The Beatles’ fourth British tour of 1963 opened on this evening with a performance at the Odeon Cinema in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
This was the group’s first series of concerts as unchallenged headliners. The Beatles topped a bill featuring five other acts: The Rhythm & Blues Quartet, The Vernons Girls, The Brook Brothers, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, and The Kestrels. The compere on the tour dates was Frank Berry.
The following day a report in the Daily Mirror newspaper carried the headline: “Beatlemania! It’s happening everywhere.. even in sedate Cheltenham”. This is believed to be the first use of the word in print; by the end of the year it would be widely used.
The Beatles played 10 songs on this and every date of the autumn tour. The setlist was: ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘From Me To You’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Boys’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, and ‘Twist And Shout’.
This was The Beatles’ only concert in Cheltenham.
I was at Cheltenham Beatle concert 1963 and i am the one returning to my seat on the balcony as i remember the guy filming with handwind ciny.camera
The fire Dept were inside pointing their hoses at the screaming audience incase they got out of hand .John stopped the music and shouted “if you stop Fing screaming we have some good songs ” The balcony we were on was shaking with people jumping up and down .Crazy times
The interviewer is Gianni (Paul says at 0:25) Bisiach, italian journalist , that you can see (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi1Q28ztaJI) when he speaks precisely of this interview to the Beatles.
I was up there on the balcony too. Bunked off from school (Pate’s Grammar School for Girls) to buy the tickets the day they went on sale. But well worth the punishment. What a night! Still etched in my memory as vivid as if it were yesterday and at my age….!
The screaming was terrific and yes, sometimes it was difficult to hear the songs.
Mortified to find my father waiting across Winchcombe Street when we came out to walk me safely home. Now, with children of my own, I fully understand why he was there. Bless him.
1st November 1963 – one of the days of my life.
Forgive the question, Cynthia, do you remember if it was a rainy day?
Sadly, the venue was demolished in 2014. Another one bit the dust 🙁
The word’ Beatlemania’ appeared in print before this date: on the front page of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Friday 25 October 1963.