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| Lathom Hall, Seaforth |
Lathom Hall situated in the Seaforth district of Liverpool was built in 1884 as a social club and also served as a cinema. In June 1912 it was announced that in order to screen motion pictures the hall had been converted to the "most elaborate picture palace in the district, with electric lighting" (In fact until the following year it was the only picture palace in Seaforth). Seating over 200 the Lathom Hall Picture Palace opened on Saturday 8 June 1912 but despite the hall drawing great attendances for the twice weekly change of films it had a short lifespan as a picture house and closed in 1916.
'The Beatles' played at Lathom Hall on 11 occasions, the first time being on Saturday the 14th May 1960 on a bill which included established Liverpool bands 'Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes', 'Cliff Roberts & the Rockers' and the 'Deltones'. Although it was only an audition they were listed for, and the one and only time as 'The Silver Beats', it was their first proper show for Liverpool promoter Brian Kelly, or 'Beekay' as he was commonly known. Brian ran a number of Liverpool venues that promoted 'The Beatles' including Litherland Town Hall, Alexandra Hall and the Aintree Institute.
All their subsequent appearances at Lathom Hall took place during the first two months of 1961, by which time Kelly was paying them an average of eight pounds and ten pence a performance Their last performance on Saturday the 25th of February took place on George Harrison’s eighteenth birthday, or so he believed at the time.
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| The Silver Beats on stage at Lathom Hall left to right - Stuart, John, Tommy Moore, Paul & George |
Having been let down by the group for a subsequent booking, as they went on a tour of Scotland with Johnny Gentle instead, it was several months later, on the 27th of December 1960, on their return from Hamburg, that Beekay was reluctantly persuaded by Bob Wooler to give them another chance. They appeared that night with 'The Deltones', 'The Delrenas' and 'The Searchers'. Bob Wooler announced them as 'Direct from Hamburg, Germany' and 'The Beatles' brought the house down.
During a fight outside Lathom Hall following one of the Beatles' performances in January 1961, Stuart Sutcliffe was either kicked in the head or thrown head first against a brick wall. John Lennon and Pete Best were also injured going to his aid fighting off his attackers before dragging him to safety. Stuart had a fractured skull, John Lennon had broken his little finger and Pete had a black eye. It was rumoured that this injury could have been linked to Stuart's death of a brain aneurism some 16 months later in Hamburg.
Three months following 'The Beatles' final performance at Lathom Hall, a policeman was assaulted by thugs after a Beekay promotion and the council decided there would be no more 'live' sessions held there. Brian Kelly was quoted in the Liverpol Echo saying "these dances have been a pain in the neck for me".
The club is one of the few venues left in Liverpool where you can still stand on the original stage where 'The Beatles' played.
During a fight outside Lathom Hall following one of the Beatles' performances in January 1961, Stuart Sutcliffe was either kicked in the head or thrown head first against a brick wall. John Lennon and Pete Best were also injured going to his aid fighting off his attackers before dragging him to safety. Stuart had a fractured skull, John Lennon had broken his little finger and Pete had a black eye. It was rumoured that this injury could have been linked to Stuart's death of a brain aneurism some 16 months later in Hamburg.
Three months following 'The Beatles' final performance at Lathom Hall, a policeman was assaulted by thugs after a Beekay promotion and the council decided there would be no more 'live' sessions held there. Brian Kelly was quoted in the Liverpol Echo saying "these dances have been a pain in the neck for me".
The club is one of the few venues left in Liverpool where you can still stand on the original stage where 'The Beatles' played.
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