The
Silver Beatles audition at The Blue Angel (May 1960)
It seems difficult to believe that
The Beatles couldn’t get a record deal. Auditions for the main record companies
Colombia, HMV, Pye and Philips all failed. Famously Decca thought them bland,
turned them down instead and signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (who!?) They
passed their very first audition though and here I am in Liverpool outside the
club where it happened. Big music promoter Larry Parnes was up from London to
audition groups to back Billy Fury on a tour of northern England and Scotland.
On Tuesday 10th May 1960 Larry came
here to the Blue Angel which was a club run by Allan Williams. Allan was
manager of a new band called The Silver Beetles but they hadn’t been together
long and performed other people's songs. Larry was a big success down in London
and had a stable of successful acts. He’d heard there were over three hundred
bands in Liverpool and was after the best. Billy Fury came with him to the
audition.
The lads were still young (Paul 18, John 20) and
were The Silver Beatles at the time. They faced competition at the audition: Cass
and the Cassanovas, Derry and the Seniors, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cliff
Roberts and the Rockers. The band hadn’t performed together for many months and
their current drummer - Tommy Moore - didn’t bother to show up.
The lads were almost broke too but wanted to appear
cohesive with their dress sense. They went shopping and bought some string
shoes with little white bits on top and black shirts. When it was their turn
the drummer still hadn’t arrived so the drummer with Cass and the Cassanovas
covered for him. Later Paul Mc said they were average and didn’t play
particularly well or particularly badly. Stuart Sutcliffe was still learning to
play the bass guitar and to hide this he turned his back on the audience.
The Beatles passed the audition to go on tour but
not with Billy Fury. They joined Johnny Gentle (who?) for a seven-date tour of
Scotland. It was better than doing a real job.
While visiting Liverpool I made sure I passed the
Blue Angel. It was Wyvern Social Club when the lads auditioned here in 1960. I
did a salute and left.
