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March 9, 2022
4 Comments
On 9th March 1963, the Beatles played their first official concert in London at the Granada Cinema, East Ham. Although the Beatles were already huge in Liverpool and Hamburg, Brian Epstein delayed their London debut until they had a hit record. The Granada was typical of the Art Deco Cinemas around London that hosted pop concerts. Most of the week it would the latest films, but occasionally it would act as a music venue. The named stars of the tour were Americans Chris Montez and Tommy Roe, but the Beatles were getting so popular that it was decided that they should close the half half of the show. During this tour they sang: Love Me Do, Misery, A Taste of Honey, Do You Want to Know a Secret, Please Please Me and I Saw Her Stand There. They had about 15-20 minutes on stage – a far cry from the 6 hours a night they were doing in Hamburg only a few months before. Despite hosting many great concerts in the 60s, when demand for the cinema dropped, the Granada became a Bingo club. The building is now a ‘Flipout’ Trampoline arena.
Read more about the Beatles London Concerts in my new book – The Beatles Fab Four Cities, Liverpool, Hamburg, London and New York. Signed copies are still available at https://beatlesinlondon.com/product/the-beatles-fab-four-cities-liverpool-hamburg-london-and-new-york/
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4 thoughts on “March 9th 1963 – The Beatles first Concert in London”
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Did the Beatles play, as opening act, in a North London theatre, for Gary U.S.Bonds?
I was a teenager in the early 60s and I remember visiting London with my parents. We saw the Beatles live, along with Manfred Mann, Freddie and the Dreamers and others. Don’t remember the exact date or where the concert was. Would you know?
It sounds like the NME Pollwinners concert at Empire Pool Wembley on 29th April 1964.
https://www.45worlds.com/live/listing/the-beatles-empire-pool-wembley-1964
The year seems about right. I was 11. I’ll never forget that concert. Couldn’t hear much, with the girls screaming and banging on the chair backs. Thanks for the info.