The Other Fab Four: The Remarkable True Story of the Liverbirds, Britain’s First Female Rock Band

Musicians McGlory and McGlory tell the story of the Liverbirds (pronounced LY-vu-burds), a trailblazing all-women band from Liverpool that hit its stride during the vibrant 1960s music scene. The Liverbirds’ music runs under the credits, setting the tone for the authors to reflect on their childhoods in postwar Britain, when they first became interested in music, purchasing and learning how to play instruments, and eventually forming the band. It took time for the teens to find just the right mix of musicians. Focusing first on instrumental music, they later switched to covers of pop songs, plus original tunes written by guitarist Pam Birch. Following the lead of their fellow Liverpudlians, the Beatles, they went to Hamburg, Germany, where they were booked at the Star-Club. Their career took off, with memories of meeting and working with other bands of the time, including the Stones and the Kinks, touring, drug use, friends, dating, boyfriends, the band’s breakup, and post-band life. Bass player McGlory’s narration is even-keeled, almost trancelike at times, while drummer Saunders is quite perky, with more energy behind her performance.