Kaiserkeller
Encyclopedia
Kaiserkeller is a night club in the St. Pauli
quarter of Hamburg
, Germany
, near the Reeperbahn
. It was opened by Bruno Koschmider
on October 14, 1959. The Beatles
had a contract with Kaiserkeller to play there in 1960.
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, and as they were successful in Hamburg, he asked Williams to look for additional groups. Rory Storm and The Hurricanes
were Williams' first choice, but as they were committed to a season at Butlins
holiday camp, they turned his offer down (as did Gerry & The Pacemakers
) so Williams sent The Beatles to Hamburg instead. They were required to play six or seven hours a night, seven nights a week. 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.
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. They played five or six 90-minute sets every day alternating with The Beatles. 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 than the usual clientele. 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. After punishing the stage for days, a slight crack appeared, and when Storm jumped off the top of the upright piano, it finally broke. 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'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. Horst Fascher
(born 1936, Hamburg) was Koschmider's nightclub bouncer
, whose career was 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
once watched performances by The Hurricanes and The Beatles in the club, and invited photographer Astrid Kirchherr
and friend Jürgen Vollmer
to watch the performances the next day. The Beatles bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe
, met Kirchherr between sets, and began dating Kirchherr shortly thereafter. 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.
In October 1960, The Beatles left Koschmider's club and worked at the Top Ten Club
, which was run by Peter Eckhorn. When McCartney and drummer Pete Best
went back to the Bambi Kino to get their belongings they found it in almost total darkness. As a snub to Koschmider, they found a condom
, attached it to a nail on the concrete wall of their room, and set fire to it. There was no real damage, but Koschmider reported them for attempted arson
. McCartney and Best spent three hours in a local jail and were deported, as was Harrison, for working under the legal age limit. Lennon's work permit
was revoked a few days later and he went home by train, but Sutcliffe had a cold and stayed in Hamburg, and then flew home.
36".
St. Pauli
St. Pauli , located in the Hamburg-Mitte borough, is one of the 105 quarters of the city of Hamburg, Germany. Situated on the right bank of the Elbe river, the Landungsbrücken are a northern part of the port of Hamburg. St. Pauli contains a world famous red light district around the street Reeperbahn...
quarter of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, near the Reeperbahn
Reeperbahn
The Reeperbahn is a street in Hamburg's St. Pauli district, one of the two centres of Hamburg's nightlife and also the city's red-light district...
. It was opened by Bruno Koschmider
Bruno Koschmider
Bruno Koschmider was a German entrepreneur in Hamburg, Germany best known for employing The Beatles in the early 1960s...
on October 14, 1959. The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
had a contract with Kaiserkeller to play there in 1960.
Biography
A Caribbean steel band that had played at Allan WilliamsAllan Williams
Allan Williams is a former businessman and promoter of Welsh descent. He was the original booking agent of The Beatles...
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
Derry and the Seniors
Derry and the Seniors were a British rock and roll group of the early 1960s. They were the first band from Liverpool to play the club scene in Germany, paving the way for The Beatles and others...
after seeing them perform in London, and as they were successful in Hamburg, he asked Williams to look for additional groups. Rory Storm and The Hurricanes
Rory Storm
Rory Storm was an English singer and musician. Born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries of The Beatles in the late 1950s, and early 1960s...
were Williams' first choice, but as they were committed to a season at Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
holiday camp, they turned his offer down (as did Gerry & The Pacemakers
Gerry & the Pacemakers
Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat music group prominent during the 1960s. In common with The Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with...
) so Williams sent The Beatles to Hamburg instead. They were required to play six or seven hours a night, seven nights a week. The Beatles first played at Koschmider's Indra club, sleeping in small, "dirty" rooms in the Bambi Kino
Bruno Koschmider
Bruno Koschmider was a German entrepreneur in Hamburg, Germany best known for employing The Beatles in the early 1960s...
, and then moved (after the closure of the Indra) to the larger Kaiserkeller.
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 than the usual clientele. 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. After punishing the stage for days, a slight crack appeared, and when Storm jumped off the top of the upright piano, it finally broke. 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'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. Horst Fascher
Horst Fascher
Horst Fascher is a previous German nightclub bouncer, and a friend of The Beatles during their days playing in Hamburg, Germany....
(born 1936, Hamburg) was Koschmider's nightclub bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
, whose career was 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 Voormann
Klaus Voormann is a German Grammy Award-winning artist, noted musician, and record producer. He designed artwork for many bands including The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Wet Wet Wet and Turbonegro. His most notable work as a producer was his work with the band Trio, including their worldwide hit "Da Da...
once watched performances by The Hurricanes and The Beatles in the club, and invited photographer Astrid Kirchherr
Astrid Kirchherr
Astrid Kirchherr is a German photographer and artist and is well known for her association with The Beatles and her photographs of The Beatles during their Hamburg days....
and friend Jürgen Vollmer
Jürgen Vollmer
Jürgen Vollmer, with Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voorman , befriended The Beatles during the band's time in Hamburg in the early 1960s. Vollmer was the son of a professional army officer who died during World War II. Young Vollmer was attending Hamburg's Institute of Fashion at the time he met The...
to watch the performances the next day. The Beatles bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Sutcliffe
Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe was a Scottish artist and musician, best known as the original bass player of The Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue a career as an artist, having previously attended the Liverpool College of Art...
, met Kirchherr between sets, and began dating Kirchherr shortly thereafter. 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.
In October 1960, The Beatles left Koschmider's club and worked at the Top Ten Club
Top Ten Club
The Top Ten Club was a music club in Hamburg, Germany owned by Peter Eckhorn. The address in Hamburg area St. Pauli was 136 Reeperbahn.-Musicians who have played here:...
, which was run by Peter Eckhorn. When McCartney and drummer Pete Best
Pete Best
Pete Best is a British musician, best known as the original drummer in The Beatles. He was born in the city of Madras, British India...
went back to the Bambi Kino to get their belongings they found it in almost total darkness. As a snub to Koschmider, they found a condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
, attached it to a nail on the concrete wall of their room, and set fire to it. There was no real damage, but Koschmider reported them for attempted arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. McCartney and Best spent three hours in a local jail and were deported, as was Harrison, for working under the legal age limit. Lennon's work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
was revoked a few days later and he went home by train, but Sutcliffe had a cold and stayed in Hamburg, and then flew home.
Later years
Today the Kaiserkeller is an alternative Rock Club that belongs to the "Große FreiheitGroße Freiheit
The Große Freiheit is a cross street on the North Side to Hamburg's Reeperbahn road in the St. Pauli quarter. It is part of the so called red light district or Kiez.-History:...
36".