Friday 28 October 1960 | Live performance | Kaiserkeller, Hamburg, Germany | By Beatles Fabdom
On 28 October 1960, the Beatles played the 25th night of their Kaiserkeller residency in Hamburg. At 36 Große Freiheit, they shared the bill with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, the two Liverpool groups playing alternating sets through the night.
This was the Beatles’ first Hamburg visit, before their recording breakthrough and before the familiar four-piece lineup. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison appeared with bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best. Ringo Starr was in Hamburg too, but as the Hurricanes’ drummer.
| Date | Friday 28 October 1960 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kaiserkeller |
| Address | 36 Große Freiheit, St. Pauli, Hamburg, Germany |
| Residency position | Night 25 of the 56-night calendar |
| Beatles lineup | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best |
| Shared bill | Rory Storm and the Hurricanes |
| Format | Alternating sets through the night |
| Residency calendar | 4 October–28 November 1960 |
A Friday night at the Kaiserkeller
The 28 October engagement followed the 24th Kaiserkeller night on 27 October. Rather than travelling to a new city each day, the Beatles were working through a long club residency, returning to the same venue and sharing its stage with another band.
That distinction helps explain the performance format. Rory Storm and the Hurricanes were not simply an opening act who finished before a single Beatles concert. The groups took turns, with alternating appearances extending through the night. This was a different working rhythm from the short, tightly scheduled Beatles concert sets of their later touring years.
The date belongs to the everyday labour of the first Hamburg visit. Its significance is not a newly released record or a one-off television appearance, but another night in an extended engagement that placed the musicians repeatedly before club audiences.
From the Indra to Große Freiheit
The Kaiserkeller residency followed the Beatles’ earlier engagement at the Indra Club. The performance calendar used here begins on 4 October 1960 and runs through 28 November, a sequence of 56 nights. Within that sequence, 28 October is the 25th night.
Both venues belong to the first Hamburg period, but they should remain distinct in the story. The date in this article is a Kaiserkeller performance at 36 Große Freiheit, not an Indra appearance and not a concert at the later Star-Club.
For the beginning of the visit, read about the Beatles’ first Hamburg performance on 17 August 1960. The October residency shows how that initial journey developed into a sustained run of club work.
The five Beatles in October 1960
The lineup is an important part of understanding this performance. Paul McCartney had not yet become the group’s regular bass guitarist, Stuart Sutcliffe was still a Beatle, and Pete Best occupied the drum seat.
- John Lennon: guitar and vocals.
- Paul McCartney: guitar and vocals during this period.
- George Harrison: guitar and vocals.
- Stuart Sutcliffe: bass guitar.
- Pete Best: drums.
The five-piece group belongs to an earlier chapter than the quartet seen in most familiar Beatles photographs. Keeping those musicians in view makes the Hamburg story more than a prelude populated only by the later famous lineup.
Best had joined before the trip. Our account of the invitation to Pete Best in August 1960 provides background to the drummer who played this residency.
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, with Ringo Starr
The shared bill brought the Beatles into close working proximity with another Liverpool group. Rory Storm and the Hurricanes had Ringo Starr on drums, giving this engagement an additional connection with the Beatles’ later history.
For 28 October, however, the distinction is straightforward: Pete Best was the Beatles’ drummer and Ringo belonged to the Hurricanes. The two bands’ alternating sets are the documented arrangement, rather than a single combined group.
The same residency is followed in our accounts of 24 October, 25 October, 26 October and 27 October 1960.
Hamburg merchandise: a later chapter in the story
The Star Club Hamburg black T-shirt celebrates the group’s later Hamburg association. Its design refers to 1962, not this Kaiserkeller night in 1960, and is available at £18 at the time of writing.
Complete Kaiserkeller residency calendar: 56 nights
The calendar below follows the 56-night sequence from 4 October to 28 November 1960. The venue throughout is the Kaiserkeller in Hamburg, with this performance highlighted. Links connect to verified articles in the neighbouring October sequence.
October 1960: nights 1–28
- 4 October 1960
- 5 October 1960
- 6 October 1960
- 7 October 1960
- 8 October 1960
- 9 October 1960
- 10 October 1960
- 11 October 1960
- 12 October 1960
- 13 October 1960
- 14 October 1960
- 15 October 1960
- 16 October 1960
- 17 October 1960
- 18 October 1960
- 19 October 1960
- 20 October 1960
- 21 October 1960
- 22 October 1960
- 23 October 1960
- 24 October 1960
- 25 October 1960
- 26 October 1960
- 27 October 1960
- 28 October 1960, this performance
- 29 October 1960
- 30 October 1960
- 31 October 1960
November 1960: nights 29–56
- 1 November 1960
- 2 November 1960
- 3 November 1960
- 4 November 1960
- 5 November 1960
- 6 November 1960
- 7 November 1960
- 8 November 1960
- 9 November 1960
- 10 November 1960
- 11 November 1960
- 12 November 1960
- 13 November 1960
- 14 November 1960
- 15 November 1960
- 16 November 1960
- 17 November 1960
- 18 November 1960
- 19 November 1960
- 20 November 1960
- 21 November 1960
- 22 November 1960
- 23 November 1960
- 24 November 1960
- 25 November 1960
- 26 November 1960
- 27 November 1960
- 28 November 1960
The residency’s ending and the November arrests
The performance calendar ends on 28 November. Paul McCartney and Pete Best were arrested the following day, 29 November 1960, as the first Hamburg visit drew to its troubled conclusion.
The arrest date is part of the residency’s ending, not an incident from this October performance. Keeping those dates separate preserves the position of 28 October as night 25 and 28 November as night 56 in the calendar followed here.
Location map: Kaiserkeller, 36 Große Freiheit
The Kaiserkeller address is 36 Große Freiheit, Hamburg, Germany, in St. Pauli. The map targets the named venue and street address rather than Hamburg generally.
Open Kaiserkeller, 36 Große Freiheit, in Google Maps.
A Hamburg collectible for Beatles fans
The Beatles Hamburg boxed mug carries a band photograph and a Live in Hamburg design referring to December 1962. Like the T-shirt above, it celebrates the wider Hamburg story rather than depicting the lineup or date of this 1960 engagement. Its price is £10 at the time of writing.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Beatles play on 28 October 1960?
They played at the Kaiserkeller, 36 Große Freiheit, in Hamburg, Germany.
Which night of the Kaiserkeller residency was this?
It was the 25th night in the 56-night calendar beginning on 4 October 1960.
Who was in the Beatles’ lineup?
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best formed the five-piece lineup.
Who shared the bill with the Beatles?
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes shared the bill, with the two groups playing alternating sets through the night.
Was Ringo Starr the Beatles’ drummer in October 1960?
No. Pete Best was their drummer. Ringo was playing with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.
When were Paul McCartney and Pete Best arrested in Hamburg?
They were arrested on 29 November 1960, after the final date in the 56-night performance calendar followed here.
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