During the autumn of 1959 my brother in law Paddy Berry was summarily discharged from his post as a steward on a Cunard cruise liner that ran between New York, New Orleans and Liverpool. On board ship he had committed the cardinal sin of unauthorized entertainment of passengers by playing his guitar to them. He was talented beyond my belief. During that winter of 59/60 I secured him work, mainly in the Catholic clubs at first. He would not form a group other than a jazz group. I named and promoted them as the Tony Berry Trio. I convinced him that 'Paddy' was not an appropriate stage name. He went on to jam occasionally with Georgie Fame.

I then began to manage Vince & the Volcanoes. I developed the core members of the group, directed them, promoted them and sometimes had them rehearse with and musically back the Chants at Stanley House, Liverpool 8 and at one or two other venues.

The group comprised Vinnie Tow on rhythm guitar and vocals. He was an Ethiopian Irish Scouser and an excellent exponent of the Chuck Berry sound and a friend of John Lennon. There was Paul Pilnick on lead guitar and vocals, a Polish Irish Scouser and a guitarist of the first order. He was my neighbour from Granby. He lived at Eversley Street, opposite Frankie Vaughan's gran, Mrs Ableson and the next street but one to Lennon's 'Coal Lorry' experience in Roseberry Street. There was Robbie Eccles on bass guitar, an English Scouser with a similar style to Johnny Gustafson. Terry Preston on drums was yet another English Scouser. He was an amazing big beat drummer in the Gene Krupa style. (He challenged Paul McCartney on your office staircase over the Pete Best sacking. He shuffled Paul into your office and pushed the door on him. Not a very nice thing to do and it sticks in my memory for that reason as I was coming up the stairs behind them at the time).

I witnessed Vinnie tutoring John Lennon and Paul McCartney on how to play a seventh chord in the Chuck Berry style. John, in particular, wanted to master the technique. The chord in question is where the index finger is used as a bridge bar to create a chunky octave chord sound; the pinkie brushes the beat and the two middle ones create the note.

We were all in the Cavern together one morning before a lunchtime session. Paddy Delaney let us all in along with the cleaners. He often did! We were all pals in the dark, smelly, sweaty, pissy damp of the place mid-mornings, exchanging sound ideas.

The Volcanoes, using many different drummers, including Roy Dyke, were active throughout Merseyside from early 1960 to mid 1962. They were way down the pecking order and played in almost all the venues referred to in 'The Beatles Encyclopedia', especially the Tower Ballroom. They had great potential.

The Volcanoes backed the Chants before the Beatles did, for a period of about nine months. It was eventually decided that both their styles of musical development were incompatible and not worthy of a permanent stage act developing together.

I know this because it was I who developed the partnership and also developed their separate identities. However, my work was mainly to do with the Volcanoes development. All this was basically worked out at Stanley House Community Centre, Upper Parliament Street, the Starlight on Windsor Street and my basement on Huskisson Street. I also arranged for our protection by hiring Zulu, Big Tom and Paddy Delaney, our van drivers and bodyguards. Incidentally, my mother was Bessie Braddock's political agent and confidant.

Paul McCartney may remember seeing them rehearsing at Harry Roberts' place on Windsor Street, the converted cinema the Starline Club, during the afternoon.

Return to main section