Liverpool: Beatle Clubs, Pubs and
Concert Venues
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Mathew St, John looking down. 
Mathew Street
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| The Beatles made the Cavern Club famous, playing nearly 300 shows between February 1961 and August 1963 in the cellar club on tiny Mathew Street in downtown Liverpool. The Cavern closed in 1973 and was demolished in a particularly brilliant feat of civic planning. A reconstructed Cavern Club opened a decade later, built to the specifications of the original and occupying part of the orignal site (the remainder is lost forever beneath the neighboring parking lot). It is now a major tourist attraction and still a venue for local bands.
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The Grapes
Sue in The Grapes |
| The Grapes was a favorite Beatle hangout, located a few doors down Mathew Street from the Cavern (which was not allowed to sell alchohol). The Beatles would often retreat to The Grapes before or after Cavern sets. Mona Best's home was at 8 Haymen's Green in West Derby, a village on the distant outskirts of Liverpool. Despite the long trek, the basement of the home was turned into the successful Casbah Club, a teenage coffee house and venue for bands. The Beatles played there often and, in the summer of 1960, added Mona's son Pete Best to their line-up on drums.
The Jacaranda Club (at 23 Slater Street) was owned by Allan Williams, who became the Beatles' first manager. The Beatles often played, rehearsed and hung out at the Jac, where Stu Sutcliffe's murals can still be seen on the basement walls. The Blue Angel (108 Seel Street) was another club run by Allan Williams and was the scene of the Beatles' 1960 audition for impresario Larry Parnes which landed them their first tour outside of Liverpool, backing singer Johnny Gentle on a tour of Scotland.
The Litherland Town Hall and the Aintree Institute were two of several venues that made up the network of widely-scattered ballrooms that were the next step up from playing bars and cellar clubs. Both are located in the extreme Northern section of Liverpool. The Litherland Town Hall was the site of the "Birth of Beatlemania," the December 1960 concert that demonstrated the group's remarkable improvement after several months in Hamburg and sparked the first stirrings of fan hysteria in their hometown. The Beatles performed 31 times at the Aintree Institute, which still features live music and community events.
 The Empress
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| Ye Cracke is located on Rice Street near the Art College and was a favorite meeting spot for John, Stu and other art students. The Philharmonic Pub was another favorite spot near the Art College. The ornate building is located on Hope Street between the Anglican and the Catholic cathedral The Empress Pub is located at the end of Admiral's Grove a few houses away from Ringo's home. It was pictured on the cover of Ringo's 1970 "Sentimental Journey" album.
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