Latest news with #CavernClub
Montreal Gazette
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Ticket to buy? Not at the Bell Centre box office
Re: ' McCartney to play Bell Centre Nov. 17-18 ' (The Gazette, July 11) Last Friday, I ventured down to the Bell Centre, arriving at 6 a.m. to join a group of people who had already assembled to purchase tickets to see Paul McCartney. Most of the folks in line were francophone, and I found the long wait passed quite quickly as we shared reflections and interesting anecdotes about the former Beatle. On a personal note, I feel fortunate to have spent my early teens working in Liverpool, where I spent many happy times at the Cavern Club — renowned for the amazing talent who performed there — back in the early '60s. Seeing McCartney live is the closest thing to seeing the Beatles. I remember his last Montreal concert, when he played for almost three hours and the audience — from teens to baby boomers — stood up and sang along in wondrous unity. His performance was magical. On Friday, there was a growing sense of anticipation and jubilation at the ticket office. Sadly and unexpectedly, at 9.40 a.m., an employee swooped by with a written notice she displayed on the glass door: Go to Ticketmaster online. We were gobsmacked. My first thought was to take a taxi to the nearest library to access a computer, but I changed my mind — knowing I had missed the boat on snagging a good seat to see McCartney. Perhaps, instead of Band on the Run, he will change the lyrics to Fans on the Run. Jim McDermott, St-Laurent Francis served as vocal inspiration I was beyond saddened to learn of the death of Connie Francis. She went through a lot in her life. Her brother was murdered. She was raped — an event she said destroyed her marriage. I first saw her on The Ed Sullivan Show when I was 13. She inspired me so much that I tried to copy her voice, until vocal lessons taught me to allow my own style to emerge. My most important memento of her is a cassette called Twenty Years of Connie Francis, given to me by a lifelong friend. My favourite song is Where the Boys Are, which was made into a film. It showed her acting prowess and versatility. After writing Francis a letter, I had almost given up hope, but three months later it came — an autographed photograph. Her impact on my life was immeasurable. Louise Corda, Côte-des-Neiges A tip to consider courtesy of Trump Donald Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill includes a $25,000 tax deduction for restaurant servers earning tips. If Quebec and Canada were to follow this example, servers would effectively be paid closer to a true living wage without that cost being a burden to restaurant owners or their customers. Food for thought? Ian Copnick, Côte-St-Luc Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be. Please send the letter in the body of an email, not as an attachment.
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Angry residents block Beatles fans from Harrison's home
Liverpool residents have chained off the street where former Beatle George Harrison lived, in an attempt to stop disruption from day-trippers. Access to Arnold Grove, the site of Harrison's childhood home, was blocked on Monday morning as residents complained that Beatles enthusiasts would regularly peer through windows and doors on the street. Chris Bennett, who lives on the street, told BBC Radio Merseyside that 'you get people looking through the window and if you leave your front door open, they look through the door'. He also complained that his family 'don't get any peace' due to traffic caused by private tours. The area is a regular destination for guided Beatles tours of Liverpool, with the Magical Mystery tour run by the Cavern Club – the venue that hosted the first Beatles concerts – frequently stopping at the site. Mr Bennet said: 'Lately there has been a lot more tours coming – private tours, taxis and minibuses – and unfortunately it is getting very busy down here.' A spokesman for the Magical Mystery tour told The Telegraph that they had received no previous complaints about an increase in tourism, and claimed they had a 'great relationship' with residents. They also said that customers were reminded to respect the privacy of those living on Arnold Grove. A blue plaque commemorating Harrison's birth in the house was unveiled last year, one of the first installed outside London. The unveiling was described as a 'source of family pride' by Olivia, Harrison's widow. Mr Bennett, the licensee of a nearby pub, claims that since the plaque was installed the traffic 'has been ridiculous'. He said: 'The first taxi could come at 09:00 and my wife will see another on the road when she gets home at 21.15 [...] The minibuses and taxis will come in and block the entrance of the grove.' Other residents said that they had no part in installing the chain, and that the increase in tourism and traffic had not caused them any bother. 'It doesn't make a difference to me. People can do what they like on the road,' one told BBC Radio Merseyside. When travelling, the Beatles legend used to sign hotel check-in books using the pseudonym 'Arnold Grove' and often supported other musicians using the moniker. Harrison lived in the house for seven years, before moving to the nearby suburb of Speke. The three-bed townhouse they lived in is now an Airbnb marketed towards Beatles fans.
