Mersey Beat - The Mardi Gras

The spires of the 'Mardi' with the Adelphi in the background

View of the 'Mardi' looking up Mount Pleasant

'The Mardi' was a refurbished old Wesleyan chapel, later to become a picture house, standing at the bottom of Mount Pleasant, and played an important role in the development of Liverpool's music. Jim Ireland and Stan Roberts opened its doors to eager music loving teenagers on the 28th of September 1957 with walls decorated by Bob Percival's 'Beat City' murals and it was used in a Rank feature film in 1964 for location shots.

Jive night at 'The Mardi'

 It was considered to be one of the homes of entertainment during the 1960s, with some of the finest bands and artists playing at the club and the ultraviolet lighting will still be remembered by those who frequented the place, highlighting the lads dandruff and the girls underwear.
Some of the acts performing at the club included 'Gerry and the Pacemakers', 'The Big Three' and Cilla Black with Ringo Starr's first concert taking place there as he became Rory Storm's new drummer on the 25th of March 1959. 'The Swinging Blue Jeans' and 'The Escorts', both managed by Jimmy Ireland, became regulars at 'The Mardi', as did 'The Chants'.

It had the distinct advantage of other clubs around with having a licensed bar, located at the back of the grand balcony, overlooking the dance floor. It was carpeted, had decent changing facilities and unlike many other venues, properly plumbed lavatories. It could hold between 700 to 800 people, a lot more than for instance its competitor, The Cavern.

Radio Merseyside legend Billy Butler, who'd had his own group 'The Tuxedos' and had been a DJ at The Cavern and also 'The Down Beat', which became the Victoriana on Victoria Street, had started working at 'The Mardi' after it had closed temporarily amid financial uncertainty in 1966 when Tamla Motown music was rising. He and Chris Wharton then took on the running of the club in 1969 and booked all the top Soul acts from the USA until only 300 people turned up to see Al Green, which he has said was the beginning of the end. 

Billy recalled those days, " When we stopped the Soul we completely changed the club and became Liverpool's first prog rock Psychedelic club. We booked Slade, Quo, Pink Fairies, Thin Lizzie at least 5 times, Nazareth 4 times, Uriah Heap, Audience. Greasy Bear, Arrival. Black Widow,Wild Turkey, etc, etc and local bands like The Klubbs, Curiosity Shop, Perfume Garden, etc, etc. Very successful until forced to close for a motorway that never happened !! "

The club closed in 1971 and moved to different premises in Bold Street.
Despite being 225 years old, the original building was demolished between 1974 to 1975 to eventually become a concrete car park.

 

see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2017/11/mersey-beat-institute-neston.html