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Welcome to The Liverpool Beat website, chronicling the history of UK Rock music from the golden era of Merseyside music of the 50s and 60s to the present day. Some say the roots of Rock 'n ' Roll lie purely in the deep south of the USA. That maybe true, but Liverpool in the 50s/60s was the centre of the new wave of music which formed the basis of "garage" and even heavy metal. Liverpool Beat takes you on a journey from those heady days of The Beatles into the 21st century with news, reviews and exclusive articles from the real world of rock music.
This is a start to my little story which I will add to as time permits….
The late fifties were the most magical time this century. Rock n Roll had just been invented and the culture of life was to change forever. I was at the forefront but, I didn’t know it. And, along with the country it just happened!! Music became my life, my passion, my whole being, that was ----Rock n Roll!! Being poor and deprived meant nothing , we had to learn how to survive and how to get on and how to live. Rock n Roll gave us that, the power, the excitement, the raw drive of empowerment and the means to DO it. We could create the music,we could feel the beat, we could rule the world!!
We had it all! But looking back we didn’t know it.
Very few actually made it, that is to become household names. Yet, the rest had the journey of a life time and fun,fun,fun!
My early days of playing and being part of a group are etched into my soul, it was fantastic and no other feeling can compare with the sound of the band ripping into a Rock n Roll classic and you are there, being part of it, WOW!!!!
I am still playing now some 56 years later and the feeling is still the same --- pure magic.
My first group was the Blackhawks consisting of the standard line up of the day: Drums, Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar, Bass Guitar and singer. Looking back, we had some gear that is considered the Holy Grail today:
Trixon Drums, Vox AC 30 amps, Guyatone and Futurama guitars and Hofner Professional bass. Amazing to think that after all these years, I still play a Hofner bass to this very day – but unfortunately - not the same one.
After I started playing with the Blackhawks, I joined the Dominoes but that’s another story! This year, in October, the Dom’s have been going 55 years and I’m still playing with them! Rock n Roll will never die!