Live Performance - October 18, 1959

From BeatlesWiki

Event
Date	October 18, 1959
Short description	Audition for Carol Levis Star Search. (Either October 11, October 18, or October 25, most likely October 18)
Location	Empire Theatre, Liverpool

Two years after The Quarrymen had first auditioned for Carroll Levis' Star Search in 1957, they once again auditioned in October 1959. George Harrison recalls, "I don't think we ever got paid once in the first year I was with them. The only times we got anywhere near real money was when we started entering into skiffle competitions. We'd get through the early rounds easy, keeping going to try andwin something. But you never got paid for entering, just winning, and the rounds seemed to go on forever. It was pretty daft of course, having no proper drummers and about eighteen different guitarists." They auditioned, without Ken Brown, for "Mr. Star-Maker" Carroll Levis, renaming themselves Johnny and The Moondogs just for the occasion. Paul McCartney recalled, "Only me and George had our guitars that night. I think John must have sold his or busted it or something. He didn't have his with him." But George recalled that they still looked cool, with Paul on one side of John and George on the other, with John having a fist draped on each of their shoulders. Harrison remembers, "We did Rave On, so we went, we did it... It was okay. We didn't win as usual." Preliminary rounds took place on three consecutive Sundays, October 11, October 18, and October 25, but Johnny and The Moondogs most likely appeared on October 18. They were auditioning for a spot on the television program Carroll Levis Dscoveries. The band had some criticisms, but they were able to move onto the next round, something they had not done the first time they appeared in the audition. However, they could not stay for the clapometer, as they had school in the morning. One act from October 11 was Jett Storm and The Hurricanes, later to become Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, with Ringo Starr on drums. Also appearing in this show were Billy Fury, Freddie Garrity (of Freddie and The Dreamers), and Graham Nash (of The Hollies).

Sources

• LEWISOHN M., 1992, The Complete Beatles Chronicle, Hamlyn -- Buy it on Amazon.com

• CROSS, CRAIG, 2005, The Beatles: Day-by-day, Song-by-song, Record-by-record, iUniverse Inc. -- Buy it on Amazon.com