On This Day in Beatles History: The Beatles Begin Their Second UK Tour – Granada Cinema, London, 9th March 1963

On Saturday 9 March 1963, The Beatles opened their second UK theatre tour of the year with a performance at the Granada Cinema on Barking Road in East Ham, London. The tour began only five days after the band had completed their previous tour with Helen Shapiro, reflecting the intense pace at which the group were working during the early months of 1963.

The tour bill was headed by two American pop singers, Chris Montez and Tommy Roe, both of whom were enjoying major chart success. Montez had scored an international hit with “Let’s Dance”, while Roe’s single “Sheila” had become a chart favourite.

Despite the billing, it soon became obvious that audiences were increasingly excited to see The Beatles, whose popularity had surged following the success of “Please Please Me.”

Changing the running order

The original plan for the tour was that Chris Montez and Tommy Roe would share equal top billing, alternating who closed the two nightly performances.

George Harrison later recalled how the situation quickly changed after the opening night:

“In March we toured with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez, who were supposed to share equal top billing: one of them closing the first house and one the second house for the show. Chris Montez had a big hit, ‘Let’s Dance’, and Tommy Roe had ‘Sheila’.

The Beatles were getting more and more popular – unfortunately for Tommy and Chris. Barking in London was the opening night of the tour and there was a big huddled meeting after the show because Arthur Howes, the promoter, said The Beatles had better close the first half.”

Although the promoter suggested moving The Beatles higher up the bill, the band themselves initially resisted the change out of respect for the American performers.

Harrison remembered that Tommy Roe strongly objected to altering the running order:

“I remember Tommy Roe getting all uptight, saying, ‘I’m contracted, and I’m going to leave if I don’t close the show!’”

Early signs of Beatlemania

The opening night of the tour also revealed how quickly the musical landscape was changing. By early 1963, The Beatles were beginning to attract increasingly passionate audiences.

George Harrison later recalled an awkward moment when Chris Montez attempted to perform a slower number:

“I felt sorry for Chris Montez; he was just a little Mexican bloke. He did a slow song on a chair, a Spanish tune, and the Teds were all shouting, ‘Boo, f**k off.’ He said, ‘Oh, you don’t like it, OK,’ and he stopped and put down his guitar and tried something else. It was sad really, but Beatlemania was coming on; ‘Please Please Me’ had been a hit and ‘From Me To You’ was on the way.”

The reaction of the crowd showed that Beatlemania was beginning to take hold, even though the band had not yet reached the peak of their fame.

The Beatles’ setlist on the March 1963 tour

During the tour, The Beatles performed a six-song set featuring material from their recently released debut album Please Please Me.

The setlist included:

• Love Me Do
• Misery
• A Taste Of Honey
• Do You Want To Know A Secret
• Please Please Me
• I Saw Her Standing There

Although short, the set captured the energetic style that had made the band so popular during their Liverpool club performances.

A crucial moment in the band’s rise

The opening night of the tour at the Granada Cinema in East Ham marked another step in The Beatles’ transition from local Liverpool group to national sensation.

Within months, the band would move from supporting roles on theatre tours to headlining major concerts across Britain, as Beatlemania spread rapidly throughout the country.

The performance on 9th March 1963 therefore represents a moment when The Beatles’ popularity was beginning to outgrow the traditional touring format that had initially placed them lower on the bill.

On This Day in Beatles History

Date: 9 March 1963

Venue: Granada Cinema, Barking Road, East Ham, London

Event: Opening night of The Beatles’ second UK theatre tour of 1963

Tour acts: Chris Montez, Tommy Roe and The Beatles

Promoter: Arthur Howes

Granada Cinema, East Ham – Beatles Tour Opening Night VenueThe Granada Cinema on Barking Road in East Ham, London was the opening venue for The Beatles’ second UK theatre tour on 9 March 1963.

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