Wednesday 28 October 1964 | Two live concerts | ABC Cinema, Exeter, England | By Beatles Fabdom
On 28 October 1964, the Beatles made their third and final concert appearance at Exeter’s ABC Cinema. The two shows began at 6.15pm and 8.30pm, making Exeter the 15th date of their autumn British tour.
The evening brought a ten-song Beatles set, a substantial supporting bill and a personal celebration after the work was finished. The group took their chauffeur, Alf Bicknell, out in Exeter to mark his 36th birthday.
| Date | Wednesday 28 October 1964 |
|---|---|
| Venue | ABC Cinema, Exeter, formerly the Savoy |
| Historical address | 252 High Street, Exeter EX4 3QD |
| Number of shows | Two |
| Show times | 6.15pm and 8.30pm |
| Tour position | 15th of 27 dates |
| Exeter sequence | Third and final Beatles concert engagement |
| Beatles set | Ten songs |
| Reported fee | £850 for the two-show tour engagement |
| Compère | Bob Bain |
| After the concerts | Alf Bicknell’s 36th birthday celebration |
| Building status | Demolished in 1987 |
The Beatles’ third and final Exeter visit
The Beatles had already appeared at the ABC on 28 March 1963 and 14 November 1963. The first of those visits placed them on the bill with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez; their subsequent appearances were as headliners.
The October 1964 return therefore belongs to an established relationship with Exeter rather than a debut in the city. It was also the last of their three concert engagements at this cinema.
The ABC was a cinema with a stage used for live entertainment, part of a touring network in which film venues could also accommodate major music bills. Its earlier name was the Savoy; it became the ABC in November 1960.
Returning to the road after Brighton
The preceding tour engagement had been Brighton Hippodrome on 25 October. Exeter resumed the concert route three days later, before the Beatles continued to Plymouth on 29 October.
The intervening dates were not simply empty days in the group’s working life. The archive also covers recording and mixing for Beatles for Sale on 26 October and further album mixing on 27 October.
Those connections place Exeter within a particularly busy period: touring the established live programme while completing work associated with the next album. The concert set itself remained strongly connected with A Hard Day’s Night.
Two shows and a £850 engagement
The programmes began at 6.15pm and 8.30pm. These are the show start times, not separately established times for the Beatles’ own stage entrance.
The reported Beatles fee was £850 for the two-show engagement. It should not be doubled into £850 per individual concert. Two audiences attended the package, with the supporting performers and compère contributing to the evening around the Beatles’ headline set.
This distinction also matters for the tour itinerary: Exeter was one engagement date with two concerts. The full route comprised 27 dates, not merely 27 individual performances.
Supporting acts and Bob Bain
The tour’s supporting bill brought together:
- The Rustiks
- Sounds Incorporated
- Michael Haslam
- The Remo Four
- Tommy Quickly
- Mary Wells
Bob Bain was the compère. The supporting artists were part of the package, not a list of guests who necessarily joined the Beatles for their ten-song performance.
The combination of a headline group, several supporting acts and a compère gives the evening its theatre-tour shape. It was a fuller programme than the Beatles’ own running order alone suggests.
Setlist
The tour’s ten-song Beatles set:
- Twist and Shout
- Money (That’s What I Want)
- Can’t Buy Me Love
- Things We Said Today
- I’m Happy Just to Dance with You
- I Should Have Known Better
- If I Fell
- I Wanna Be Your Man
- A Hard Day’s Night
- Long Tall Sally
A Hard Day’s Night at the centre of the show
Six songs in the programme appeared on the British A Hard Day’s Night album: Can’t Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today, I’m Happy Just to Dance with You, I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell and the title track.
That gives the concert a clear connection with the group’s 1964 album and film success. The set was not a complete performance of the album, but it drew heavily on that year’s original material while retaining forceful live favourites.
The A Hard Day’s Night Album Cover T-shirt in denim blue connects directly with that chapter. Its checked price is £18.
