The Beatles live: Capitol Cinema, Cardiff

The Beatles’ first concert in Cardiff, Wales, took place during their UK tour with Roy Orbison. They performed at the city’s Capitol Cinema.

Also on the bill, in order of appearance, were the Terry Young Six, Ian Crawford, Louise Cordet, David Macbeth, Gerry and the Pacemakers, comedian Erkey Grant, and Roy Orbison. The Beatles were the headline act, and were paid £100 for the appearance.

They performed a seven-song set: ‘Some Other Guy’, ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’, ‘Love Me Do’, ‘From Me To You’, ‘Please Please Me’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and ‘Twist And Shout’.

Prior to the show the group was visited by musician Dave Edmunds, who at the time was working in a Cardiff music shop. He was sent to the venue by the store’s manager, with the orders to try and sell The Beatles anything they might need for the show.

“They were setting up, going for a sound check in the afternoon and we rolled in,” Edmunds told BBC Radio Wales in 2001. “There was no security in those days. I stayed for the whole day.

“In the evening, I was just standing on the side of the stage watching The Beatles do their first tour. We were too nervous to charge them so we just gave them everything, all the sticks and strings. I gave Paul McCartney a set of bass strings.”

The Beatles performed at the Capitol Cinema on two subsequent occasions: 7 November 1964 and 12 December 1965.

Last updated: 25 January 2024
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