Wakefield • Thursday, February 7, 1963

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From Taking a trip down musical memory lane: Inside The Beatles appearance at Wakefield cinema (wakefieldexpress.co.uk), January 14, 2023:

The Beatles’ UK tour with singer Helen Shapiro arrived on February 7, 1963, with a performance at the landmark picturehouse on Kirkgate. […] The Beatles were fourth on an eleven-act bill headed by 16-year-old Londoner, Helen Shapiro, alongside other acts like Red Price Band, The Kestrels, The Honeys (UK), Dave Allen, Kenny Lynch and Danny Williams.

Helen was only 14 when she recorded the hit single, “Walkin’ Back To Happiness” in 1961, launching her into the public eye and making her England’s top selling female artist in the early 1960s. Whilst the ‘fab four’ had ‘Love Me Do’ on the charts at the time, they were relatively unknown.

Arthur Howes, one of Britain’s leading concert promoters, offered the Beatles £30 a night to be a part of the Helen Shapiro tour.

Wakefield’s ABC was the fourth stop in a 14 location tour following shows in Bradford, Doncaster and Bedford.

The Beatles’ typical set list for the shows began with “Chains,” (sung by George Harrison) “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby,” (John Lennon) “A Taste of Honey” (Paul McCartney) and finally “Please Please Me.” (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)

The cinema opened as the Regal in December 1935 and was renamed the ABC in 1962, a year before the performance. Demolition started on Wakefield’s ABC Cinema in January 2023, with plans for a green space to replace the derelict building.

To this day, The Beatles show is widely regarded as one of the cinema’s most memorable moments.

Last updated on October 20, 2023

ABC Cinema

This was the 1st and only concert played at ABC Cinema.