Pete Best live

Recently, I had the opportunity to see and hear Pete Best, in an evening of conversation and music. If you are not a baby boomer, that name might not be familiar to you, but it was immediately recognizable to me, as the drummer Ringo replaced in the Beatles. The format was a casual and informal concert, at the Laugh Factory in New York City, featuring Pete Best, as the Best of the Beatles.

For those unaware of the Beatles' history, Pete was the original drummer with the group and toured with them for two years, through both Germany and Liverpool. Many music historians credit Best with developing the original sound that first got the Beatles noticed. During the first half of the show, Pete sits around with his younger brother Roag, also a drummer, and banters back and forth about his part in the legendary Beatles' tale. He amuses and fascinates the audience with little known facts and amusing stories about the "lads."

Originally, The Beatles did not have a steady drummer. They often played at a club, owned coincidentally, by Mona, Pete's mother. Pete who was well known as a drummer, in the area of Liverpool, was asked to audition Aug. 12, 1960. During the next two years, the group was developing their unique sound and was voted the No. 1 group in a "Merseybeat" poll.

Best retells stories of how the lads were all teenagers in Hamburg, living in deplorable conditions, often playing eight hours a night, seven days a week. Playing in red light district areas filled with strip clubs was a fast education for them all. The stories go on, until there is a break for questions from the audience- and there are many. There doesn't seem to be a definitive answer as to why Best lost the shot at fame, certainly the chance of a lifetime, but his attitude does not seem like someone who lost the brass ring. He comes across as a content, down-to-earth and easygoing guy, who is happy to still be playing his music.

The last part of the evening was the band. As Pete settled behind his drums, a position he seemed most comfortable in, his band members, including Roag, took to the stage. The music rocked the house while songs like- "Roll Over Beethoven," "Mr. Postman" and "She Was Just 17," transported the audience to another time and place, and everyone sang along to the all too familiar lyrics. The music had that indescribable beat and reminded me of a quote John Lennon once said-" We were at our best playing in the dance halls of Liverpool and Hamburg. The world never saw that." I guess that sums it all up. The early Beatle years were perhaps the best Beatle years. The Pete Best Band does not try to re-create The Beatles, but it does re-create the distinct sound.

If you get a chance to catch The Pete Best Band, don't miss it. It is more than a concert featuring good music; it is a chance to hear a snippet of musical history.