Post by The End on Feb 27, 2008 11:42:47 GMT
In 1963, The Beatles paid a visit to Romford, where I now live - here is an account of their show written by a 15 year-old schoolboy (no relation) and published in his school newspaper (transcript is below)!
The Merseybeat in Romford
It was Sunday, sixteenth of June. That day, the Beatles and company, came to Romford, on a one night stand. It was difficult to reach the Odeon cinema, due to crowds of excited fans, who had heard that the artists had already arrived.
The Beatles could be seen at the rear windows of the cinema every now and again. They pushed open the tops window and were greeted with wild screams. Earlier the Beatles had been in danger of being crushed, trying to reach the Odeon. Their car had been severely dented.
Outside the front doors, programmes and photographs were quickly being sold before the performance. At 5.45 the fans poured in through the main entrances and long before 6pm, the cinema was crowded. All tickets had been sold within a few days of the box office open.
A few minutes to six o'clock great movement was behind the curtains. At last the compare Vic Sutcliffe, appeared on the stage. He opened the show, by introducing the Vikings. They played a very good composition called The Cruel Sea. This has just been released as a record. These five men and their music made very good listening. Sutcliffe appeared on again and introduced a singer from Trinidad, Michael London, who had a record in the charts there for twelve months. Unfortunately the audience were getting impatient, waiting for the next group, Gerry and the Pacemakers.
The compare tried his best to pass the time while the instruments were being changed over. The curtains parted and there were Gerry and the Pacemakers. Their act included a ballad and their recent hit How Do You Do It and I Like It.
In the spotlights one picked out a tomato that just missed Gerry Marseden's head, an orange thrown from the circle actually hit the drums of “the Pacemakers”, thus ended the first half of the exciting entertainment.
..... The sales of the ice cream finished, the curtains parted to reveal The Dakotas. After three numbers by this brave group, Billy J. Kramer proceeded onto the stage and tried his best, in view of the fact that the Beatles were the next act and the audience was getting excited. Billy J. sang his last song Do You Want to Know a Secret and said bye to his hysterical fans!
The exotic instruments that had flashed on and off the stage during these earlier performances were mainly supplied by Vox. Good lighting effects made the shows production efficient and lead to its appreciation by all.
By now the compare was fighting a losing battle against the fans. He had to waste a full three minutes while the equipment was once again changed. The audience began to chant “We want the Beatles”. After a few choruses of this, the curtains parted and signaled was usual – screams. The Beatles were on stage.
Their half hour programme included many tracks from their latest LP. Please, Please Me, There's a Place, PS I Love You, Chains, Anna, Misery and their latest hit From Me To You. Through their whole performance, it was impossible to listen to them comfortably, because of the frantic screams of their delirious fans.
During the show the Odeon staff had its work cut out, to stop fantastic numbers of girls, from getting onto the stage.
These four talented young men, George Harrison (lead guitar), Ringo Starr (drums), and the composers Paul McCartney (bass) and John Lennon (rhythm guitar) have enough compositions to last them... (*incomprehensible*).
Autograph books and messages were strewn all over the stage, thrown there by the audience.
To celebrate Paul McCartney's birthday, everybody was asked to join in the last number, Twist and Shout. And as the vibrations of this died away the curtain fell, opened and closed for the last time.
From here: www.haroldhill.org/latest_news/latest-news.htm
The Merseybeat in Romford
It was Sunday, sixteenth of June. That day, the Beatles and company, came to Romford, on a one night stand. It was difficult to reach the Odeon cinema, due to crowds of excited fans, who had heard that the artists had already arrived.
The Beatles could be seen at the rear windows of the cinema every now and again. They pushed open the tops window and were greeted with wild screams. Earlier the Beatles had been in danger of being crushed, trying to reach the Odeon. Their car had been severely dented.
Outside the front doors, programmes and photographs were quickly being sold before the performance. At 5.45 the fans poured in through the main entrances and long before 6pm, the cinema was crowded. All tickets had been sold within a few days of the box office open.
A few minutes to six o'clock great movement was behind the curtains. At last the compare Vic Sutcliffe, appeared on the stage. He opened the show, by introducing the Vikings. They played a very good composition called The Cruel Sea. This has just been released as a record. These five men and their music made very good listening. Sutcliffe appeared on again and introduced a singer from Trinidad, Michael London, who had a record in the charts there for twelve months. Unfortunately the audience were getting impatient, waiting for the next group, Gerry and the Pacemakers.
The compare tried his best to pass the time while the instruments were being changed over. The curtains parted and there were Gerry and the Pacemakers. Their act included a ballad and their recent hit How Do You Do It and I Like It.
In the spotlights one picked out a tomato that just missed Gerry Marseden's head, an orange thrown from the circle actually hit the drums of “the Pacemakers”, thus ended the first half of the exciting entertainment.
..... The sales of the ice cream finished, the curtains parted to reveal The Dakotas. After three numbers by this brave group, Billy J. Kramer proceeded onto the stage and tried his best, in view of the fact that the Beatles were the next act and the audience was getting excited. Billy J. sang his last song Do You Want to Know a Secret and said bye to his hysterical fans!
The exotic instruments that had flashed on and off the stage during these earlier performances were mainly supplied by Vox. Good lighting effects made the shows production efficient and lead to its appreciation by all.
By now the compare was fighting a losing battle against the fans. He had to waste a full three minutes while the equipment was once again changed. The audience began to chant “We want the Beatles”. After a few choruses of this, the curtains parted and signaled was usual – screams. The Beatles were on stage.
Their half hour programme included many tracks from their latest LP. Please, Please Me, There's a Place, PS I Love You, Chains, Anna, Misery and their latest hit From Me To You. Through their whole performance, it was impossible to listen to them comfortably, because of the frantic screams of their delirious fans.
During the show the Odeon staff had its work cut out, to stop fantastic numbers of girls, from getting onto the stage.
These four talented young men, George Harrison (lead guitar), Ringo Starr (drums), and the composers Paul McCartney (bass) and John Lennon (rhythm guitar) have enough compositions to last them... (*incomprehensible*).
Autograph books and messages were strewn all over the stage, thrown there by the audience.
To celebrate Paul McCartney's birthday, everybody was asked to join in the last number, Twist and Shout. And as the vibrations of this died away the curtain fell, opened and closed for the last time.
From here: www.haroldhill.org/latest_news/latest-news.htm