Wednesday 6 November 1963 · The Beatles · Live performance · Northampton, England
The Beatles returned to the ABC Cinema in Northampton on 6 November 1963, the fifth stop of their Autumn Tour of England and Ireland. The ten-song programme opened with “I Saw Her Standing There” and ended with “Twist and Shout”.
This was their second and final concert appearance in Northampton, following a previous visit to the same cinema on 27 March 1963. The building survives on Abington Square as The Old Savoy, home of The Deco Theatre.
The Northampton concert: key facts
| Date | Wednesday 6 November 1963 |
|---|---|
| Venue | ABC Cinema, also described as the ABC Theatre |
| Location | Abington Square, Northampton, England |
| Present-day venue | The Old Savoy, home of The Deco Theatre, Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE |
| Tour | 1963 Autumn Tour of England and Ireland |
| Tour position | Fifth stop |
| Setlist | Ten songs |
| Previous Northampton visit | ABC Cinema, 27 March 1963 |
| Previous tour stop | Adelphi Cinema, Slough, 5 November |
| Next tour stop | Adelphi Cinema, Dublin, 7 November |
From Slough to Northampton
The tour had opened in Cheltenham on 1 November, followed by Sheffield and Leeds. After the separate Royal Variety Performance in London on 4 November, the touring programme resumed at Slough’s Adelphi Cinema on 5 November.
Northampton was the next stop. The following evening brought the group to Dublin, before the itinerary continued to Belfast and returned to England.
The show combined The Beatles’ set with other attractions on the package-tour bill. The programme was presented by Arthur Howes by arrangement with Brian Epstein, whose management coordinated a schedule of live work, recording and broadcasting.
The Beatles Show programme
The tour bill included Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, the Brook Brothers, the Rhythm & Blues Quartet, the Vernons Girls and the Kestrels, with Frank Berry as compere.
The programme cover placed individual portraits of the four Beatles diagonally across the page. Its presentation credits linked Arthur Howes with Brian Epstein, while the title identified the group as the principal attraction.
Setlist
- I Saw Her Standing There
- From Me to You
- All My Loving
- You Really Got a Hold on Me
- Roll Over Beethoven
- Boys
- Till There Was You
- She Loves You
- Money (That’s What I Want)
- Twist and Shout
Singles and songs from With The Beatles
“From Me to You” and “She Loves You” brought the group’s successful 1963 singles into the set. “I Saw Her Standing There”, “Boys” and “Twist and Shout” were already available on Please Please Me.
Five songs would appear on the forthcoming With The Beatles: “All My Loving”, “You Really Got a Hold on Me”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Till There Was You” and “Money (That’s What I Want)”. The British album release followed on 22 November, so the Northampton audience heard those selections before the LP reached the shops.
The programme gave each member a vocal feature. McCartney sang “All My Loving” and “Till There Was You”; Harrison led “Roll Over Beethoven”; Starr sang “Boys”; and Lennon’s selections included “You Really Got a Hold on Me”, “Money” and the closing “Twist and Shout”.
The four Beatles on stage
| Musician | Role |
|---|---|
| John Lennon | Guitar and vocals |
| Paul McCartney | Bass guitar and vocals |
| George Harrison | Guitar and vocals |
| Ringo Starr | Drums and vocals |
The quartet was now headlining a national theatre tour. On the same calendar date a year earlier, they had been working through their November Star-Club residency in Hamburg.
In Northampton, the group’s set formed the centrepiece of a travelling package show. Established stage material sat alongside songs associated with the new album, rather than reproducing an LP’s running order.
Northampton’s second and final Beatles concert visit
The earlier ABC appearance had taken place on 27 March 1963. Their November return came after months of growing national attention, hit singles and appearances on radio and television.
The venue’s own history confirms both the March and November visits. No further Beatles concert appearance in Northampton followed.
The town’s cinema therefore hosted two stages of the same breakthrough year: the spring touring period and the autumn programme immediately after the Royal Variety Performance.
From the Savoy to the ABC and The Deco
The building opened as the Savoy on Saturday 2 May 1936. Designed by ABC’s house architect William Riddell Glen, it was built on the site of Northampton’s original Technical College.
The auditorium was designed for films and live entertainment, with a stage and orchestra pit. Its original seating approached 2,000, divided between stalls and circle.
It was renamed the ABC during the 1950s as part of the circuit’s branding. That was the name under which The Beatles played in 1963. The surviving building is now known as The Old Savoy, home of The Deco Theatre.
The venue’s history describes its 1930s design and subsequent restoration.
Venue map: the former ABC Cinema
The former ABC is The Old Savoy, home of The Deco Theatre, Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE, England. The map targets the surviving venue rather than a general Northampton location.
View the former ABC Cinema on Google Maps
Complete 1963 Autumn Tour itinerary
The itinerary ran from Cheltenham on 1 November to Southampton on 13 December. The postponed Portsmouth booking and its rescheduled date are listed separately.
- 1 November — Odeon, Cheltenham
- 2 November — City Hall, Sheffield
- 3 November — Odeon, Leeds
- 5 November — Adelphi, Slough
- 6 November — ABC, Northampton: this performance
- 7 November — Adelphi, Dublin
- 8 November — Ritz, Belfast
- 9 November — Granada, East Ham
- 10 November — Hippodrome, Birmingham
- 12 November — Guildhall, Portsmouth: postponed to 3 December
- 13 November — ABC, Plymouth
- 14 November — ABC, Exeter
- 15 November — Colston Hall, Bristol
- 16 November — Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
- 17 November — Coventry Theatre, Coventry
- 19 November — Gaumont, Wolverhampton
- 20 November — ABC, Ardwick, Manchester
- 21 November — ABC, Carlisle
- 22 November — Globe, Stockton-on-Tees
- 23 November — City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 24 November — ABC, Hull
- 26 November — Regal, Cambridge
- 27 November — Rialto, York
- 28 November — ABC, Lincoln
- 29 November — ABC, Huddersfield
- 30 November — Empire, Sunderland
- 1 December — De Montfort Hall, Leicester
- 3 December — Guildhall, Portsmouth: rescheduled performance
- 7 December — Odeon, Liverpool
- 8 December — Odeon, Lewisham
- 9 December — Odeon, Southend-on-Sea
- 10 December — Gaumont, Doncaster
- 11 December — Futurist, Scarborough
- 12 December — Odeon, Nottingham
- 13 December — Gaumont, Southampton
Separate engagements during the period included the Royal Variety Performance on 4 November, Grosvenor House in London on 2 December and the Empire Theatre in Liverpool on 7 December, distinct from the Odeon show that day.
Explore With The Beatles designs
Five songs from the Northampton set appeared on the forthcoming album. Explore the With The Beatles collection, including these album-inspired designs.
Frequently asked questions
Where did The Beatles perform on 6 November 1963?
They played the ABC Cinema on Abington Square in Northampton, England.
Which stop of the Autumn Tour was Northampton?
It was the fifth stop of the 1963 Autumn Tour of England and Ireland.
Had The Beatles played Northampton before?
Yes. They had appeared at the same ABC Cinema on 27 March 1963.
How many songs were in the set?
Ten, opening with I Saw Her Standing There and closing with Twist and Shout.
Which forthcoming album featured five songs from the concert?
With The Beatles, released in Britain on 22 November 1963.
What is the ABC Cinema called today?
The surviving venue is The Old Savoy, home of The Deco Theatre, Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE.
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