Kaiserkeller
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Kaiserkeller is a music club in the St. Pauli quarter of
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, near the Reeperbahn. It was opened by
Bruno Koschmider Bruno Koschmider (1926 – 2000) was a German entrepreneur in Hamburg, best known for employing the Beatles in the early 1960s. He controlled various businesses, such as the Bambi Kino, which was a cinema, the Indra club and the Kaiserkeller. P ...
on 14 October 1959.
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
had a contract with Kaiserkeller to play there in 1960.


History

A Caribbean steel band that had played at Allan Williams' The Jacaranda club in Liverpool took an offer to play in Hamburg. After receiving letters enthusing about Hamburg's club scene, Williams made contact with Koschmider, offering to act as a booking agent, to which Koschmider agreed. Koschmider had previously booked Derry and the Seniors after seeing them perform in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, and as they were successful in Hamburg, he asked Williams to look for additional groups.Cynthia Lennon – “John” 2006 p76
Rory Storm and The Hurricanes Rory Storm (born Alan Ernest Caldwell; 7 January 1938 – 28 September 1972) was an English musician and vocalist. Born in Liverpool, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contempora ...
were Williams' first choice, but as they were committed to a season at a
Butlins Butlin's is a chain of large Seaside resort, seaside resorts in the United Kingdom, incorporated as Butlins Skyline Limited. Butlin's was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families. Between 1936 and 1 ...
holiday camp, they turned his offer down, as did
Gerry & The Pacemakers Gerry and the Pacemakers were an English beat music, beat group prominent in the 1960s Beat music, Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. Their early ...
, so Williams sent The Beatles to Hamburg instead.Spitz 2005 p202 They were required to play six or seven hours a night, seven nights a week.Lennon (2006), p.93 The Beatles first played at Koschmider's Indra club, sleeping in small, "dirty" rooms in the Bambi Kino, and then moved (after the closure of the Indra) to the larger Kaiserkeller.Miles 1998. pp57-8. After the summer season ended in early October 1960, Rory Storm and The Hurricanes were free to travel to Hamburg, replacing Derry and The Seniors at the Kaiserkeller. They arrived in Hamburg on 1 October 1960, having negotiated to be paid more than The Seniors or the Beatles.Spitz 2005 p201 They played five or six 90-minute sets every day, alternating with the Beatles.Spitz 2005 p216 Rory Storm and The Hurricanes were later presented with a special certificate by Koschmider for their performances. The St. Pauli quarter was well known as being an area where prostitutes were to be found, and was dangerous for anyone that looked different from the usual clientele.Spitz 2005. p221 The stage of the Kaiserkeller was made of planks of wood balanced on the top of beer crates, so the two groups made a bet to see to who would be the first to break it.Spitz 2005 p219 After punishing the stage for days, a slight crack appeared, and when Storm jumped off the top of the upright piano, it finally broke.Spitz 2005 p219 Storm's guitarist, Johnny 'Guitar' Byrne, remembered that as Storm hit the stage, it cracked loudly and formed a V-shape around Storm. He disappeared into it, and all the amplifiers and drummer
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
's cymbals slid into the hole. Koschmider was furious, and had to replace the live music with a juke box. Both groups went across the road to ''Harold's cafe'' for breakfast, but were followed by Koschmider's doormen with coshes, who beat the musicians as punishment.Spitz 2005 p220 Horst Fascher was Koschmider's nightclub bouncer, whose career as a boxer had been cut short (he had unintentionally killed a sailor in a street fight) although he later became a friend of the Beatles, and protected them.
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
once watched performances by The Hurricanes and the Beatles at the club,Spitz 2005. p222 and invited photographer
Astrid Kirchherr Astrid Kirchherr (; 20 May 1938 – 12 May 2020) was a German photographer and artist known for her association with the Beatles (along with her friends Klaus Voormann and Jürgen Vollmer) and her photographs of the band's original membe ...
and friend Jürgen Vollmer to watch the performances the next day.Spitz 2005. p223 The Beatles' bass player,
Stuart Sutcliffe Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a British painter and musician from Edinburgh, Scotland, best known as the original bass guitarist of the Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue his career as a pa ...
, met Kirchherr between sets, and began dating Kirchherr shortly thereafter.Spitz 2005. p224 Voormann was in a relationship with Kirchherr at the time, although after other visits to the Kaiserkeller their relationship became purely platonic, although she always remained close friends with Voormann.Spitz 2005. p224 In October 1960, the Beatles left Koschmider's club and worked at the Top Ten Club, which was run by Peter Eckhorn.Miles 1998. pp. 71–72.


Later years

Today the Kaiserkeller is an alternative Rock Club that belongs to the " Große Freiheit 36".


Notes


References

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External links


Kaiserkeller website

Harrison talking about HamburgBruno Koschmider bioThe Tragic Story of Rory Storm & the Hurricanes by Bill Harry
{{Authority control Nightclubs in Hamburg Music in Hamburg Music venues in Germany Music venues completed in 1959 Buildings and structures in Hamburg-Mitte Culture in Hamburg Tourist attractions in Hamburg 1959 establishments in West Germany