The Searchers played many clubs in Liverpool, however, those that drew the most attention were The Cavern and The Iron Door. Jackson emphasized "There were so many venues in Liverpool but they did not have the intimacy of these cellar clubs." In comparing these clubs he responded "Each club was as good as the other." When questioned about the rather rough nature of these clubs he stated "The Iron Door wasn't rough". This statement provides some insight into the personality of Tony Jackson who has been known to stand his ground when necessary. At one point in his music career he was known as Black Jake (McCormack, 2001b). Indeed, an element of toughness was associated with Scouser Music during the 1960s in Liverpool (McCormack, 1999). Liverpool promoter Sam Leach found that the Iron Door "was a little rougher because I got more people there...at least three times the Cavern's average attendance". (Leach, 2002)
Tony related that Les Akerley was the manager of the Iron Door and also of The Searchers in 1963. Mr. Akerley arranged for a recording session at the Iron Door in which a demo tape was made with the aim of securing a recording contract. At the time of this interview, The Searchers' "Live At The Iron Door" CD had recently been released and Tony indicated that it was the "very same songs" as in the original demo that won the group the Pye recording contract. These songs included: Sweets For My Sweet; All My Sorrows; Jambalaya; Rosalie; Darling Do You Miss Me; Maybelline; Sho' Know a Lot About Love; Maggie Mae; Let's Stomp; Ain't That Just Like Me; and Sweet Little Sixteen.
July 21, 2002
