Pete’s Beatles drumskin
The drumskin
On the 28th of September the Liverpool Beatles Museum unveiled the first Beatles drumskin to have the groups name displayed.
The bass drumskin pre dates any other bass drumskin or Beatles logo known to date. The Beatles were being kicked out of Hamburg, Germany in December 1960. They had been playing at the Top Ten Club which was the rival club to the Kaiserkeller where they were the resident group. The owner, Bruno Koschmider was furious and vowed to have them kicked out of the country.
Sensing the inevitable, The Beatles’ drummer Pete Best wrote home, asking his friend Neil Aspinall to make posters advertising their return, something Aspinall duly did.
One of Neil Aspinall’s posters for The Beatles’ return to Liverpool.
Upon arriving home in Liverpool Neil presented Pete with a gift. He’d gone out and bought a bass drumskin and drawn a Beatles logo on the front. Pete was overjoyed. However, when Pete went to place The Beatles logo drumskin on his kit he realized it was the wrong size.
The drumskin languished behind a wardrobe in his mother’s bedroom for over 25 years before being discovered by his brother Roag Best.
“I couldn’t believe Roag had found it and kept hold of it. I thought it had long gone. When he recently told me he had it, I said it has to go on display. It’s a part of The Beatles history nobody is aware of. Who knows, if it had been the right size The Beatles may never have used their now world famous dropped T logo.” Pete Best
Liverpool Beatles Museum is located in Mathew Street in Liverpool, England, on the other side of the street from the Cavern Club. It is owned by Roag Best, brother of Pete and son of Neil Aspinall. The museum contains lots of original memorabilia and historical artifacts from the Beatles history, as collected by Neil and Roag.
I’m happy to read about this. However I’m puzzled by this sentence; “Roag Best, brother of Pete and son of Neil Aspinall”
As I understand the text, Roag Best is Pete Best’ brother. Was Neil their father?
i guess you could say that Roag was Pete’s “half brother” – Neil was Roag’s father but he was not Pete’s father
Yes, Neil is Roag’s father and Roag’s son does the tours of the Casbah now by the way. Really nice guy. Well informed. They let you touch everything in there. Sit on the drum kit etc…When you visit the Casbah in the basement of Mona’s house you get the admission to the Museum as well, which is great. It’s across the street from the Cavern on Mathew Street.
I’ve been on that tour too – and can absolutely back up everything you say – probably one of the most well informed beatle tours i have been on – hugely recommended
Yes, the Casbah tour was a great way to spend a couple of hours
“Who knows, if it had been the right size The Beatles may never have used their now world-famous dropped T logo.”
If the drumskin had been the right size, the next version would have been painted over it is more likely.
While visting Casbah Club we had a tour. During that tour Roag Best was not that strict with the thruth…. so I’m not sure this is the real thing…
Last time I was at the museum, there was a reproduction ‘Rocky’ Stratocaster hanging behind glass with a description that gave no clue that it wasn’t actually the real thing. From what I understand, ‘Rocky’ and friends don’t leave Friar Park anymore because the Grammy Museum exhibit from about 8 or so years back made Olivia very nervous. Even the recent ‘Get Back’ exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only got one of the Fender Custom Shop ‘Rockies’ (albeit the prototype) to display.
Pah
Leave your father out of this.
Ha ha no my comment was cut short , what I meant to say was this : “Pah got no time for the Bests anymore , I had a ticket for BestFest in Liverpool in August but couldn’t go because I was in hospital for serious treatment . Emailed both Roag and Pete to say I would send the tickets back , either for a refund or to sell again proceeds to Cancer Research UK . They did neither just kept them . Come on they kicked you out 61 years ago , lighten up !”
INTERESTING STORY…THANKS. I hope to get over to Liverpool for the festival in the Summer of 2024—as there will be lots of action at the Cavern. I will be touting my 60th anniversary book, The Beatles and Me On Tour–and look forward to meeting some of the local lads and lassies. ivor davis “The Beatles and Me On Tour.”
Roag is the son of Neil Aspinall and Mona Best (mother of Pete Best).