My father only let us listen to Top 40 once a week – on our way to mass on Sunday mornings. Kasey Kasem would count down tunes as my poor father shook his head, resisting the urge to turn the dial back to the Oldies station. I grew up listening to CCR, John Denver and the Beatles, and often wondered what I’d subject my own children to when I was at the wheel. Probably Ace of Base.
My previous trips to England have always been about visiting the big cities and seeing the famous sites, but having seen just about all the major cities comes with a price. Last year’s travel goals took me to regional festivals, sporting events and even another continent, but my recent Beatles revival has me researching music destinations.
The Beatles Story during a trip to Liverpool is at the top of my list. The Fab Four may have put Liverpool on the list and be haunted by John, Paul, Ringo and George, but there’s a wealth of things to do in the city.
Since the Beatles’ inception and small-time gigs at The Cavern Club to worldwide fame and fans screaming at their feet, their career as a group and the subsequent solo careers are some of the most famous music stories ever known – Liverpool is witness to Beatlemania and all that came after.
The award-winning The Beatles Story museum can be found in the Albert Dock – a region, in itself, worth exploring. The interactive journey provides a comprehensive look at the career of The Beatles, from their first gigs as The Quarrymen right through to taking the world by storm. The sprawling museum is a testament to one of Rock’s greatest stories and home to countless cool exhibits.
Don’t miss Woolton Village Fete, where Paul met John for the first time. Imagine the conversations that would have helped cement their future and see the instruments that John used with his skiffle band before making the biggest career move of his life.
Stop by Casbah Coffee Club, where The Quarrymen played some of their live sets. The actual club used to be a rock and roll venue in the cellar of a home in West Derby, Liverpool and was helped to be painted and finished by the lads before heading on to larger venues. The cellar has been idolised in their memory and can still be visited to this day.
You will also find a recreated Cavern Club within the experience; the live venue that used to have a jazz-only policy but progressed to allow other genres on its stage. The actual club can still be found in Mathew Street and still has a great atmosphere.
Once the lads left Liverpool and took the world by storm, their split, solo careers and even the notorious murder of John Lennon outside The Dakota Building, are explained and explored in the museum. Following the tour, head over to the Mersey Ferries terminal, where The Beatles Story Pier Head can be found.
For someone who loves music and grew up with “Twist and Shout” as one of her favorite songs, it seems only fitting that a pilgrimage to the place where John and Paul made history is a must! The museum is located near the Liverpool docks and cost 16£ for adults and 12£ for students.
Have you ever been to Liverpool? What other sites would you recommend?
