My auntie was working in the VIP lounge at Stansted Airport. Four scruffy-looking lads wandered in. She said, “Oi, you can’t come in here.” One of them said, “We’re waiting for somebody, we’ll just wait here.” She stood and watched them, then Brian Epstein turned up with their boarding passes and told her they were The Beatles. She asked why they didn’t say, and John said, “It’s alright mrs, you’re only doing your job.” They gave her their autographs. That was always my Aunt Alice’s claim to fame — “Oi, you can’t come in here!”
The gig happened on 2nd April. Pete Stringfellow paid £29 to hire the Azena. I bought my ticket from the Black Cat Club at St Philip’s Church Hall. It was 4 shillings — later it went up to 5 shillings, and I think 6 shillings. Originally it was going to be at the Black Cat Club, but when it was oversubscribed it was moved to the Azena and the price went up.
There were 2,000 tickets sold. Somebody opened a fire door and let more people in — it was bedlam. There wasn’t a screened-off area, fans were right up to the stage, as was usual then. It was a dance hall, but not many were dancing.
They did one show with two sets — about 10 songs, a break, then another 10 songs. That show was a memorable one. Twenty songs was more than most did, and at six shillings it was value for money.
I was only 15 at the time, but a big lad. I’d been to the Black Cat Club a couple of times, seen Dave Berry and the Cruisers and some other local groups. When The Beatles were booked, they were just another group from Liverpool, but by the time they came they had Please Please Me at number one.
When I saw them at the City Hall, I think it was expensive — about 10/6. I got tickets from Cole Brothers. That was bedlam as well. I was sat at the back, all the lasses screaming — you could hardly hear them. I never went to see them again.
I used to go to Rawmarsh Baths — only 3 shillings to see top groups like Freddy and the Dreamers. They used to come in a van. They were making records but would still come and talk to us between sets. They got £15 at Rawmarsh — in Manchester they only got £12. Status Quo came once, in a van of course. Tom Jones came — the bloke running the dances had to pick him up from the station, his group came in a van.
When Terry Steeples took over the Black Swan, I used to go there — top groups, some good nights, but I was a bit older then. Those days are gone now. The Black Swan is gone, Rawmarsh Baths demolished, the Azena is a Co-op.
Back then you could see top groups for a few shillings and they usually came in a van. The Beatles came in a Rolls with Brian Epstein, but they still had to set up themselves. Nowadays it costs hundreds of pounds to see top stars and they arrive in limos. When Take That were at the Arena, I went by on the tram — there were half a dozen juggernauts with their equipment.
The top stars were approachable then. They used to talk to people. These days they’re surrounded by bodyguards. It’s very different — back then they were real people, usually worked their way up. Now they go on things like Britain’s Got Talent and get famous overnight.
I remember Gerry Dorsey, compere at the Ponderosa Club in Barnsley. He changed his name to Engelbert Humperdinck and the rest is history. And Tony Christie — working at BOC until he asked the way to Amarillo. They’d been singing in working men’s clubs for years. Just like The Beatles — five or six years hard work before they got famous.
A couple of years ago I tried to book a ticket to see Rod Stewart — £120 for a ticket where I couldn’t even see him, so I didn’t bother. I could have heard him and watched him on a screen, but I’m not that daft. Ha ha!
Photo of Roger c1963 courtesy of Roger Broadbelt
This is part of a growing archive of Sheffield Beatles memories. You can read more stories here: https://fanarchivebeatlessheffield.uk
Leave a Reply