Powys County Times
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Cavern Club makes all the noise in Summer Hurdle
Cavern Club rolled in with a late run to land the Unibet Same Race Multi Summer Handicap Hurdle for James Owen and Gavin Sheehan. The chestnut was last seen winning at Chester on the Flat in June, but has plenty of hurdling experience on his CV and was a good runner-up in a Cheltenham novice in November. He started at 8-1 for his switch of codes at Market Rasen, and after a good round of jumping he reeled in Kihavah to prevail by a length and a quarter, as his stablemate Nibras Gold finished third. 'He won his last start on the Flat and that is something I quite like to do,' said Owen. 'I always thought he was well handicapped, he's just getting it all together. 'He's been second at Cheltenham and he's been running in some decent handicaps. 'On the Flat he wants a fast pace to run at, so we knew the make-up of the race would suit him. He travelled well and Gavin gave him a lovely ride. That was his best jumping performance, he ran very well at Cheltenham, but probably just hit the front a bit too soon. 'He's got a lot of wins in him, this horse, we'll have a little break now and then he'll go back to Chester. 'He likes Chester and he's got owners up there, then we'll probably have a go at one of the early Cheltenham meetings.'
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'I'm the director of the Cavern Club and Adele's gig there blew my mind!' Jon Keats reveals legendary tales from The Beatles' Liverpool home: From a surprise visit from The Fonz and even a rumoured show by Jimi Hendrix'
It is one of the most iconic music venues in the world. Yet while The Cavern Club may be best known as The Beatles ' 'home', the live music bar has hosted a range of legendary stars - including Adele, The Fonz and Jimi Hendrix. Initially a jazz club when it opened in 1957, the venue is now fast approaching its 70th anniversary and despite it being five decades since The Beatles' last show, their legacy still lives on. However, they aren't the only huge stars to have put their mark on the iconic Liverpudlian venue. The club's director Jon Keats revealed his wildest celebrity run-ins over the years as he chatted with Jodie Kidd and Merlin Griffiths on the latest episode of their new podcast Three Landlords Walk Into A Bar. During the chat, Jon revealed that before reaching the dizzy heights of her stratospheric fame, Adele chose the Cavern for the album launch of her second record 21. After gaining chart success after the release of 19, the singer was already on the map when Smooth Radio called Jon and asked if they would be interested in hosting the intimate gig. 'She launched 21 at the Cavern. I remember taking that call and it was through Smooth Radio and asked if we would be interested in hosting this intimate gig - just 120 people in the room,' explained Jon. 'She did four tracks from 21 and three from 19, with just a piano and a guitar. We'd never heard the songs obviously, but you just knew. Head blown. She was lovely as well, she really was lovely.' Another day that stuck in Jon's mind was when his childhood here strolled into the Cavern for a casual pint. 'I'm in the office booking the music when we get a call. Bill, one of the owners, answers it and goes, "Yeah, yeah, okay, we'll do it." 'He puts the phone down and I ask, "What was that about?". He says, "Oh, typical... apparently the Fonz just walked into the Cavern." 'I get in there - and there he was. The Fonz. He was my childhood hero. When I was 10, I thought I was the Fonz.' Henry Winkler, who was often best known as the Fonz or Fonzie due to his role in the sitcom Happy Days, was in the city doing Panto over the festive period. 'He was renting an apartment just around the corner from the Cavern, huge Beatles fan. He'd come in quite a lot - usually for a half and all the staff got to know him quite well.' Jon was also keen to discuss the club's most legendary performers. 'When you talk about the Cavern and you've got to talk about The Beatles,' he mused. He continued: 'We wouldn't be here without them - they put the Cavern on the map because everyone wanted to play there after that, and it's still the same now. 'The Beatles played here 292 times. But the Cavern's story isn't just about The Beatles. As owners and custodians, it's our job to tell the whole story.' 'Their last gig was August '63 the Stones played in November '23, again because the Beatles had played it.' Yet there is one star that even Jon is 100% sure performed at the iconic venue despite swirling rumours. It is thought that Jimi Hendrix graced the stage, but the owners have never been able to confirm it for definite. Jon explained: 'There was a rumour that Jimi Hendrix played the Cavern. It's one of those 'did he didn't he?' We say he didn't because we have never been able to prove it. 'There is talk that he was playing the Empire theatre and then he came down and had a row with his girlfriend in the car park. So there is all these stories.' The Cavern Club calls itself the 'most famous club in the world,' but aside from their iconic Beatles nights which they still hold every Saturday they are still proving ground for big names and new acts alike. 'You might go in one night and see a Brazilian samba band, and the next night me a local school or college doing it's end of year showcase so its young musicians,' added Jon. 'But we've also had current big names doing album launches. Libertines played recently, Circa Waves, Paolo Nutini, Wunderhorse, Scouting for Girls.' Another star who is becoming a household name there is Eurovision star Sam Ryder. After performing two sold out nights for his album launch, he then returned for the week Eurovision was held in Liverpool back in 2024. 'He did three shows back to back the week of Eurovision when he came to Liverpool. He is such a hard worker, he deserves every bit of success he really does.
