The Beatles play Sheffield: Anyone Remember?

[brooklynex 10]

I am quite an expert on The Beatles. I discovered the Azena set list was in the hands of a friend I worked with. I also found out the date that had always been in the public domain was incorrect and I posted that fact on the forum over 4 years ago whilst people were still discussing the incorrect February date.

 

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-810.html

 

I also did a piece on every "Beatle" visit to Sheffield.

The original link where I revealed the original date and posted a link on The Beatles in Sheffield is here.

 

 

I am quite an expert on The Beatles. I discovered the Azena set list was in the hands of a friend I worked with. I also found out the date that had always been in the public domain was incorrect and I posted that fact on the forum over 4 years ago.

I also did a piece on every "Beatle" visit to Sheffield.

The original link where I revealed the original date and posted a link on The Beatles in Sheffield is here.

 

crucible77 29-06-2008, 14:25

Despite the last posts on here being a few years ago I found them whilst searching for information on the first ever Beatles concert to be played in Sheffield which was at The Azena Ballroom,white Lane Gleadless on Saturday 12th February 1963.

I used to work with a man nearly 20 years ago who was the drummer in the support band at this show "Mike Stone and the Aidens". He told me the story of how he remembered being sat backstage with John Lennon as he just discarded a Beatles Parlophone postcard on which he had written down the evenings setlist.

Luckily he picked up the card and kept it.

He told me he had played with a lot of bands in the 60s and kept the odd item.

As I collected anything Beatle related at the time I asked him to go through his box of stuff and sure enough one morning he brought it into work for me to see. Thankfully I got a photo copy of it (front and back) as well as a cutting from a newspaper for the show.

I remember him saying it was the first time it had been out for years and he was putting it back, so I guess he will have never have let it go.I don't know if he ever thought of it being valuable really.

Anyway I am sure that someone somewhere would love to know that this exists, and the tracklisting is there clearly in Lennons own handwriting with a line between the first and second sets.

Cheers

Mark

 

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crucible77 25-08-2008, 20:30

THE DEFINITIVE BEATLES IN SHEFFIELD

After a bit more research on the tracklisting for The Beatles show at The Azena Ballroom in Sheffield in 1963 some interesting facts have emerged.

Shortly after I posted this message on this board at the very end of June 2008 the setlisting which I got copied from the drummer in the support band (back in 1991)it has now appeared on a few Beatle fan sites.Although I have never submitted it I did let several fans have copies of mine some years ago and it looks like someone has put it into the public domain (possibly after reading this post as it's reproduced on a fan site - The link is below) which is great for all the Beatles fans to see.Indeed I am sure the original is still in my ex work colleagues possession.The written tracklist is by Paul NOT John and the support band was Mark Stone and The Aidens. (NOT Mike)

The most interesting fact is that it turns out that the show at The Azena Ballroom Gleadless was apparently NOT actually played on 12th February 1963 as it was long believed but actually took place on 2nd April 1963.

This would seem to be right as it was known that The Beatles appeared in Oldham on 12th February 1963.The day after recording their first album.For a while it was quoted they must have done BOTH dates in one day !

This is important in the Beatles history as The Azena show was believed to be the first time that the band actually played in Sheffield.However this means that The Azena show was actually the THIRD show in Sheffield as they had played at The Sheffield City Hall twice in the previous month.

 

The Beatles Live In Sheffield (7 DATES)

 

1963 2nd March Sheffield City Hall

1963 16th March Sheffield City Hall

1963 2nd April The Azena Ballroom

1963 25 May Sheffield City Hall

1963 2 November Sheffield City Hall, where they were billed as headliners for the first time at The City Hall.

 

1964 November 9 The Beatles' final City Hall

 

1965 8 December Their seventh and final Sheffield appearance took place at the Gaumont Cinema

 

For details of the Azena Show being in April see this link.

 

http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/news/722vintagesetlist.html

 

This is another link that shed queries on the original Beatles date.

 

http://wogew.blogspot.com/2008/07/beatles-at-azena-sheffield.html

 

THE BEATLES SOLO IN SHEFFIELD

 

The Beatles last played in Sheffield in 1965 and by the following August they had stopped touring altogether. However Paul McCartney has since played Sheffield and not a lot of people know that the first Beatle to play in Sheffield after the bands break up was in fact George Harrison.

 

GEORGE HARRISON (1 DATE)

 

1969 4th December 1969 Sheffield City Hall

 

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends On Tour with Eric Clapton (and George Harrison)

 

Musicians: Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Price, Tex Johnson, Rita Coolidge and George Harrison

 

 

PAUL McCARTNEY with WINGS (2 DATES)

 

1972 17th February Sheffield University

1973 4th July Sheffield City Hall

 

During the spring and early summer of 1973, Paul McCartney's band Wings performed a UK tour. The tour was for the purpose of promoting the band's latest album, Red Rose Speedway, as well as the single "Live and Let Die" from the James Bond film of the same name.Wings' lineup for the tour was Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Henry McCullough, and Denny Seiwell.

