Groups At The Iron Door

Discuss the early days of the Club with the manager.
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13_temple_street
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Post by 13_temple_street »

Larry, I receive enquiries from people from different parts of the world, mainly from America,regarding accommodation and places of interest to visit.I am not qualified to give advise on hotels & B&Bs.I understand you are a frequent visitor to Liverpool your experience would be invaluable to people who may be contemplating visiting.I thought your decision to stay in Birkenhead interesting.

Alan Stratton who for the benefit of people who don't know him is a musician of some standing he had a connection to the Iron Door,he was the bass player with the Kansas City Five.I have always regarded Alan as a Iron Door enthusiast.
Alan related a story to me some years ago of finding a guitar in the loft space of his uncles house,the house is no ordinary house, it is the house where John Lennon lived, as a child into his teen years.
It is my understanding, you were there when the question of ownership,of the instrument was raised.
As there is a Iron Door connection with Alan,I was hoping you might post your version of this interesting story on the forum.
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Post by hamilton_square »

Re the recent above comments of Larry Wassgren and Geoff Hogarth's regarding the possible alternative cross-river charms of Birkenhead, as opposed to those of Central Liverpool, as a visitor / tourist base.

Please see my ramblings on the subject somewhat more appropriately posted on “The Liverpool Project” board of this forum.

PS - Geoff, many thanks for your kind remarks, much appreciated.
Of course I love you!!!
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by POTHOS »

Is this thread still active as I bought the Tom Egbers book on Rory Storm and found his life to be truly fascinating.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by admin »

Judith. thanks for your comment. We are always looking for new information regarding the history or the Iron Door Club and groups that played there.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by POTHOS »

Just been reading about RSATH buying their first tour bus as they could not haul the amps on the regular bus anymore. To save on the cost they shared the minibus with other bands have you any memory of the bands dosing this at the time and have you any RSATH stories you could share.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by 13_temple_street »

Judith, I cannot recall groups who performed at the Iron Door informing me that they shared a minibus.In 1958 I purchased a brand new Austin mini bus, I frequently swapped it for the Swinging Blue-genes rather battered Bedford group van.
Rory performed lunchtime sessions at the club on a regular basis on these occasions he named the band Rory Storm and the Wild Ones,because some of his regular musicians were working and could not participate he felt obliged to change the name for the afternoon sessions only. I have not read Tom Egbers book, however I am delighted that this author has recognised the important contribution that Rory Storm and the Hurricanes made to the Rock and Roll story in Liverpool.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by POTHOS »

Do any photographs of Rory Storm and the Wild Ones exist as apparently McCartney played keyboards with the band when needed. Also I cannot find any photographs of the show when Rory subbed for Lennon who was sick with laryngitis. Also the Tom Egbers book is a quite loving portrayal of the group the scene and the people involved.

The lads come over as such a lovely bunch; Hamburg sounded terrifying yet Rory seemed rather protective to the lads. Those shows must have been amazing.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by 13_temple_street »

http://www.liverpoolbeat.com/rocknroll/ ... wild-ones/
Judith; Thank you for your comments,during your research you may have missed this interesting missive.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by 13_temple_street »

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... _Ringo.jpg
Judith; This is a rare photograph of Ringo and Rory on stage at the Iron Door (aka Liverpool Jazz Society) suspect the photographer was Paul McCartney's brother.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by POTHOS »

Thank you for posting those images. The Iron door club looks so cool and oh how young does Rory and Ringo look.
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by hamilton_square »

No Judith these sorts of topics are not dead just yet. There is still a bit of life left in them. It's just that at our age, those few of us remaining who were around at the time now tend to like to sleep a lot.

Judith; I don't know if you know this but when Bill Harry was putting together the ‘Mersey Beat’ website – named after the weekly newspaper of the same name he and his wife founded in 1960s Liverpool. There came into his possession a number of diaries written by the late Johnny (Guitar) Byrne of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

It seems that Johnny Guitar used to like keeping notes on things and happenings in those slim pocket sized diaries, the likes of which one used to be able to cheaply buy (or shoplift) from Woolworths during the annual run up to each Christmas and the New Year.

While not exactly riveting reads, indeed they are often mundane and boring – but then again such diaries weren’t meant for publication. They are nevertheless, an insider's first hand perspective of the era. It’s worth reading Bill Harry’s explanatory notes at the end of each year as he attempts to put dates and events in context.

The Johnny Guitar Diaries 1959 – 1963 can be read on Bill Harry’s Mersey Beat site at …

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

Also worth a read on the ‘Mersey Beat’ site is …

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Tragic Story of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes
By Bill Harry
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Re: Groups At The Iron Door

Post by POTHOS »

I have read the diaries and although the entries are short I actually find them rather enlightening at the world of the 1950's teenager. I love the emerging trend of watching sci fi movies and horror at the cinema. Johnny's love of going to gigs and parties. I love how you get a feel for the cellar culture how friendships mattered; Johnny must have spent hours writing letters to his ladies (can you imagine if the teenage Johnny had had access to a mobile phone). Was definitely shocked at a couple of entries.

I think the diaries are just a wonderful snapshot of the world they inhabited and I must say just as import and the writing of those in power as this was the birth of a global scene in the streets of Liverpool.

On a personal note I would have loved watching the shows but I think I would have been scared even to speak to those lads as they all come over as such larger than life characters.
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