Globetrotting - Liverpool, England
by Adam D. Miller

Liverpool, England will forever be associated with the glory days of The Beatles.  John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were all born and raised in Liverpool, and it remains the home of Beatles landmarks such as The Cavern Club, Strawberry Field, and Penny Lane.  When I visited Liverpool in the summer of 2000, I was one among the flocks of tourists that have visited the city every year since Beatlemania came and went over thirty years ago.  Tourism in Liverpool is heavily based around The Beatles and their legacy, with replica Magical Mystery Tour buses taking excited tourists around to see the aforementioned places immortalized in Beatles songs.  Even the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney are open to the public as tourist attractions. 

Indeed it was the Fab Four that put Liverpool on the map, and it is a city that would largely be unknown if it weren’t for them.  But there is more to Liverpool’s cultural makeup than The Beatles, a fact that many Liverpudlians wish was more known among the masses that flock to Liverpool every year to see the home of their musical heroes, The Beatles.

The nature of Liverpool as a port city is an important part of its musical makeup.  With seamen constantly traveling between England and North America, many American records unavailable in England were brought over, with those in Liverpool being among the first to hear them.  Young Liverpudlians in the 1950s were captivated by the sounds of American rock ‘n’ roll music by the likes of Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Johnny Ray.

Another popular form of music in 1950s Liverpool was skiffle, a British variation of American folk music.  This form of music was John Lennon’s entry-point into music.  He formed a group called The Quarrymen.  By the time Paul McCartney and George Harrison had joined in the late 1950s, they were one of Liverpool’s first rock ‘n’ roll bands.

The Cavern Club was Liverpool’s premier music club.  It opened in 1957 as an underground jazz club.  It was highlighted by its afternoon “lunchtime” sessions.  The Beatles were mainstays during these afternoon sessions in the early 1960s.  It was there that they developed a solid, local fan base.  The Cavern Club played a key role in what was known as the Merseybeat sound, hosting many other Liverpool acts such as Gerry & The Pacemakers and The Searchers.  While neither of these bands, and indeed none of the other Liverpool groups of the 1960s were as prolific and relevant as the Beatles, they are still regarded today as local contemporaries of The Beatles.

The Beatles quickly outgrew the Cavern and the club, riding on the popularity of the Beatles, began booking many other acts before its closure in 1973.  A parking lot was built in its original location.

In the late 1960s, The Beatles started their own label, Apple Records.  One of the first acts to be signed to the label was Badfinger, a group that, like The Beatles, hailed from Liverpool.  Clearly they must have had a soft spot for their fellow Liverpudlians.

During the height of Beatlemania, a 9-year old boy from Liverpool named Declan McManus discovered The Beatles.  Their major influence on him would go on to be shared with the public when twelve years later he released his debut album, My Aim Is True, under his stage-name of Elvis Costello.  Recently, Elvis reflected on his introduction to The Beatles:

“The funny thing is that parents and all their friends from Liverpool were also curious and proud about this local group. Prior to that, the people in show business from the north of England had all been comedians. Come to think of it, the Beatles recorded for Parlophone, which was a comedy label.”¹

Despite Costello’s birth in Liverpool, little about his music and career could be identified with the city.  Still, he paid tribute to his hometown several times over the course of his career.  Most notably in his farewell to John Lennon on “Kid About It”:

It's a big responsibility
With a face full of mixed ability
Big dreams of elegance
Singing the leaving of Liverpool
And turning into Americans ²

A group that soon followed Elvis Costello, Echo & The Bunnymen, were much more identifiable with Liverpool.  The band made their live debut at the Liverpool club Eric’s in 1978.  Today, Eric’s receives little attention in comparison to the Cavern, but in the late 1970s it played a key role in Liverpool’s punk scene and what is known as the second Merseysound.  The club was only open from 1976 to 1980, but in that time a long list of British and American bands played the venue, including The Specials, Buzzcocks, B-52s, Iggy Pop, and The Pretenders.

A trip to Matthew Street, home of both the original Cavern club, and the newly rebuilt replica, reveals that there is something going on in Liverpool that exists beyond The Beatles.  Some remarkably good music (and even film and literature) has come out of Liverpool since The Beatles, and this continues today and will undoubtedly continue into the future.  Bands like The Coral are only the more popular of dozens of talented bands that continue to pay their dues in Liverpool clubs.  Visit Liverpool and enjoy The Beatles sites, but while you’re there, stop in for a pint at some of the city’s other venues.  You won’t regret it.

How to Be There in Liverpool

What to Listen to:

* The Beatles – Please Please Me (1963)
* The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
* Badfinger – No Dice (1970)

* Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977)

* Echo & The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain (1984)

* The La’s – The La’s (1990)

* The Coral – The Coral (2002)

What to Read:

* The Darkest Part Of The Woods by Ramsey Campbell

 * The Mersey Sound: Penguin Modern Poets 10 by Roger McGough, Adrian Henri and Brian Patten

What to Watch:

* A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

* Gumshoe (1972)

* Liam (2000)

* Millions (2004)

 

What to Do:

* Visit the Cavern Club – http://www.cavern-liverpool.co.uk and stop by the other clubs on Matthew Street
* The Beatles Story Exhibition – http://www.beatlesstory.com/

* Take the Magical Mystery Tour - http://www.cavern-liverpool.co.uk/mmt/contentoftours.htm
* Visit the Albert Dock - http://www.albertdock.com/

 

1. Elvis Costello. “The Immortals: The Beatles.” Rolling Stone, April 15, 2004.

2. Elvis Costello & The Attractions. “Kid About It.” Imperial Bedroom. Rhino, 2002.

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