 

PAUL McCARTNEY (2 DATES)

 

2003 5th April Sheffield Hallam FM Arena , Paul McCartney arrived in Sheffield to kick off the UK leg of his Back In The World tour.

 

2003 6th April Sheffield Hallam FM Arena, CANCELLED (Paul McCartney lost his voice)

 

2003 29th May Sheffield Hallam FM Arena Paul McCartney returned to Sheffield at the end of the tour to honour the 2nd night which had been cancelled in Sheffield.

 

I am sure this will make interesting reading.If anyone has any more information or queries please post and I will try to answer.

 

Finally this site reproduced the advert I got from the drummer and the postcard. That was the beginning of 1991.

http://www.multiplusbooks.com/630402.html

 

About the two Beatles dates at the City Hall in march '63, one was the Helen Shapiro tour, which I was at! don't remember the other one, What was it!

[Cookingfat 10]

yer i remember them playing at the at the athena ball room at gleadless in the 60s

[Light sonic 10]

@ Crucible77.

 

Thanks for all that info; fascinating to think a 1969 (still a Beatle) George Harrison came here as late as that.

[brooklynex 10]

Recently went to the Beatles Experience in Liverpool staying at the Hard Days Night Hotel, it was a combined birthday present for me and my Wife.

A great trip down memory lane.

 

Yes I was at the Helen Shapiro concert in March '63 out of curiosity, I quite liked Helen, but me and a friend of mine went along to see what all the fuss was about with these four- we would be in for a rude awakening- When they were introduced on stage-one by one, there weren't any curtains at the City Hall-artists had to come up a staircase from the dressing rooms in the middle of the stage. They wore those brown suits with velvet collars, the same ones in the photo on the cover of "Please, Please Me' album. First up was Lennon who slunk to the right of the stage as we were looking at it from the mezzanine, and leant on the microphone stand with Rickenbacker in hand, looking bored to death. Then it was McCartney, the few screams there was that night were begining to get louder. Next was George who ran up the stairs and LEAPT over an amplifier-well he was only 19 then- Ringo walked up the steps with snaredrum in hand, the rest of the communal drums were already set up. after a few seconds of tuning up, Paul was looking to his left at John waiting for the signal to start at after Lennon nodded the go-ahead my musical life change forever-"One -Two- Three- FARR!!, Well She Was just Seventeen......." WOW!!!

[crucible77 10]

The Beatles played at Sheffield City Hall on Saturday 2nd March 1963 on the Helen Shapiro tour promoted by Arthur Howes. There were 2 shows that evening at 6-10pm and 8-40pm.

Helen Shapiro was headlining with Danny Williams,Kenny Lynch, The Beatles, The Kestrels and The Honeys were listed on the advert for the show in that order.

Tickets were available from Wilson Peck Ltd in Sheffield.

 

 

They were back just 2 weeks later on Saturday 16th March on the “Arthur Howe Presents” (In association with Evelyn Taylor) Americas Exciting Chris Montez and Americas Fabulous Tommy Roe tour, billing was in that order with The Beatles 3rd along with The Viscounts, The Terry Young Six, Debbie Lee and Tony Marsh.

Tickets were once again available from Wilson Peck Ltd.

 

Prices ranged from 8/6 to 3/6.

 

The date on the 25th May 1963 was part of The Roy Orbison Tour in which he had top billing. However The Beatles were starting to steal the show by then.

 

I hope that clears up any information you need.

[crucible77 10]

The Beatles played at Sheffield City Hall on Saturday 2nd March 1963 on the Helen Shapiro tour promoted by Arthur Howes. There were 2 shows that evening at 6-10pm and 8-40pm.

Helen Shapiro was headlining with Danny Williams,Kenny Lynch, The Beatles, The Kestrels and The Honeys were listed on the advert for the show in that order.

Tickets were available from Wilson Peck Ltd in Sheffield.

 

 

They were back just 2 weeks later on Saturday 16th March on the “Arthur Howe Presents” (In association with Evelyn Taylor) Americas Exciting Chris Montez and Americas Fabulous Tommy Roe tour, billing was in that order with The Beatles 3rd along with The Viscounts, The Terry Young Six, Debbie Lee and Tony Marsh.

Tickets were once again available from Wilson Peck Ltd.

 

Prices ranged from 8/6 to 3/6.

 

The date on the 25th May 1963 was part of The Roy Orbison Tour in which he had top billing. However The Beatles were starting to steal the show by then.

 

I hope that clears up any information you need.

[charttopper 10]

Wow you know you're stuff.. would it be possible to call me on 0114 267 54 66.. or e-mail me at [email protected] . thanks

[memari laine 10]

My best friend's mum bought her a "Shift dress", with the faces of the Beatles down the front and back. She would not sit down in the dress, as she said "If i sit down, i will sit on Georges face". !