John Lennon and Paul McCartney performed together as The Nerk Twins at the Fox and Hounds pub in Caversham, Berkshire, on 23 April 1960. This marked the first of two informal performances during an Easter visit to the area.

The pub was owned by McCartney’s cousin Betty Robbins and her husband Mike, both former Butlins Redcoats. During their stay, Lennon and McCartney helped behind the bar and performed twice over the weekend in an informal pub setting.

The set was performed acoustically, without microphones, featuring guitars and vocals. The opening number was ‘The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise’, followed by a selection of rock ’n’ roll and country standards.

“That spring of 1960, John and I went down to a pub in Reading, The Fox and Hound, run by my cousin Betty Robbins and her husband. We worked behind the bar. It was a lovely experience that came from John and I just hitching off down there. At the end of the week we played in the pub as The Nerk Twins. We even made our own posters.”
— Paul McCartney, Anthology

“Betty’s husband turned me on to showbusiness in a big way… He asked what we were going to open with, and we said ‘Be Bop A Lula’. He told us: ‘No good. You need to open with something fast and instrumental…’ He said, ‘Perfect, start with that, then do ‘Be Bop A Lula’.’”
— Paul McCartney, Anthology

FAQs

Who were The Nerk Twins?

A short-lived performing name used by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for informal acoustic performances.

Where did the performance take place?

At the Fox and Hounds pub in Caversham, Berkshire, owned by McCartney’s relatives.

What songs did they perform?

Mainly rock ’n’ roll and country standards, opening with ‘The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise’.

Was this a professional concert?

No — it was an informal pub performance during a family visit over Easter 1960.