Casbah Coffee Club

The Casbah Coffee Club sits in the cellar of a large Victorian house in Liverpool’s West Derby area. Mona Best opened it in 1959 for her sons and their friends to listen to music. The cellar had once stored coal and was decorated with dark green and brown paint when the family moved in. Mona turned it into a members-only club with soft drinks and coffee served from an espresso machine. Membership cost half a crown a year to keep out unwanted visitors. The club became the first stage for the Quarrymen, who later became the Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison painted the walls with spiders, dragons and stars before their first gig. Cynthia Powell, later Cynthia Lennon, added a silhouette of John that remains visible today. The Quarrymen played seven Saturday nights for £3 a night, drawing crowds of 300 teenagers despite the cellar’s poor ventilation. Other groups like Rory Storm and the Hurricanes also performed there before gaining wider fame. Visitors today see the original cellar with its painted walls and 1960s equipment still in place. The space holds chairs, amplifiers and a small Dansette record player used by early bands. A silhouette of John Lennon on the wall marks the spot where he first stood. The club’s heritage status recognises its role in the Beatles’ early days. It stands as a preserved piece of music history in Liverpool.