9 JUNE, 1957: EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL
The first verifiable performance of the Quarry Men. An audition, unsuccessful, before impresario Carroll Levis for the Discoveries television show.
6 JUNE, 1957: GARDEN FETE, ST PETER'S CHURCH, WOOLTON, LIVERPOOL
Playing the Woolton Fete was quite a coup for John and his band and represented the first hint of mainstream acceptance of their unpolished talent and outlandish taste. In fact, it was on this day that John's Aunt Mimi saw John for the first time in full Teddy Boy regalia. She was both outraged and touched when John, spotting her in the audience, acknowledged the confrontation by improvising the lyrics, "Mimi's coming, oh, oh, Mimi's coming down the path".
Incredibly, a crude recording of this performance made by Bob Molyneux, a member of St Peter's Youth Club, turned up in 1994. Molyneux's tape, auctioned by Sotheby's on 15 September, 1994 for $100,000, includes only two songs, "Baby Let's Play House" (Gunter) by Elvis Presley, from which Lennon would later appropriate the opening line for his "Run For Your Life" and Lonnie Donegan's "Puttin' On The Style". According to various accounts, the Quarry Men also performed the Del Vikings' "Come Go With Me" (Quick), Eddie Cochran's "Twenty Flight Rock" (Cochran-Fairchild), Lonnie Donegan's "The Cumberland Gap" (trad.) and "Railroad Bill" (trad.), "Maggie Mae" (a traditional, rather bawdy, Liverpool song that the Beatles later recorded in 1969) and perhaps for the first time in public, Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (Vincet-Davis).
Paul, at the command of Ivan Vaughn, had come to the fete to check out the Quarry Men. He was impressed although his sense of superiority was softened by the observation that John sang the wrong words to most of the songs. In fact, John was prone to making them up himself, but was duly appreciative when Paul wrote down for him, from memory, the lyrics to "Twenty Flight Rock" and "Be-Bop-A-Lula". Paul further distinguished himself by tuning a guitar - the Quarry Men had been paying a more experienced musician to do this for them - and launching into either "Tutti Frutti" (Penniman-LaBostrie) or "Long Tall Sally" (Johnson-Penniman-LaBostrie) or both, which demonstrated the stunning Little Richard impersonation that would become a trademark and a common set closer for the Beatles.
A week or two later, one of the Quarry Men, Pete Shotton, passed McCartney on his bicycle. He stopped and mentioned that John wanted him in the band. Paul thought for a moment, accepted the offer and went on his way. The seed had been planted that would flower into the Beatles.
7 AUGUST, 1957 CAVERN CLUB, LIVERPOOL
This was the Quarry Men's first appearance at what would become recognised as the home of the Beatles and the birthplace of the Merseybeat. At the time, the Cavern was primarily a jazz club. John tested the prohibition against rock 'n' roll by allowing the band's repertoire to stray from skiffle towards Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins. The manager passed him a note onstage, "Cut the bloody rock!" By the time the Beatles left Liverpool, they had played the Cavern 292 times.
18 OCTOBER, 1957: NEW CLUBMOOR HALL (CONSERVATIVE CLUB), BROADWAY, LIVERPOOL
Paul's debut with the Quarry Men, playing guitar. In an attempt to show off his instrumental prowess, he stepped to the front of the stage for the break in Arthur Smith and the Crackerjack's "Guitar Boogie" (Smith) and made an utter mess of the solo. It was clear to all concerned that the band needed a better lead guitarist.