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Rory Gallagher remembered 25 years on in five iconic gigs
As the 25th anniversary of the death of the beloved Cork guitarist occurs on Sunday, Des O'Driscoll looks back at some of his seminal performances Cavern Club, Cork, 1966 By the time Rory Gallagher moved to Cork in 1956 at the age of eight, a combination of hearing US armed forces' radio in Derry where he'd been living, and growing up in a household where both parents loved music, ensured the seeds of his future career were well and truly planted. Even in his childhood years Rory had the self-discipline to spend hours practising on his acoustic guitar. His big 'breakthrough' came when he won a talent competition at Cork City Hall around 1960. In what was the first of his many encounters with the media, a delighted 12-year-old came into the offices of the Cork Examiner and Evening Echo on Academy Street in the city to proudly pose for a picture holding his guitar on the roof of the building. The first album he ever bought, The Buddy Holly Story, was purchased from a bookshop on Shandon Street, and the emergence of the new wave of British bands from 1963 onwards had spawned a small 'beat' scene in this country that provided an alternative to the dominant showbands. It was a movement the teenage Gallagher identified with, even though it was the showbands that provided an important outlet for him to hone his skills as a musician. A huge gig for his generation came in 1965 with the visit by the Rolling Stones to the Savoy, and Gallagher had saved for weeks for a ticket. That Stones gig helped inspire the burgeoning music scene in Cork, and by 1966 Rory, his brother Donal were involved in a new club on Leitrim Street in Cork. Rory Gallagher with The Taste in The Cavern in Cork in 1966. Picture: Courtesy of Donal Gallagher A labyrinth of a building, The Cavern catered for a mostly 15-to-17-year-old age group. With just a mineral bar forrefreshments, and luminous paint on the wall to up thecool-factor, that early club provided the main venue in the city for the kids who wanted to take a different path to the showbands. Donal had even set up a primitive set of record decks — basically, two record players rigged up inside a box from Harrington's bakery — and he'd play records during the breaks in between bands. By 1966, one of the most popular attractions at the venue were The Taste, fronted by his brother. By then, 18-year-old Rory had already clocked up an impressive CV of experience with other bands, touring to the UK and Spain. But this new three-piece really gave him an opportunity to forge his own path, and some of those early gigs in The Cavern are still an 'I was there' moment for Corkonians of his generation. Isle Of Wight Festival, August 28, 1970 by Ed Power Taste's acclaimed performance at the 1970 Isle Of WightFestival, saw Gallagher's band share a bill with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and Leonard Cohen. Watching Gallagher, bassist Richard McCracken and drummer John Wilson proceed, loosely and louchely, through a repertoire of rollicking blues numbers at Isle of Wight, it is clear you are witnessing an outfit at the very height of their abilities. At the time, they were regarded as peers of Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin — Live At The Isle of Wight makes clear why this was so. The documentary, by respected director Murray Lerner, follows Gallagher and his crew in the days preceding the festival, providing a revealing snapshot of a young artist shortly to claim an enduring slice of rock immortality. For admirers of Gallagher — and students of early ''70s rock generally — it makes for fascinating viewing. 'When Taste hit the stage the festival ignited,' recalls Donal Gallagher. 'Murray Lerner had come to the Isle of Wight planning to shoot one of two numbers per band because he had a limited quantity of tape and he wanted to save it for The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell. When he saw Taste, he kept the cameras rolling for over an hour, which was extraordinary and speaks to the impact they had. They electrified the festival.' Alas, the wheels came off shortly after Isle of Wight as Taste split suddenly. Ambitious but also loyal and decent minded, Gallagher was scarred by the experience, his brother reveals. He'd never had any interest in a solo career. For him, Taste had been the vehicle by which he hoped to make his dreams reality. 'They broke up for managerial reasons,' says Donal. 'Rory was keen to get out of his management contract. It was a conflict between Rory and the manager. Rory knew exactly where he wanted to go. The other two sided with the manager and formed a band called Stud, which was very short-lived. They found out the hard way what Rory was trying to tell them.' With his group fallen apart and a rosy future plunged into sudden uncertainty, Gallagher faced the biggest crisis of his short career. 'At the time he felt as if the world was falling in,' says Donal. 