When it started back in 1976 the official trading name of the company was 'Cavern Club' and against all 'sensible' advice it was changed from a global brand name to Eric's to drive a point home. There was a powerful sense of the torch being passed on and it was the spirit of The Cavern that we wanted to take forward, not its name.
...and context was important. Through osmosis Eric's absorbed the sense of rebellion that Generation X'ers rightly felt in those desolate political times. At that time too the shadow of the fab four and the mass exit that followed them to London and beyond still lay like a shroud across what was left of the city music scene. The unspoken mission for owners and members alike was rejuvenation, not archaeology.
Its hard enough coming to terms with it being represented now by a few shelves and wall displays in a museum, but that's life I guess. Things move on, the spirit evolves and passes to the next generation.
The truth is that Eric's was never a business in the true sense of the word, more a slow motion train crash with a great soundtrack (it took six years to finish paying off its financial debts after it had gone, but it was well worth the price). There was a spirit and a sensibility shared by members and owners alike, the antithesis of 'trading off the past' and from the very beginning colliding head on with sensible business practice. The nightly guest list and free drinks from mates working on the bar were legendary.
Sad that a City capable of boxing way above its weight wastes so much creative energy trying to cash in on the past instead of doing what it has always done in its glory days...claiming the future.
Authentic vs Karaoki?....no contest.
May the spirit live on!
