Beatle legend Pete Best to play gig in Cumbria

 

Music fans are in for a real treat later this month when one of the original members of The Beatles comes to Cumbria.

Pete Best was the Fab Four’s original drummer and toured with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison as they honed their craft in Liverpool and Hamburg at the start of their rise to become the greatest band in the history of popular music.
He will be in the Lake District on Tuesday, May 28, as part of Carlisle Music City Week and will also appear earlier the same evening at Meet Pete — a question and answer session — 50 years after The Beatles’ last performance in Cumbria.
The events are the brainchild of Carlisle entrepreneur Paul Musgrave who, with wife Fiona, has set up event company Whitegate Promotions to bring top quality events to the county.
“A couple of friends are involved in Carlisle Music City and this year they wanted to tie in a Beatle-related theme to mark the 50th anniversary. I thought about booking a tribute band but then thought, ‘why not book a real Beatle?’
“So I contacted Pete and arranged a venue and before I knew it I was into event management. Fiona came up with the name and off we went. We very much hope this is the first of many different events in the fields of music, comedy and drama, using some of the county's existing under-used venues.”
Paul, who is also a local musician, used his contacts with Carlisle's Crown and Mitre to book their Ballroom. The Crown and Mitre is a big part of the Beatles story in Carlisle as they stayed there in 1963 and famously gatecrashed and were ejected from the Golf Club Ball.
It is in this same room where Pete and his five-piece band will recreate the early days of the Beatles.
“Pete was an important part of the band’s development, being their drummer for more than 600 performances over two years. He did each of their lengthy stints in Hamburg and all of the crucial early Cavern Club gigs,” said Paul.
Support for the gig comes from Carlisle outfit 99 Mr Benns and the show starts at 8.30pm.
Earlier the same day from 6.30pm Pete will be taking questions in Meet Pete —An Audience With A Beatle at West Walls Theatre.
For more information visit http://www.carlislemusiccity.co.uk/

By Daniel Orr

Source: http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk