The Quarrymen - Blog Posts

mclennon holding hands (photoshop)

made by: twitter.com/iS2lennon

In October 1957 the Quarrymen performed one of their very first gigs in the New Clubmoor Hall, Paul unfortunately froze during his first guitar solo:

"For my first gig, I was given a guitar solo on ‘Guitar Boogie’. I could play it easily in rehearsal so they elected that I should do it as my solo. Things were going fine, but when the moment came in the performance I got sticky fingers; I thought, ‘What am I doing here?’ I was just too frightened; it was too big a moment with everyone looking at the guitar player."

~Paul Mccartney in the Anthology

(Picture presumably on their second performance at the New Clubmoor Hall)

Just a few weeks after this, Len Garry gives us an account where Paul seems to be pepping himself up pre-performance:

"Tonight will run just like clockwork. I am going to give the audience the best rendition of 'Guitar Boogie' that they have ever heard this side of Garston."

"Hey this is a new twist." I said, "Paul just cracked a joke he must have a sense of humour after all. John, shall we have him in the group?"

John was enjoying the banter as ever.

"Yeah, we'll give him another try and if you don't get it right this time Jimmy...", Jimmy was Paul's middle name, "then..." John waited to see the expression on Paul's face, "then we'll..", again a pause, by this time we were hanging on John's next words, " ...then....we'll have to send him for some more guitar lessons!"

Paul joined in the laughter and we were all back to normal.

~Len Garry