Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening) - Pete Best's final show with The Beatles

This was The Beatles' 91st evening show at the Cavern Club. It was also the 38th occasion on which they performed both lunchtime and evening shows at the venue.

More significantly, it was Pete Best's final show with The Beatles, two years and three days after he first performed with them.

Brian Epstein told me that Pete Best was going to be sacked. I could imagine it with someone who was constantly late or giving him problems, but Pete Best was not awkward and he didn't step out of line. I was most indignant and I said, 'Why are you doing this?' but I didn't get an answer.

Epstein asked Best to come to the NEMS office the following day, although the drummer failed to see anything unusual in the request.

Brian Epstein said he'd like to see me in his office the next morning. This was quite normal because, with the family phone, I fixed the bookings and he'd ask me about venues and prices. I went down the next morning without a care in the world and he said, 'The lads don't want you in the group any more.'

In the meantime, Brian Epstein asked Ritchie Galvin, the drummer with Earl Preston and the TTs, about joining The Beatles. Galvin declined the offer.

Brian Epstein asked Ritch about joining The Beatles and he went to see Ritch's dad as he was still under age. Bob Wooler was with him to. Ritch said that he didn't agree with Pete being replaced and he didn't like John Lennon's sarcasm as he thought that they would fall out. Also, to my credit, he didn't want to be leaving me as they would be working away from Liverpool quite a lot. He never regretted it and he said, 'No, I wouldn't have you and I wouldn't have my kids and I wouldn't have this life.' I was quite surprised when they chose Ringo. He was little and skinny and weedy and had a joke of a moustache. I always thought he needed a good scrub, but it worked out OK.

News of Best's sacking from The Beatles was greeted with surprise by many in Liverpool.

I remember seeing Ringo, we called him Ritchie then, outside a chemist's and he said that he was going to join The Beatles. I said, 'There was no way they will sack Pete Best, man, He's a moody guy but all the girls would go waah!' It was a shock when Ritchie got the job. The next time that I saw Pete he was managing the job centre in Green Lane. I signed on and gave him my dole card and he said, 'Is this your name and address?' 'Yes.' 'Sign here.' I don't think he wanted to acknowledge me.

Overall this was The Beatles' 216th appearance at the Cavern Club, including their lunchtime shows. Although the precise number of their performances at the venue is not known, they played at least 155 lunchtime and 125 evening shows between 9 February 1961 and 3 August 1963.