ALTHOUGH Tony Crane is delighted to be part of a show which celebrates the heyday of Liverpool’s famous Cavern Club, there’s one thing he doesn’t want to recreate.

“It was a bit of a smelly place to be honest,” said Tony who is bringing The Merseybeats to Burnley Mechanics tomorrow night as part of the show Rockin’ and Rolling with Laughter.

“The walls used to sweat when you got down there as there was no air conditioning or extractor fans. But it was a very special place.”

The Merseybeats were at the forefront of the musical explosion in Liverpool in the early Sixties becoming the resident house band at the Cavern Club.

“We were called The Mavericks when Bob Wooler who ran the Cavern asked us if we’d be the resident house band,” said Tony. “Initially I wasn’t sure as it would have meant turning pro as we’d have to do lunchtime sessions plus playing in the evenings as well and for me it would mean leaving a good job.

“I was working in the Liver Building in the Royal Liverpool Insurance offices but although my mum wasn’t at all pleased we did turn pro and took up the offer.”

At the Cavern, the newly-renamed Merseybeats regularly shared a stage with another young Liverpool band who were beginning to make a name for themselves - The Beatles.

“We did about five shows a week an one night The Beatles would be our gusts and then on Fridays we would be the guest of The Beatles,” said Tony.

Initially The Merseybeats were being managed by Brian Epstein, the legendary figure who steered the career of The Fab Four.

“He would be buying them suits and I’d ask where ours were,” said Tony. “He kept saying we’d just have to wait.”

The Merseybeats big break came almost by accident.

“We had just done a lunchtime spot and Bob Wooler told us we would have to hang around because an A&R man from London had come to audition some local bands and they needed to borrow our gear,” said Tony.

“At the end he came up to us and said he wanted to sign us as he’d caught our set and thought we were 10 times better than the bands he’d auditioned.”

Within six weeks, The Merseybeats had become the first band to sign for the new Fontana label, been to London to record and had seen their debut single, It’s Love That Really Counts, head into the charts.

“That was it then,” said Tony. “We didn’t have a minute to breath after that.”

Earlier this month Tony was presented with the MBE by the Queen for services to music, charity and the community of Merseyside - in recent years he has bought a number of listed buildings around his home city and renovated them to save them from demolition. And he still tours with the Merseybeats today. Rockin’ and Rolling with Laughter will see the band performing with comedian Mick Miller, entertainer Bobby Crush, the Dakotas and singer Beryl Marsden.

“During the show a lot of original footage from the Cavern which is screened which certainly brings back memories,” said Tony. “It is a really enjoyable show to be part of.”

Rockin’ and Rolling with Laughter, Burnley Mechanics, Friday, October 27. Details from 01282 664400 or www.burnleymechanics.co.uk