Saturday 22 June 1957 | Live, The Quarrymen
On 22 June 1957, a teenage skiffle group from Woolton performed twice in a single day on the back of a stationary coal lorry in a Liverpool street party — and history, though it did not yet know it, was watching.
The Quarrymen played Rosebery Street twice that Saturday: once in the afternoon, and again that evening, as part of the street's celebrations for the 750th anniversary of King John granting Liverpool a Royal Charter in 1207. It was not a glamorous debut. There was no fee. The microphone lead ran through a neighbour's front window. The stage was a coal lorry. But John Lennon was on it.
How It Came About
The event was arranged by Mrs Marjorie Roberts of 84 Rosebery Street. Her son Charles, a printer, was friends with Quarrymen drummer Colin Hanton and suggested the group perform. He also stencilled the Quarrymen logo onto Hanton's bass drum — staggering the name diagonally in two words due to lack of space, a detail later misread by some as evidence the band name was officially split. The coal lorry was owned by a resident from number 76, who allowed the group to run a microphone lead through his front window.
John Lennon in His Own Words
"Our first appearance was in Rosebery Street — it was their Empire Day celebrations. They had this party out in the street. We played from the back of a lorry. We didn't get paid. We played at blokes' parties after that; perhaps got a few bob, but mostly we just played for fun. We didn't mind about not being paid."
— John Lennon, 1967, Anthology
The Rosebery Street shows came just two weeks before the most famous date in Beatles prehistory — 6 July 1957, when Lennon would meet Paul McCartney for the first time at St Peter's Church fête in Woolton.
Julia Lennon in the Audience
For the evening performance, John's mother Julia Lennon attended with his step-sisters Julia and Jackie. The girls sat on the tailboard of the lorry while Julia watched from the Roberts family's living room window. Julia taught John his first chords on the banjo and encouraged his love of music while Aunt Mimi remained famously sceptical. She would be killed in a road accident just over a year later, on 15 July 1958.
The Mob and the Policeman
During the second set, a group of local youths from nearby Hatherley Street threatened violence, singling out Lennon. The group fled to Mrs Roberts' house while the mob banged on the windows. A policeman eventually warned them off and escorted the Quarrymen to their bus stop.
The Aftermath
The Liverpool Post and Echo awarded Rosebery Street a prize for the best-decorated street outside the centre of Liverpool. The residents held a second party to celebrate. The Quarrymen were not invited.
The Quarrymen: Who Were They?
Formed by Lennon in 1956, named after Quarry Bank High School in Woolton. They played skiffle — the British craze popularised by Lonnie Donegan. The 1957 lineup included Pete Shotton, Eric Griffiths, Rod Davis, Len Garry, and Ivan Vaughan — the last of whom brought McCartney to the Woolton fête two weeks later. The Quarrymen evolved through Johnny and the Moondogs, the Silver Beetles, and the Silver Beatles before becoming The Beatles in 1960.
Rosebery Street Today
Rosebery Street in Toxteth is a quiet residential street with no blue plaque. But for Beatles fans who make the pilgrimage, it is hallowed ground — one of the earliest documented live performances by the group that would become the most famous band in history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the Quarrymen play on 22 June 1957?
Rosebery Street, Liverpool — twice, from the back of a coal lorry, at a street party for the 750th anniversary of Liverpool's Royal Charter.
Who arranged the Quarrymen's Rosebery Street performance?
Mrs Marjorie Roberts of 84 Rosebery Street. Her son Charles, a friend of drummer Colin Hanton, suggested the booking and stencilled the band name on the bass drum.
Was Julia Lennon at the Rosebery Street show?
Yes. John's mother Julia attended the evening show with his step-sisters, watching from the Roberts family's living room window.
How long after Rosebery Street did Lennon meet McCartney?
Two weeks — on 6 July 1957 at the St Peter's Church fête in Woolton, where the Quarrymen were also performing.
What happened after the Quarrymen's second set?
Local youths from Hatherley Street threatened the group, targeting Lennon. They sheltered at Mrs Roberts' house until a policeman escorted them to their bus stop.
Did the Quarrymen get paid at Rosebery Street?
No. As Lennon recalled in 1967, they played for free — and were not even invited to the second party held to celebrate the street's award for best decoration.
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