26. “Guitar Groups Are on the Way Out“
After their long drive through a snowstorm just to reach Decca Records on time, the members of Brian Epstein’s group were understandably annoyed when the man who had invited them, Mike Smith, showed up late. Smith, who had apparently partied hard the night before, unnerved the young musicians, even more, when he refused to let the group use their own amplifiers. Instead, he demanded that they use Decca’s amplifiers, which he deemed to be superior to ones used by Epstein’s charges.
After they set up, tuned and strung their guitars and cleared their throats, the group performed about fifteen songs before Smith and his boss Dick Rowe. The group was nervous, what with the drive through a snowstorm, the late arrival of their host, and the use of different amplifiers, so they were not at their best. Nonetheless, they felt confident that had done well enough to secure a contract. After the audition, however, Rowe decided to pass on the group and declined to sign them, with the airy remark that “guitar groups are on the way out, Mister Epstein“. As seen below, that might have been the worst decision in the music business.
