60s cool
There has been a lot said about Brian Epstein, so I kind of want to approach his legacy from a different point of view.
As one of the "adults" in the Beatles' inner circle, it's easy to forget he was still a young man when it all went down. He was only 27 when he met the group at the Cavern Club during his lunch break from working at the family shop, NEMS.
Props to him for acting on his curiosity when he noticed their concert posters and went to see them based on the recommendation of a shopper who asked if he had any Beatles records in stock. He also had the same gut reaction as Klaus and Astrid: "I was immediately struck by their music, their beat and their sense of humour on stage—and, even afterwards, when I met them, I was struck again by their personal charm. And it was there that, really, it all started".
Brian acted on his instinct and asked to be their manager, even though he really had no idea what that would entail. What he lacked in experience, he made up for in savviness and determination. He navigated the uncharted waters of managing musical acts with worldwide appeal, creating an industry in arena rock shows. No one did big rock shows before this; it was all ballrooms and performance halls.
Thank God he recognised the energy and joy in a cellarful of noise.
No comments:
Post a Comment