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!
Whilst I agree with the sentiment .. none of the commentators on this subject I have read , have actually spoken to the new owners, have no idea of what the music policy is going to be and are working on the assumption that it's going to try to re-create a scene long consigned to history and mythology in order to ' cash in' on the past . From what I've heard and having spoken to the venue owners and the programmer .. the intent as far as I understand it is to bring music to Liverpool that cannot be heard elsewhere in the city and to support local promoters by giving them a Saturday night slot in a venue with a history of doing just that . I say .. it's too soon to judge, scuttlebutt and conjecture will do nothing to stop the venue re-opening and even if you called if Freds rip-off karioke bar .. if the policy is good and the music great .. within a year veryone would be calling it ERIC'S anyway !
ReplyDeleteTim Tapling .
Hey Tim, take your point about not having spoken to the owners, and couldn't agree more with their intentions as you understand them. But if its not the intention to cash in on the past why call it 'Eric's'? If they want to stay true to the spirit its the last name on earth they would choose.
ReplyDeleteWatching Jeremy Kyle shouting at the unfortunate (I know, but it makes me feel better about myself) I kept being interrupted by the reproachful thought that maybe they're calling it Eric's simply for the publicity....three Hail Mary's and crawl backwards on my knees up the middle of Matthew Street on a Saturday night for such cynical thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Who are these people who dare re-open a club that for a large minority of the population of Liverpool were barred for no other reason than their blackness. Fond memories, nostalgia, knock backs, "Hey nigger fuck off".Yeah for most of you it was cool, you were blind then and you're still blind. Be honest with yourselves at least... In the end truth means fuck all does it?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous I cant believe we're talking about the same place!......not all blind, and yes lets be honest and talk about the truth. The truth does matter.
ReplyDeleteWhat is true is that unlike most clubs in the city at that time there was an aggressively enforced and extremely strict prohibition of racist crap at Eric's both inside the club and on the door.
What is true is that there was racist abuse related to the club which were reported by management to the police at the time: racist graffitti on the outside club walls donated by white supremacists who objected to the club's non-racist stance; and, harrassment of black club members travelling across town either to the club or more freqently on their way home after gigs. In those (lets be generous and simply call them unenlightened) times the complaints to the police had little or no effect. I don't know if things have changed significantly since then but there are reasons for pessimism.
What is also true is that the music policy was strongly influenced by punk/ new wave so regularly attracted a rock audience which was then, and still is, mainly but not exclusively 'white'. But that wasn't the whole picture. From what you say I'm guessing you weren't there amongst the club members of ALL ethnicities who went to see Stanley Clarke, Billy Boy Arnold, Black Slate, Dillinger, Prince Far I, Matumbi, Aswad, the season of Rock Against Racism gigs, I could go on....
If you or anyone you know were subjected to the neanderthal verbal abuse you quote by anyone associated with Eric's (which I find hard to believe) then damn the guilty for going against everything the club stood for.
Thats the truth.
I played the last night of Erics playing drums with Wah! Heat supporting The Psychedelic Furs.
ReplyDeleteIf you wanted to recreate the atmosphere and stench, dodgy toilets and the worst lager in the world then I cant see how anyone would stay there for more than one drink.....but Doreen's lasagne was good fodder :)
anyway to get a copy of this photo please :)
ReplyDeleteSure, you can save it to your hard drive if you left click it then right click the image that comes up and choose 'Save Image As...'.
ReplyDelete