The Beatles flew from Liverpool to Hamburg on this day ahead of their third and final residency at the German city’s Star-Club, situated on Große Freiheit off the Reeperbahn, which began later that evening.
They were contracted to play for 13 nights at the venue, from 18–31 December with a break for Christmas Day. They stayed at the Hotel Pacific, a popular base for touring bands.
Last updated: 28 December 2012
Also on this day...
- 2020: Album release: McCartney III by Paul McCartney
- 2010: Paul McCartney live: Hammersmith Apollo, London
- 2009: McCartney on X Factor chart battle, video for (I Want To) Come Home
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono are interviewed by Associated Press
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono are interviewed for CBC-TV
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono record a message for Japanese radio
- 1968: John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear onstage in a white bag
- 1966: Paul McCartney and Jane Asher attend the première of The Family Way
- 1966: Tara Browne dies
- 1963: Radio: From Us To You
- 1962: Live: Star-Club, Hamburg
- 1961: Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
How did their gear get there?
Were they able to bring guitars on the flight?
Did Mal Evans drive a van with amps earlier??
Woo yeah!!! This is the beginning of the source of the Star Club live recordings!!!
Lest we forget.. they didn’t bring their amps, Brady?
Adrian Barber, the former member of the group The Big Three, from Liverpool?
The way the Big Three are described it makes me thing of them as a prototypical version of The Who.
The Big Three were known as the loudest group in Liverpool, because member Adrian Barber took apart and made custom amps, to get them louder. Paul McCartney had him make one for him, turned out to be that “coffin amp”.
It was he, Adrian Barber! After Brian Epstein was managing the Beatles, he was looking for other Liverpool bands, and John Lennon suggested signing the Big Three! So Epstein did, but they turned out to be trouble to manage!
When Epstein sent The Big Three to Hamburg, they broke up, and Adrian Barber remained in Hamburg, becoming manager of The Star Club!
Adrian Barber! It was he who decided to stay behind and become manager of the Star Club, and it was he, who designed Paul’s super loud coffin amp that amped up the Beatles sound; it was he, Adrian Barber who re-designed the sound system of the Star Club that the Beatles sound so amazing at on those recordings!
So they only brought instruments, as it had been arranged by Brian Epstein for them to use Adrian Barber’s specially redesigned custom sound system made for rock bands, at the Star Club!