A weekend of celebration for 60 years of The Jacaranda.

This August Bank Holiday weekend will be full of celebration as the legendary Slater Street Club, The Jacaranda, turns 60 years old!

Coinciding with International Beatle Week and with The Jacaranda being the birth place of the Fab Four, celebrations across the city are set to be massive. Both the original venue, and its ground-breaking new Seel Street offshoot, Phase One, will collaborate to celebrate this impressive milestone with a programme of incredible live music and events.

The celebrations kick-off on Friday 24th August with a welcome party in The Jacaranda, which includes the opening of the “This is our Home” exhibition, curated by Liverpool-based writer and photographer Marlie Centawer. In keeping with the values of Allan Williams (original owner of The Jac and “The man who sold The Beatles”), the weekend will pay tribute to the history of the venue, and present a glimpse of future stars. The programme of events celebrates both the venues’ heritage whilst also highlighting how Phase One aims to embrace Williams’ original vision for the future of music.

Following the launch, upstairs at the Jacaranda will be a Q&A with legendary D.J., author and speaker Dave Haslam who wrote about The Jacaranda in his book Life After Dark. Haslam will be signing copies of this book alongside his latest release Sonic Youth Slept On My Floor. There will also be live music in the basement with a Beatles-inspired line-up to keep everyone dancing through the night, including Marlie Centawer and Blurred Sun Band. While this goes on, Haslam will head down to Phase One for a D.J. set with special guest Bear Growls.

The “This is our Home” exhibition, which will display photographs and artefacts from the Jacaranda through the years, will remain open to the public all weekend. Expect to see a vast array of memorabilia including photos donated from original attendees, and images of the various Jac interiors and layouts over the years.

Over in Seel Street, Phase One presents an evening of live music curated by Gen & The Degenerates, displaying the best up and coming local bands, including the band themselves, Satin Beige, False Advertising, and Three From Above.

The festivities continue in The Jac on Saturday night with The Japanese Beatles and their unique take on John, Paul, George & Ringo; a night you need to experience at least once in your life! They will be supported by The Songbards and serving sake throughout the evening.  Before and after the live music, D.J. Elliot Hutchinson will be spinning soul, funk, rhythm and blues alongside weird and wonderful interpretations of Beatles and 60s classics. For new music lovers, Phase One hosts “Revolution 9”; a celebration of the city’s hottest new talent. Liverpool acts, including Nick Ellis, Edgar Jones, Psycho Comedy, and more will each play a short set of original music and also pay homage to the city’s musical legacy with a Beatles cover. Medicine Men D.J.s will also frequent the evening, playing between sets. The party will continue late into the night with the next instalment of the venue’s ICON club night, with the Beatles taking the spotlight, naturally.

Of course, The Jacaranda isn’t just known for its association with The Beatles; the original incarnation was a coffee shop that hosted beat poets, artists and even steel bands. On Sunday, the coffee shop days are remembered with a day of storytellers, authors, and beat poets, leading into “An evening of Rockabilly Roots” hosted and curated by Mike Badger. Krank Williams, Keith Thompson, and The Coralaines will all play the venue, followed by a D.J. set by Mike.

Graham Clarke (The Jac’s owner since the 80s) explains, “We’re delighted to be spending the weekend drawing together and celebrating values and visions that are so close to our hearts. We are just as excited to welcome back familiar faces as we are to embrace those whose journeys with us are just beginning.” Ending the weekend with a bang, the closing party happening at Phase One on Sunday will wrap the weekend up and give a chance for locals, Beatles fans, and more widely, music aficionados, to fall in love with Phase One and share in its vision for the future with a killer line up, including Tracky, Shards, and Split.

The history of The Jacaranda is worthy of enormous celebration, as is the phenomenal new music currently emanating from the city.

For full listings and times go to the Jacaranda Website.