5. A Star Crossed Audition
Epstein’s musicians had been invited by one of Dick Rowe’s A&R subordinates, Mike Smith, who had heard the band play a few weeks earlier. Smith liked what he heard enough to ask them to do a session at Decca’s studio. The group drove to London all the way from Liverpool, in the middle of a snowstorm, and made it just on time for their 11 AM audition. After their long drive through snow and sleet just to reach Decca Records on time, the members of Brian Epstein’s group were understandably annoyed when the man who had invited them 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 those used by Epstein’s charges.
