Liverpool Beatlefest 2003 starts with the 'World In One City'

THE CAVERN CLUB (& PUB) - LIVERPOOL

Thursday August 21st 2003

A humid late Thursday afternoon in the Cavern quarter of Liverpool kicked off a week of fabulous Beatles celebrations in the newly crowned European Capital of Culture. Since Liverpool's cultural theme is 'the world in one city', it seemed only apt to start my coverage of this music festival by listening to a truly international array of Beatle cover bands.

American band '62' (left) from Wyoming, dressing in leather like the pre-fame Fabs, sure did sound the part, giving the packed Cavern Pub crowd a sizzling set of early Beatle rockers which the locals absolutely loved. I especially liked their take on 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)', an early Elvis cover.

The two Russian Fabs fans in the audience were obviously impressed too, and when the Japanese band 'The Beatrips' (left) from Kyoto gave us their harmonically authentic version of 'This Boy' and a word perfect rendition of 'Three Cool Cats', the joint really started to rock.

It was great to see that the boys from Kyoto brought along their own flag waving, t shirt wearing bunch of female groupies, and by the time they came to the end of their stint on stage, the place was bursting at the seams.

Other groups who will be playing the festival include old favourites 'Clube Big Beatles' (Brazil), 'Australian Beatals', 'Fab Faux' (USA) and 'Kazakhstan Beatles' amongst many others.

Time to move just over the road into The Cavern Club itself, via the Lennon Bar for some liquid refreshment. With assorted bands on Stage 1, (a mock up of the original Cavern Club), I'd come to cover the start of the International Beatle Week Celebrations 'This Is Mersey Beat' on the now famous Stage 2, where 'Macca' and his band staged his Cavern Club return a few years ago.

Headlined by 'Lee Curtis and the All Stars', 'Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes', 'Ian and the Zodiacs', 'Faron's Flamingoes', 'Karl Terry and the Cruisers', Earl Preston and the TTs' and 'Dale Roberts and The Jaywalkers', I'd really come just to savour the atmosphere of this world famous venue.

A 'Merseycats' charity event, the pre-publicity promised us all a 'little taste of authentic Liverpool' and we were not to be disappointed. Though the place seemed almost empty at 8pm, it was packed out by ten past, and the blistering heat inside this venue was certainly authentic enough.

But when the incredible Mike Byrne and his band 'Jukebox Eddies' took to the stage, the energy and heat they transmitted via their Elvis and Buddy Holly covers, was almost enough to light up the whole of this dimly lit, cavernous venue. As compere 8/08/06 may be 'knockin on a bit', but they are still 'one of the best rock groups in the city'.

Northern group 'Rave On' (left) with talented 13 year old Paul Cross on drums, (the youngest drummer ever to play at The Cavern), delivered a whole batch of upbeat Mersey Beat standards, - including the Ringo Starr set piece 'Boys'. I then got talking to a couple of Scandinavian Beatles fans who were really impressed by this band.

These were followed by 'Strawberry Field' (left), - a group consisting of various figures from the Liverpool music scene of the 60's onwards, including the original drummer of 'The Clayton Squares'. Amongst their numbers, they did a tribute to Bob Dylan, which was well appreciated by this Cavern crowd of knowledgeable Beatles fans and tourists.

Next were 'The Del Renas', the only Mersey Beat band ever to reform with their original line up intact, and good enough in their hey day to be given 42 consecutive bookings by Cavern DJ Bob Wooler. By the time I left, the crowd were still bopping away in this sweatbox of a club. Little wonder that Bob Wooler called it the 'black hole of Calcutta'.

Now it was time for me to go, well before any of the star attractions were due to come on stage. I especially regretted having to miss the fabulous 'kingsize Taylor', who went down a storm at a recent Liverpool Philharmonic Hall tribute to the ex-Cavern DJ.

As a little taster to the festival proper, I had had a really exciting time. If you're reading this and haven't been to either the International Beatle Week Celebrations or the Mathew St. Festival, may I suggest you get yourself along to Liverpool in late August 2004. Then you can sample the Mersey magic that is all things Beatle and Liverpudlian, with music from all over the world, on the banks of the new European Capital of Culture.

Joe Robinson.

Liverpool.
AUGUST 21ST 2003.

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