An Article by Michael Drummond
First published in the Official Programme of
The Mersey Beatles Great Northern Tour 2005.

Liverpool’s most famous cultural asset - its music - was one of the key factors in the city’s successful bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2008. Liverpool has produced more chart-topping artists than any other city in the world.

	The Beatles are by far the city’s most famous and popular musical talent; their record sales and sheer impact on society are unmatched, and they remain one of the few bands to leave a lasting legacy. Their most recent compilation was the best selling album of 2000, selling more than 23 million copies worldwide, 2.4 million in the UK alone.
Live at The Cavern in 1961 with Pete Best on drums Photo: Joe Flannery

Warren Bradley, Liverpool City Council’s Executive Member for Leisure and Culture, comments: ‘The Beatles have played a massive role in our culture, and they’ve influenced both the older and younger generations. Everyone finds it easy to get to grips with what The Beatles played, because it doesn’t date.'

Joe Flannery, The Beatles’ booking manager and Liverpool’s Cultural Ambassador, describes The Beatles’ long-lasting success: ‘It’s like a fine wine – it gets better with age!’

Reflecting on their togetherness and teamwork he recalls: ‘They were
supporting a band of mine when they were first starting, and one of our bass amps blew. I went to see The Beatles and asked Paul if we could borrow theirs. He shouted over to John, who replied “Lend them the amp, the show must go on!” There were other bands around at the time that could have been as good, but they didn’t have the attitude or management that The Beatles enjoyed.’

"When They play in The Cavern, They Perfectly Recreates the atmosphere that the original Beatles produced. I close my eyes and it's like listening to The Beatles again."

The Beatles enjoyed a long career in music because their style changed so much over the years. When they burst onto the music scene, they were very different from other bands around at the time. Their vibrant vocal harmonies and upbeat, catchy tunes influenced their rise to fame. The ‘Fab Four’ also modified their style to keep up with the changing times. Many say they were revolutionary, initiating many new musical styles.

Mark Featherstone-Witty, Chief Executive of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), says: ‘When they first started, what they were doing was extraordinary; it simply was the time. Paul McCartney had an amazing ability to master all styles of music.’

He describes how The Beatles were quick to latch on to other ideas that seemed to work: ‘They were like sponges, they picked up everything.’

Steve Panter (‘Stevie P’), Entertainments Manager of Liverpool’s now-legendary Cavern Club, explains how The Beatles produced music at a much faster pace than we expect in modern music: ‘These days a band makes, say, one album a year at the most, whereas The Beatles had to grind out three albums a year because that’s what the record label wanted.’
Through their extensive discography they maintained originality, and their diverse musical influences provided something for everyone: ‘They cover every style of music, from full-on rock to slow blues, with a few folk tunes thrown in,’ Stevie P adds.

	The Beatles’ thirteen year career took off from the Cavern, which helped them to reach their audience, as the acoustics and atmosphere of this cellar bar made it a perfect live music venue. Stevie P comments: ‘It’s got a big-stage feel to it, but the crowd also helps because they’re so close to the performers and they contribute a lot.’
The entrance to The Cavern Club

Joe Flannery thinks highly of the venue: ‘The acoustics in the Cavern are superb so they help bands who are trying to get their music through to people. It produces a good sound, but the general atmosphere is brilliant.’

The Beatles often sang about their hometown; famous songs such as Penny Lane gave the city a better image, and promoted tourism by fans.

Thanks to the Beatles’ global success, Liverpool now entertains visitors from all over the world who come to experience the sights and sounds that the ‘Fab Four’ sang about. Louise Collier, Manager of The Beatles Story museum, believes that The Beatles helped Liverpool to attract worldwide tourism: ‘They were approachable, and made you feel like you could go out and do it yourself. We see different generations in The Beatles Story, so you notice how huge their impact on culture has been.’

The Beatles Story museum

This impact was a significant influence on the Capital of Culture bid, according to Mark Featherstone-Witty: ‘Their attachment to the city was almost romantic, and extremely genuine. They made people think differently about Liverpool.’

One of the biggest musical attractions in Liverpool is the annual Mathew Street Festival, created to take music out of The Cavern and onto the streets of Liverpool. Organiser Alex McKechnie, explains: ‘The Festival wouldn’t be as significant if it wasn’t for The Beatles, because, in a way, Liverpool as a musical heritage wouldn’t be as significant. They completely changed the way people think about Liverpool music.’

Scenes from the annual Mathew Street Festival LEFT: Pier Head Stage RIGHT: Mathew Street

The Mersey Beatles is one of many tribute bands that have sprung up to emulate the original Beatles’ success and, unlike many others, the Merseys are Liverpool born and bred. They have been hugely influenced by The Beatles’ music throughout their lives. Steven “Paul” Howard explains: “We’re mega fans, it’ll never die for us. It’s the best thing going, and it’s still a huge buzz to play their music live.”

To those who say a band should focus on original work., Steven says: ‘We’re not trying to be The Beatles, we’re just paying tribute to them. If you think about it, isn’t the Philharmonic Orchestra a Mozart or a Beethoven
tribute band?’

Stevie P adds: ‘The Mersey Beatles do all the same kind of banter and crowd involvement, but it’s not rehearsed or fake, that’s just how they are. If The Beatles were still going today, they’d be exactly like The Mersey Beatles.’

Warren Bradley agrees: ‘It’s not right that you only hear The Beatles on a jukebox. Tribute bands get kids in touch with their music as well as the older generations.’

Alex McKechnie believes that tribute bands contribute to the nostalgia effect of The Beatles music: ‘People listen to tribute bands these days to get that feeling of listening to the original group. It works well for The Beatles because they’re not around and performing anymore, whereas bands like The Rolling Stones are still performing, even if they are old.’

The Beatles themselves started as a covers band; Joe Flannery remembers sitting on the steps of The Cavern, listening to them rehearse Bruce Channel’s Hey Baby. Joe, who doesn’t normally comment on tribute bands, was delighted to hear The Mersey Beatles. ‘When they play in The Cavern, they perfectly recreate the atmosphere that the original Beatles produced. I could close my eyes and it would be like listening to The Beatles again.’

back to top