The Beatles live: Gaumont Cinema, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent – 19 May 1963

Q: Was Roy Orbison the headline act on the 1963 tour?

He was originally billed as the headline act, but The Beatles' popularity made the original billing untenable within days. Orbison accepted the change graciously.

May 17, 2026

The Beatles live: Gaumont Cinema, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent – 19 May 1963

Sunday 19 May 1963 | Live
Gaumont Cinema, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England

The Beatles performed at the Gaumont Cinema in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent — one of the dates on the Roy Orbison UK Tour. By May 1963, The Beatles were the biggest act in Britain, and the tour's original billing had already been reversed to put them above Orbison. 'From Me To You' was at number one; the Please Please Me album had been at number one since May.

The Roy Orbison Tour

The tour had originally been billed with Roy Orbison as the headline act — he was an established American star with a string of international hits including 'Only The Lonely', 'Crying', and 'In Dreams'. The Beatles were to be the support. Within days of the tour opening on 18 May 1963, however, it became clear that Beatlemania had made the original billing untenable. The Beatles were closing the show and receiving the lion's share of the audience response. Orbison, a generous and gracious performer, accepted the change without complaint. He later said of The Beatles: “They were very, very professional and very, very talented.”

Also on the bill were Gerry and the Pacemakers — managed, like The Beatles, by Brian Epstein, and signed to EMI's Parlophone label. Their debut single 'How Do You Do It' — a song George Martin had originally offered to The Beatles, who rejected it in favour of 'Love Me Do' — had reached number one in March 1963. Their second single 'I Like It' was at number one at the time of this tour.

The Setlist

The Beatles performed the same seven songs throughout the tour: 'Some Other Guy', 'Do You Want To Know A Secret', 'Love Me Do', 'From Me To You', 'Please Please Me', 'I Saw Her Standing There', and 'Twist And Shout'. The seven-song set was typical of the era — concert sets were short, audiences were loud, and the music was often barely audible above the screaming.

The Venue

The Gaumont Cinema in Hanley was one of the principal entertainment venues in the Potteries — the cluster of six towns (Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke, and Tunstall) that were federated to form the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1910. Hanley was the commercial centre of the federation and its largest town. The Gaumont was part of the national Gaumont cinema chain, which operated dozens of venues across Britain that doubled as concert halls during the beat group era.

Key Facts: 19 May 1963

Venue: Gaumont Cinema, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
Tour: Roy Orbison UK Tour
Also on the bill: Roy Orbison, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and others
Songs performed: 'Some Other Guy', 'Do You Want To Know A Secret', 'Love Me Do', 'From Me To You', 'Please Please Me', 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'Twist And Shout'
Chart position at time: 'From Me To You' at number one; Please Please Me album at number one

Frequently Asked Questions

Did The Beatles play Stoke-on-Trent?

Yes — The Beatles performed at the Gaumont Cinema in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent on 19 May 1963 as part of the Roy Orbison UK Tour.

What did The Beatles play at Hanley on 19 May 1963?

'Some Other Guy', 'Do You Want To Know A Secret', 'Love Me Do', 'From Me To You', 'Please Please Me', 'I Saw Her Standing There', and 'Twist And Shout' — the same seven-song set used throughout the Roy Orbison tour.

Was Roy Orbison the headline act on the 1963 tour?

He was originally billed as the headline act, but within days of the tour opening The Beatles' popularity made the original billing untenable. Orbison accepted the change graciously and later praised The Beatles as “very, very professional and very, very talented.”