(ooh, aah, ooh,)…Did you want to know that a certain band first played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool on this day, 52 years ago?

The Cavern Club, first opened in Matthew Street, Liverpool on Wednesday16th  January, 1957.  It was one of three jazz club hangouts for many emerging skiffle groups, such as, The Quarrymen. Paul McCartney’s debut with The Quarrymen was on 24th January 1958.

The first Beat night was held on 25th May, 1960 and featured a performance by Rory Storm and the Hurricanes (which included Ringo Starr as drummer).

The Cavern’s most famous act, The Beatles, first appeared with George Harrison’s debut  at a lunchtime session on 9th February 1961).

Later on in 1961, The Hollies took The Beatles’ slot at the Cavern Club. Other well-known bands and artist who performed at the Cavern included: The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Elton John, Queen, The Who and John Lee Hooker.

Fellow Liverpudlian, Cilla Black worked as the hat-check girl at The Cavern in her pre-fame days.

The band, Focus were the last to play The Cavern, a few days before  it shut down in May 1973. The current location for ‘The Cavern Club’ in Matthew Street, is not the original, but there are plenty of monuments to both the Club, The Beatles and all of the other famous bands in this pedestrian walk-through. Many will recognize the John Lennon statue from his Rock’n’Roll album and the banner is taken from the “Cavern Wall of Fame“. 

You can see further sculptures and street furniture on this page.

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