 February
1961. It was the Cavern Club where Brian Epstein first saw them on 9 November
1961.
But before the Beatles, John Lennon also played there as member of the Quarrymen
and was instrumental in bringing Rock N Roll to the club, originally against the owners
wishes. Paul McCartney soon joined, and later Harrison also performed at the venue in
its lunchtime sessions. In the early 1960s, Blues bands and 'Beat' groups began
appearing, one prominent Beat band was Rory Storm and the Hurricanes which
included Ringo Star as the drummer.
After returning from playing in Hamburg, Germany, the Beatles made their first
lunchtime appearance at the club in February 1961. The Beatles made 292
appearances at the club, between 1961 and 1963 with their last occurring on 3 August
1963, a month after the band recorded "She Loves You" and just six months before the
Beatles' first trip to the U.S. By now Beatle fame and "Beatlemania" was spreading like
wildfire across England, and the small club could no longer satisfy the public's demand
for the group.
In 1962, the Hollies took over The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club, and the Hollies
were later followed through the 60s by many soon to be famous British Rock n Roll and
Blues bands. With this amount of musical activity happening in Liverpool and
Manchester, many record producers who had previously never ventured very far from
London began to look northwards to these and other major regional cities. In the rest of
the 60s many soon to be huge rock bands appeared including among them The Rolling
Stones, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Elton John, Queen among others.
The Cavern Club Today
The Cavern Club was taken over and reopened by
Liverpool F.C. player Tommy Smith in 1984, after
being rebuilt with the same bricks and on 50% of the
original site, and resembling as closely as possible the
original. It closed again in 1989 but reopened in 1991
under new owners and remains in operation today.
Despite being a world-famous tourist spot, the Cavern Club continues to function
primarily as a live music venue. The music policy varies from '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s
classic pop music to indie, rock and modern chart music. On 14 December 1999,
former Beatle Paul McCartney returned to play at the New Cavern Club stage to play
his last gig of that year. The Cavern Club is still open as one of the UK's most famous
venues. It has around 40 live bands performing every week; both tribute and original
bands.
The front room of the Cavern is the main tourist attraction, where people come to have
their photograph taken on the famous Cavern stage, with the names of the bands who
played there written on the back wall. On 16 January 1997, a sculpture of Lennon was
unveiled outside The New Cavern Club. On 14 December 1999, McCartney performed
at the club, playing his last concert of the 20th century and publicising his album, Run
Devil Run, with backing musicians David Gilmour, Mick Green, Ian Paice and Pete
Wingfield.
Go To Cavern Club Backstages
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Go To British Rock Invasion
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