Liverpool is synonymous with music, especially as it is home to thebiggest band the world has ever seen. Yet even 50 years on from when TheBeatles played the Cavern, the city is still a hotbed of musical talent,showcased in various bars, pubs and clubs throughout the town centre.
TheCavern Club and Pub
Location:Mathew Street
You can’t mention music and Liverpool in the same sentence withouttalking about where it all began for The Beatles; The Cavern Club. Althoughthis isn’t the original venue (which was knocked down), it has been constructedto resemble the original stage complete with the underground archways throughto each room. There are often Beatles tribute acts and local bands playing inthe day time on weekends, while Saturday evenings are Beatles tribute night,with the odd exception being Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton tributes playing everynow and then.
In August, there’s the Mathew Street festival where bands from all overthe world head over to Liverpool to play their music, and of course pay tributeto the Fab Four themselves. Expect huge crowds, loud music, hot weather and agreat weekend.
Given the amount of people who attend the festival, and the fact thatthe new football season will have started then and either Liverpool or Evertonwill be at home that weekend,, most of the hotels in Liverpool get booked up early so if you’re planning on going andwant to stay in town, it is advisable to book somewhere as soon as possible.
Just across the road from the Cavern Club is the Cavern Pub, which is a lotsmaller but has a similar theme.
Lennon’sBar
Location:Mathew Street
Again, on Mathew Street lies another Beatles themed pub; Lennon’s Bar. Thewalls are decorated with Beatles memorabilia and other influential musiciansfrom the 60s, along with some of John Lennon’s drawings on the wallsdownstairs.
Before 6pm on weekdays is a happy hour where drinks prices are reduced,and at weekends the live bands do the usual Beatles covers, along with othercover songs and some of their own music.
HeebieJeebies
Location:Seel Street
Heebie Jeebies is great in the daytime in the summer months – there’s asmall courtyard that gets plenty of sun, and has a small stage with local actson, so you can sit outside and listen to whoever is on.
At the weekends, downstairs opens, and similar to the Cavern, it hasunderground archways with bands on small stages in the corner. There’s all kindof music from rock, funk, jazz and pop depending on when you go, but it is oneof the better bars in town to have a beer away from the town centre.
TheShipping Forecast
Location:Slater Street
Just around the corner from Heebie Jeebies is The Shipping Forecast, arelatively new bar in town that gives local bands the chance to play theirtunes on Friday evenings, although the management want a certain clientele –you may be turned away for being ‘overdressed’ or not liking the type of musicbeing played, or even which other bars in town you frequent. If you do get inwithout answering 20 questions from the door staff, they have a few differentbeers that you can’t get everywhere else in town, so try something differentrather than just picking your favourite lager like you do elsewhere.
Mountfordhall/Liverpool Uni
Location:Mount Pleasant
Mountford hall is an intimate gig venue in Liverpool for up and comingbands, and has had some famous names playing there over the years. Mostrecently, Liam Gallagher’s new band Beady Eye had a sell out gig there,although tickets tend to sell out fast if a well known act is on.
Drinks are cheap to accommodate the students, with some nights offering£1 per pint, so depending on when you go you could have a cheap night. If therearen’t known acts on, there are either tribute bands or a local band playing tokeep people entertained.
Bumper
Location:Hardman Street
Bumper has live music on every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; usuallyrock, punk and metal music. They sometimes get the odd known band playingthere, however again it is usually local unsigned acts that are given thechance to play to a crowd. The venue itself has been done up a bit inside, butcan get quite busy on weekends so try and get in early if you want to spend afew hours there.
O’Neills
Location:Hanover Street
Turn right at the top of Church Street just after the Lloyds TSB bankand you can’t miss O’Neills. Probably the busiest pub in the daytime in town,O’Neills is an Irish pub that is usually the starting point for hen nights andstag dos, along with a central point for Irish people heading over to Liverpoolfor the weekend. On Liverpool & Everton match days, it is hard to get inand get served, but is worth staying round for the atmosphere.
There’s live music on every night, usually traditional Irish songs, with theodd cover song thrown in. In the week it isn’t too bad to sit off and have apint while there’s a band on, but at the weekend it can be a bit overcrowded.
Zanzibar Club
Location: Seel Street
Zanzibar is a small club on Seel Street that gives rock bands a stage to perform on, usually unsigned acts. While it can only hold around 300 people, the club is known as one of the better bars on the live music scene in town.
Regardless of your taste in music, there are plenty of venues in townthat have live acts on all year round, so next time you’re in town, head to oneof the above venues to check out who is playing.
Many thanks to Tony Haslam from MoneySupermarket.com for sending this article to us at Liverpool Acoustic. Tony is a writer for the MoneySupermarket.com blog.
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