Alf Bicknell’s birthday after the concerts
After the concert engagement, the Beatles took Alf Bicknell for a night out in Exeter to celebrate his 36th birthday. Their chauffeur’s birthday supplies a personal detail beyond the venue, bill and song list.
The celebration belongs after the performances, rather than being a special event presented on stage. The account identifies Exeter as the setting but does not name a particular pub or restaurant, so no specific party location is assigned here.
Complete autumn 1964 British tour itinerary
All 27 engagement dates appear below, from Bradford on 9 October to Bristol on 10 November. Exeter is highlighted at number 15. The existing Walthamstow and Brighton articles are linked.
| No. | Date | Venue and city |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 October 1964 | Gaumont, Bradford |
| 2 | 10 October 1964 | De Montfort Hall, Leicester |
| 3 | 11 October 1964 | Odeon, Birmingham |
| 4 | 13 October 1964 | ABC, Wigan |
| 5 | 14 October 1964 | ABC, Manchester |
| 6 | 15 October 1964 | Globe, Stockton-on-Tees |
| 7 | 16 October 1964 | ABC, Hull |
| 8 | 19 October 1964 | ABC, Edinburgh |
| 9 | 20 October 1964 | Caird Hall, Dundee |
| 10 | 21 October 1964 | Odeon, Glasgow |
| 11 | 22 October 1964 | Odeon, Leeds |
| 12 | 23 October 1964 | Gaumont State, Kilburn, London |
| 13 | 24 October 1964 | Granada, Walthamstow, London |
| 14 | 25 October 1964 | Hippodrome, Brighton |
| 15 | 28 October 1964 | ABC Cinema, Exeter |
| 16 | 29 October 1964 | ABC, Plymouth |
| 17 | 30 October 1964 | Gaumont, Bournemouth |
| 18 | 31 October 1964 | Gaumont, Ipswich |
| 19 | 1 November 1964 | Astoria, Finsbury Park, London |
| 20 | 2 November 1964 | King’s Hall, Belfast |
| 21 | 4 November 1964 | Ritz, Luton |
| 22 | 5 November 1964 | Odeon, Nottingham |
| 23 | 6 November 1964 | Gaumont, Southampton |
| 24 | 7 November 1964 | Capitol, Cardiff |
| 25 | 8 November 1964 | Empire, Liverpool |
| 26 | 9 November 1964 | City Hall, Sheffield |
| 27 | 10 November 1964 | Colston Hall, Bristol |
Where was Exeter’s ABC Cinema?
The historical ABC stood at 252 High Street, Exeter EX4 3QD. Formerly the Savoy, the cinema closed and was demolished in 1987. The site was subsequently occupied by a bookshop.
The map targets that historical High Street address. It does not identify a surviving ABC auditorium or a different modern cinema in Exeter. The distinction is important when tracing the Beatles’ three appearances.
Open the former ABC Cinema address in Google Maps.
A musical connection with the 1964 album
The A Hard Day’s Night junior guitar carries colourful Beatles portraits and the album title. Its checked price is £93. It is a modern themed instrument, not a replica identified as one played during the Exeter concerts.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Beatles last play Exeter’s ABC Cinema?
Their final concert engagement there was on 28 October 1964. Earlier appearances took place on 28 March and 14 November 1963.
What time were the two Exeter shows?
The shows began at 6.15pm and 8.30pm.
Which date of the British tour was Exeter?
It was the 15th of 27 engagement dates on the autumn 1964 British tour.
How many songs were in the Beatles’ set?
The tour set contained ten songs, opening with Twist and Shout and ending with Long Tall Sally.
Whose birthday did the Beatles celebrate after the concerts?
They took their chauffeur Alf Bicknell out in Exeter to celebrate his 36th birthday.
Does the old ABC Cinema still stand?
No. The former Savoy and ABC at 252 High Street was demolished in 1987. The map identifies its historical site.
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