'Here was a band that had stolen the show at the Isle of Wight. And yet he felt his hands were tied contractually. He felt betrayed — and never looked back at Taste again.' Macroom Mountain Dew, June 26, 1977 Rory Gallagher in Macroom in 1977; top, the stage at the gig. Pictures: Irish Examiner Rory Gallagher didn't just headline Ireland's first majo routdoor rock festival – he also had a big hand in organising it. At least, he did via his brother Donal who was drafted in to ensure Rory's set would be a success. The guitarist had been reluctant to sign up to play at Macroom, a town which even by the standards of Ireland at the time had little experience of putting on such events. However, the fact that his mother Monica de Roiste's people were from the nearby area of Cúil Aodha was used to put some pressure on to convince him to play. The trade-off was that his trusty brother, who had been with him through his career and possessed a wealth of technical and organisational experience, would be hands on for the festival. Donal drafted in the likes of Mike Lowe, a sound system expert from Liverpool who went on to design rigs for of Pink Floyd and U2; and Joe Herlihy, the Cork man who would end up as U2's sound engineer for decades. Their hard work got the nod of approval from Rory, and the 10,000 fans who paid £2.50 a ticket for the gig were treated to a proper sound system for a typically energetic gig. It was a productive era for Rory, the gig came in the year following his Calling Card album, often ranked by fans as among his best. See the book, Macroom Mountain Dew, by Roz Crowley Rockpalast, Germany, August 28, 1982 Rory Gallagher on stage at Rockpalast in 1982. At the picturesque spot of Loreley on the Rhine, there's a legend about an enchanting woman who distracts boatmen and leads them to their death. In 1982, however, Rory Gallagher was the one doing the seducing with a storming set that was also broadcast across the continent. As with his first appearance at a Rockpalast concert in 1977, it was an event that was groundbreaking in terms of broadcasting technology, as it was among the first live broadcasts of an outdoor gig in stereo. The concert had come two years after the release of Jinx, an album that had marked the end of a six-album deal with Chrysalis. Being off the road in later years was a mixed blessing for Rory, but his brother Donal Gallagher recalls his brother being happy at that time to be free of the pressures of the annual album-and-tour grind. 'It gave him the freedom and time to work on his music and just to breathe,' says Donal. Rory was also happy to be sharing the bill with Eric Burdon, a longtime hero of his, and the two had an association that went all the way back to the Acadia in the mid-1960s when Rory and The Impact showband had supported The Animals at the Cork venue. Footage from the Rockpalast gig has been re-shown on German TV this week to mark the anniversary of Rory's death and shows Burdon and Gallagher playing together on 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' at a mass jam to finish the concert. The Marquee, New York,March 30, 1991 Rory Gallagher's final gig in the US came at a mixed time in his life. A world tour had turned into a logistical nightmare because of the outbreak of the first Gulf War, and personal issues had come to the fore that had seen him spend a few weeks in a rehab clinic. While booze seemed to be an obvious issue to those around him, it had also emerged around this time that prescribed drugs were causing even more of a problem. Medication to ease his anxieties around flying, and sleeping pills to fight his insomnia, became part of a serious issue that would take its toll on his body and eventually lead to his death following a liver transplant barely four years later. 'I thought keeping Rory on the road was better than keeping him off the road,' recalls his brother Donal of a difficult time for all concerned. But there were reasons for optimism as the band flew from Australia to California on March 2. Rory had been 'on the dry' for a few weeks, and got a kick out of having two birthdays as he crossed the International Dateline on his 43rd birthday. As the tour began, he was also reminded of the esteem he was held in by the music world when Slash from Guns N'Roses showed up backstage to pay homage at the Hollywood gig. By the time they reached New York a month later, word had seeped out that Rory was going to part company with Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O'Neill, the rhythm section who had been at the heart of his line-up for the previous ten years (with bassist McAvoy going all the way back to 1971). That news had increased the hype for the gig, and the promoter was happy to make the most of the huge demand for tickets. 'It was absolutely packed,' recalls Donal Gallagher. Somehow, the New York Fire Department got wind of how crowded the venue was and soon showed up amidst a wail of sirens. As the gig continued, Donal found himself negotiating between the fire department, the police who were threatening to arrest the promoter, and Rory who was having a great time on stage. 'I said, 'Look, if you pull the plug and he has to go off the stage, that's going to cause even more damage',' Donal recalls. 'I asked the fire department guy if he could just do two more numbers, and he replied: 'OK, he can do two more numbers, as long as one of them is 'Messin With the Kid'!' Rory duly obliged, and then finished out his set with 'Bullfrog Blues', the classic Mississippi Delta number that was a fitting choice to bring the curtain down on his association with a country that had done so much to inspire his music from an early age.
