The Cavern Club: from The Beatles to Adele, we reveal the celebrities who’ve performed at the famous venue

Thousands of tourists flock to Liverpool each year to soak up the culture and music that the city has built an impressive reputation for.

Among Liverpool’s history steeped in nightlife and the performing arts, is the globally acclaimed Cavern Club on Matthew Street.

The Cavern Club initially opened its doors in 1957 as a jazz club, but later developed into Liverpool’s hub for the rock and roll scene of the early 1960s.

From The Rolling Stones to more recent acts such as Adele, the venue has welcomed a multitude of famous faces through its doors over the years.

Here are just some of the stars that have performed at the famous Liverpool venue:

The Beatles 

The Cavern Club began to gain popularity around the same time that local band, The Beatles, were also trying to make a name for themselves.

This photo is from one of the earliest performances of The Beatles, at The Cavern Club, in 1961.

It shows John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison on stage, alongside the bands original drummer, Pete Best, who was replaced the following year by Ringo Starr.

The Cavern Club soon became synonymous with the band, as they went on to perform there almost 300 times between 1961 and 1963.

Sir Paul McCartney returned to the venue in 2018 to perform a secret gig for some unexpecting fans.

The Kinks

The Kinks were a rock band from London, which was formed in 1963, by brothers Dave and Ray Davies.

The band took the stage at The Cavern Club in 1964, where they performed their song ‘Long Tall Sally.’

They then went on to top the charts with their breakthrough hit, ‘You Really Got Me,’ which also broke the US top ten, cementing their place in English rock band history.

They Kinks are remembered as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones made their debut performance at The Cavern Club in November 1963, after completing a 30-date UK tour.

The original line-up for the Rolling Stones experienced the famous venue, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.

Lead singer Mick Jagger has spoken about the gig at The Cavern, saying:  “Man it was hot! We almost sweated away. They’ve had so many big groups at the Cavern that you’ve really got to prove yourself, they asked us back so they must like us.”

A painting of The Rolling Stones performing on that night in 1963 is now hanging in The Cavern for all visitors to admire.

The band’s bass guitarist, Bill Wyman made reference to the gig in his autobiography where he described "the marvellous crowd" and "fantastic" venue.

Queen 

Prior to Queen’s world-wide success, front-man Freddie Mercury joined a Liverpool-based band called Ibex, which was later renamed the Wreckage.

On September 9th 1969, Ibex performed at The Sink on Hardman Street, in Liverpool, a venue which was recently renamed the Magnet.

The following year, Freddie Mercury joined guitarist Brian May and Roger Taylor, under their original band name, Smile, before it was renamed Queen.

When Queen was formed, the group played their first professional gig at The Cavern Club and then went on to return to the city throughout the years.

Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys, who are from Sheffield, were relatively unknown when they performed at The Cavern Club in October 2005.

Just two weeks after their performance, where they supported indie-rock band, The Little Flames, they hit number one in the UK charts with their debut single - ‘Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor’.

Their debut album also went on to become the fastest selling debut album for a band in British chart history.

Adele 

In 2011, Adele was best known for her debut album ‘19’ and her single ‘Chasing Pavements.’

An intimate gig at The Cavern Club was one of the last small venues the singer performed at before becoming a global star.

The performance at the Liverpool venue, was a secret gig that was intended to showcase songs from her second album, ‘21.’

She performed a mixture of songs from her first and second albums, and the show ended with a Q&A session with the audience.

Adele has now released four highly successful albums and has won a multitude of awards, including a Golden Globe.