Cavern Club’s documentary to make its national television debut

‘The Cavern Club - The Beat Goes On …’ documentary is set to tell the definitive story behind the iconic Liverpool music venue to a national audience this week.

The 70-minute programme will get its first TV airing on Sky Arts channel on Saturday 7^thSeptember at 10pm. Having been written and co-directed by the Cavern Club itself, produced by Liverpool production company LA Factual and presented and narrated by Liverpool born actor Paul McGann, it is fair to say that it is a production that has ‘Liverpool’ firmly at its heart.

Paul McGann tells the complete, colourful story of “The Most Famous Club in The World”, a club whose fortunes have ebbed and flowed with that of the city itself. From the early days of jazz and skiffle, through the heady days of Merseybeat and beyond, discover why this humble cellar has become a place of pilgrimage for both fans and musicians alike. The film features contributions from the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Steven Van Zandt, Gerry Marsden and performances from Adele, Joe Bonamassa to name a few.

Cavern Club director and co–director of the film, Jon Keats says “There have been so many myths and fabrication of the truth regarding the Cavern Club’s story over the years, so much so that the much-missed former Cavern DJ Bob Wooler christened Mathew Street – Mythew Street – indeed!

“We set out to try and tell the full story, the definitive story of a club that means so much to so many people.The Cavern Club is the cradle of British pop music, the place where The Beatles musical identity was formed. But this is just part of the story…”

The Cavern Club was first opened by Alan Sytner on the 16^thJanuary 1957 as a jazz venue. Over the next sixty years, this basement club in the heart of Liverpool was to nurture and embrace an ever-changing music scene, survive two closures, demolition, heartache, pain, drama…

Today’s Cavern is a thriving live music destination and one of Liverpool’s top tourist attractions, showcasing not only the incredible legacy of The Beatles, but also new up and coming bands as well as established artists. The documentary delves into why this iconic music venue in Liverpool still attracts the big names in music through its doors over sixty years on and why Paul McCartney chose to play an intimate ‘homecoming’ gig there in July 2018.

Bill Heckle, Cavern Club owner and writer of the film says “The Cavern’s story to date is full of drama, romance and comedy. It’s a place that has been at the heart of Liverpool’s music and social scene for seven decades. The Cavern is almost its own character. Its story so far deserves to be shared with the world just as the music that has and continues to come out of it is.”

‘The Cavern Club – The Beat Goes On …’  can be seen on  Sky Arts Saturday 7^thSeptember 10:00pm. It is available to purchase on DVD from www.cavernclub.com

Watch ‘The Cavern Club – The Beat Goes On…’ trailer Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJCZXratHIk

-ENDS

For further information contact Jon Keats on (0151) 26 9091 or email [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS

About The Cavern Club

The Cavern Club opened its doors on January 16, 1957 as a jazz club modelled on the famous Paris nightspot Le Caveau de la Huchette. The opening act was the Merseysippi Jazz Band.

Skiffle groups including the Quarrymen were allowed to play at the club but it was not until the early 1960s that it became a regular spot for blues bands and beat groups.

Between February 1961 and August 1963, The Beatles made 292 appearances at the club.

The original Cavern closed its doors in 1973 to make way for work on the city’s underground railway loop, with a replacement venue opened on the opposite side of Mathew Street. That club later became Eric’s.

The current Cavern was reopened on April 26, 1984 at the original address.

Cavern City Tours took over its running in 1991 and in the past 29 years the venue has played host to a stellar line-up of artists including Oasis, Tom Robinson, Travis, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Jessie J, Monkee Micky Dolenz and Sir Paul McCartney.

About LA Factual

LA Factual is the documentary arm of Liverpool-based LA Productions (Broken, Care and Moving On). Headed up by Christian Francis-Davies, The Cavern Club: The Beat Goes On is their debut feature documentary.

LA Factual worked with the Cavern Club over the last two and half years to create the documentary, speaking to over 20 people of interest and sifting through thousands of hours of archive footage.

Staff at LA Factual produced more than 40 hours of content all of which was cut down to make the 70 minute mark. The team travelled the length of the country throughout filming with parts also filmed in Paris.

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