The Curzon Cinema in Mayfair proved the venue this evening for the London premiere of ‘McCartney: the hunt for the lost bass.’ This sweetly-produced documentary follows the story of the 1961 Höfner bass, the iconic violin-shaped guitar which the soon-to-be legendary Beatle bought at the age of 18 in 1961 for the equivalent of £30 in Hamburg.
After the instrument’s important contribution to the Beatles’ discography McCartney was reluctant to use the bass, however sadly while his new band Wings were in London in 1972, the bass was stolen from a van in west London. It then went missing for over 50 years. However, thanks to a combination of determined detective work and a little luck, it was recovered and restored in 2024.
The film details the incident and the main players involved, including interviews with McCartney, his brother Mike, Klaus Voormann, Elvis Costello and the industry representatives, roadies, journalists and fans who embarked on a mission to return the bass to the rightful hands.
The showing was followed by a Q&A hosted by Peter Paphides with director Arthur Cary, key participant Steve Glenister, journalist Naomi Jones and producer Katherine Anstey.
