On Tuesday 9 July 1963, The Beatles returned to the Winter Gardens in Margate for the second of six consecutive nights at the venue. As on the night before, they performed two separate shows – two 'houses' – to two different audiences, playing the same nine-song set each time.
The pattern was the same as it would be for the rest of the week: arrive, soundcheck, play the first house, play the second house, leave. Six nights, twelve shows, the same nine songs each time. It was the economics of the pre-arena era – you played the room twice rather than once, and you kept the set tight enough to deliver it with full energy both times.
The Setlist: Nine Songs, Two Houses
The Beatles performed the same nine songs throughout the Margate run, including on 9 July 1963:
- 'Roll Over Beethoven'
- 'Thank You Girl'
- 'Chains'
- 'Please Please Me'
- 'A Taste Of Honey'
- 'I Saw Her Standing There'
- 'Baby It's You'
- 'From Me To You'
- 'Twist And Shout'
'Roll Over Beethoven' opened – George Harrison's Chuck Berry cover, a statement of rock and roll intent before a note of their own material had been played. 'Twist And Shout' closed, as it almost always did. John Lennon's performance of the Isley Brothers cover – recorded in a single take at the end of the Please Please Me session on 11 February 1963, with his voice already shredded from a day's recording – was the most visceral thing in their live set. Nothing could follow it.
'From Me To You' was their current single – their third consecutive number one – and the song the Margate audience would have known best from the radio. 'Please Please Me' had reached number one in February. The album of the same name had been on sale since March. Eight of the nine songs in the set had appeared on it.
Shop the Please Please Me Collection
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Winter Gardens Margate Residency: Six Nights
The Beatles performed at the Winter Gardens in Margate on six consecutive nights from 8 to 13 July 1963, playing two houses each evening – twelve performances in total. The 9 July show was the second night of the run.
The full residency:
- Monday 8 July 1963 – Night one
- Tuesday 9 July 1963 – Night two (this show)
- Wednesday 10 July 1963 – Night three
- Thursday 11 July 1963 – Night four
- Friday 12 July 1963 – Night five
- Saturday 13 July 1963 – Night six
The two-houses format – two separate performances each evening to two different audiences – was standard practice for popular acts at the time. It allowed promoters to sell twice as many tickets for the same venue on the same night, and it meant The Beatles played to more people in Margate that week than a single nightly show would have allowed.
The Winter Gardens, Margate
The Winter Gardens is a Grade II listed entertainment venue on the seafront at Margate, Kent. Opened in 1911, it was built as a covered garden and concert hall to serve the town's growing tourist trade. By the 1960s it was one of the principal entertainment venues on the Kent coast, hosting variety shows, concerts, and summer seasons.
Margate itself was a popular seaside resort – accessible from London by train, and a natural destination for summer entertainment bookings. The six-night Beatles residency in July 1963 was the kind of extended engagement that the venue's summer season format made possible. It was not a one-off concert; it was a week's work.
The Beatles in July 1963
By the time The Beatles arrived in Margate for their six-night run, they were the biggest act in Britain. Please Please Me had been at number one in the album charts since March. 'From Me To You' was their third consecutive number one single. They had appeared on television, on radio, and in every newspaper in the country.
What they had not yet experienced was the full force of what would be called Beatlemania – that word would not appear in the press until October 1963, following scenes at the London Palladium. But the reality it described was already present in the summer of 1963. The Margate shows were sold out. The audiences were loud. The band was at the peak of its pre-Beatlemania powers: tight, funny, and playing a set that had been road-tested in hundreds of venues across Britain.
The nine songs they played at the Winter Gardens on 9 July 1963 were not chosen at random. They were the nine songs that worked best in a live setting – the songs that got the crowd moving, that built to the right climax, that left the audience wanting more. 'Twist And Shout' at the end was not just a closer; it was a statement. The Beatles were the best live band in Britain, and they knew it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did The Beatles play in Margate?
Yes. The Beatles performed six consecutive nights at the Winter Gardens in Margate, Kent, from 8 to 13 July 1963. They played two houses (two separate performances) each night, for a total of twelve shows at the venue.
What did The Beatles play at Margate on 9 July 1963?
The Beatles performed nine songs at the Winter Gardens, Margate on 9 July 1963: 'Roll Over Beethoven', 'Thank You Girl', 'Chains', 'Please Please Me', 'A Taste Of Honey', 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'Baby It's You', 'From Me To You', and 'Twist And Shout'. The same set was played at both houses.
What were 'two houses' at a Beatles concert?
Two houses meant two separate performances on the same evening to two different audiences. It was standard practice for popular acts in the early 1960s, allowing promoters to sell twice as many tickets for the same venue on the same night. The Beatles played two houses at the Winter Gardens, Margate on each of their six nights there in July 1963.
How many nights did The Beatles play at the Winter Gardens, Margate?
The Beatles played six consecutive nights at the Winter Gardens, Margate, from 8 to 13 July 1963. With two houses each night, they gave twelve performances in total at the venue.
What was happening with The Beatles in July 1963?
In July 1963, The Beatles were the biggest act in Britain. Their debut album Please Please Me had been at number one since March. From Me To You was their third consecutive number one single. Full Beatlemania – the word coined after scenes at the London Palladium in October 1963 – was still months away, but the reality was already present.
More from On This Day in Beatles History
- The Beatles live: Winter Gardens, Margate – 8 July 1963
- Celebrating Rubber Soul: The Album That Redefined The Beatles
- On This Day in Beatles History – full archive
Beatles Fabdom is your home for Beatles history, news, and officially licensed merchandise. Explore our full range of Beatles collectables and clothing.
0 comments