The Casbah Coffee Club:
Some facts about The Casbah:
The Casbah Club opened on 29th August 1959 to the new resident band The Quarrymen. Between then and June 1962 they played there 44 times. After returning from Hamburg - having been deported when the police were told that George was under 18 - the Beatles got back together for a concert at The Casbah, with Chas Newby replacing Stuart Sutcliffe on bass. Cynthia painted a portrait of John Lennon on the wall at The Casbah. The Quarrymen had effectively disbanded, and George Harrison was playing with The Les Stewart Quartet. When an argument meant that they would not become the resident band at The Casbah, George Harrison contacted his friends John Lennon and Paul McCartney to help out at the Casbah as his band the Les Stewart Quartet had refused to take up the residency. The Quarrymen were effectively reborn. 29th August 1958 is often referred to as the birthplace of the Beatles, at The Casbah. There is a plaque announcing the birth of The Beatles here. John Lennon and Paul McCartney painted the ceilings at The Casbah - their artwork is still there today, though most of John's caricatures were covered up by John himself when he painted over them with Gloss paint - he should have used emulsion, but not wearing his glasses he used the wrong paint. John would often stay at The Casbah with Pete Best after late gigs. They would raid the crisps and Cokes in the empty coffee bar. He even taught himself to use Mona Best's sewing machine so that he could sew up his trousers when he'd split them! John Lennon and Pete Best became good friends. On 24th January 1962, The Beatles consisting of John, Paul, George and Pete signed their management contract with Brian Epstein at The Casbah.

The Casbah, Pete Best, The Quarry Men, the quarrymen, Casbah Tours, see the Casbah Club