On This Day in Beatles History: The Beatles Live at the Casbah Coffee Club – 11 March 1962
On Sunday 11 March 1962, The Beatles performed at the Casbah Coffee Club in Hayman Green, Liverpool, marking their 31st appearance at the venue. The club was owned and operated by Mona Best, the mother of the Beatles’ drummer at the time, Pete Best.
The Casbah Coffee Club was one of the earliest and most important venues in the Beatles’ story. Long before their residency at the Cavern Club made them famous in Liverpool, the band had already developed a loyal following through regular performances at the Casbah.
The Casbah Coffee Club
The Casbah Coffee Club opened in 1959 in the cellar of Mona Best’s home at 8 Hayman’s Green in West Derby, Liverpool. The venue quickly became a hub for the city’s emerging rock and roll scene.
The Beatles themselves helped decorate the club before it opened, painting murals on the walls and ceiling of the basement rooms. These early sessions at the Casbah helped establish the band’s reputation locally during their formative years.
Between 1960 and 1962, The Beatles performed at the Casbah 37 times, making it one of their most frequently played venues during their early Liverpool career.
Beatles appearances at the Casbah Coffee Club
The Beatles’ known appearances at the Casbah Coffee Club took place on the following dates:
1960
- 17 December
- 31 December
1961
- 15 January
- 29 January
- 12 February
- 19 February
- 26 February
- 5 March
- 12 March
- 19 March
- 26 March
- 6 August
- 13 August
- 27 August
- 10 September
- 24 September
- 22 October
- 19 November
- 24 November
- 3 December
- 17 December
1962
- 7 January
- 14 January
- 21 January
- 28 January
- 4 February
- 11 February
- 18 February
- 25 February
- 4 March
- 11 March
- 18 March
- 25 March
- 1 April
- 7 April
- 8 April
- 24 June
These performances formed an important part of the band’s early Liverpool schedule before their national breakthrough.
The Quarrymen at the Casbah
The venue also hosted performances by the Beatles’ earlier group, The Quarrymen, who appeared there on seven occasions in 1959:
- 29 August
- 5 September
- 12 September
- 19 September
- 26 September
- 3 October
- 10 October
These shows helped establish the venue as a central meeting place for young Liverpool musicians.
The Beatles in early 1962
By March 1962, The Beatles were becoming one of the most popular live acts on the Liverpool scene. Their residency at the Cavern Club was drawing large crowds, and their reputation had been strengthened by repeated residencies in Hamburg.
The Casbah remained an important venue during this period, offering a more informal environment than some of the city’s clubs and ballrooms.
Within months of this performance, the band’s career would change dramatically. Later in 1962, they would sign to EMI, work with producer George Martin, and release their debut single ‘Love Me Do’.
Why 11 March 1962 matters
The Beatles’ appearance at the Casbah Coffee Club on 11 March 1962 represents another step in the long sequence of Liverpool performances that shaped the band’s development. Nights like these helped refine their live act and build the reputation that would soon carry them far beyond Merseyside.
For historians of the Beatles, the Casbah remains one of the most important locations in the band’s early story.
On This Day in Beatles History
Date: 11 March 1962
Venue: Casbah Coffee Club
Location: 8 Hayman’s Green, West Derby, Liverpool
Owner: Mona Best
Significance: The Beatles’ 31st performance at the venue.
Venue Location
Casbah Coffee Club – West Derby, Liverpool
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