The Beatles Live at the Star-Club, Hamburg – 18 May 1962
Friday 18 May 1962 | Live
Star-Club, 39 Große Freiheit, Hamburg
On 18 May 1962, The Beatles performed at the Star-Club on the Große Freiheit in Hamburg — night 35 of 48 in their first residency at the city's newest and most prestigious rock and roll venue. The lineup was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best. Stuart Sutcliffe — John Lennon's closest friend and the group's original bass player — had died in Hamburg on 10 April 1962, five weeks before this performance.
The Star-Club
The Star-Club had opened on 13 April 1962 — the same night The Beatles began their first residency there. Owned by Manfred Weissleder, it occupied a converted cinema at 39 Große Freiheit and was the largest and most ambitious rock and roll venue on the Reeperbahn, with a capacity of over 2,000. It was a significant step up from the Indra, Kaiserkeller, and Top Ten Club that The Beatles had played in previous Hamburg visits.
The First Star-Club Residency: 13 April – 31 May 1962
The first residency ran for 48 nights, with only one night off — Good Friday, 20 April. Over the course of the engagement The Beatles performed for a total of 172 hours. They left Hamburg on Saturday 2 June 1962. By 18 May they were on night 35 of 48, approaching the final stretch of the residency.
This was The Beatles' third Hamburg club within two years, following the Indra and Kaiserkeller in 1960 and the Top Ten Club in 1961. They would return to the Star-Club twice more in 1962: 1–14 November, and 18–31 December — the final Hamburg engagement of their career.
The December 1962 Recordings
The Beatles' final Star-Club residency in December 1962 was recorded by Adrian Barber on a portable Grundig tape machine. Those recordings were released in 1977 as The Beatles Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 — a rare document of the group at the end of their Hamburg years, rough and live, captured without their knowledge.
Key Facts: 18 May 1962
- Venue: Star-Club, 39 Große Freiheit, Hamburg
- Owner: Manfred Weissleder
- Night: 35 of 48
- First residency dates: 13 April – 31 May 1962
- Night off: Good Friday, 20 April 1962
- Total hours performed: 172
- Departure from Hamburg: Saturday 2 June 1962
- Lineup: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best
- Stuart Sutcliffe died: 10 April 1962
- Further 1962 residencies: 1–14 November; 18–31 December
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nights did The Beatles play at the Star-Club in their first 1962 residency?
48 nights between 13 April and 31 May 1962, with only one night off (Good Friday, 20 April). The residency totalled 172 hours of performance.
Who was in The Beatles at the Star-Club in May 1962?
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best. Stuart Sutcliffe had died in Hamburg on 10 April 1962, five weeks before this performance.
When did the Star-Club open?
13 April 1962 — the same night The Beatles began their first residency there. It was owned by Manfred Weissleder and located at 39 Große Freiheit.
Were the Star-Club performances recorded?
The December 1962 performances were recorded by Adrian Barber and released in 1977 as The Beatles Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.
How many times did The Beatles play the Star-Club in 1962?
Three times: 13 April – 31 May (48 nights), 1–14 November (14 nights), and 18–31 December (14 nights).
→ 17 May 1962: Star-Club, Hamburg
→ John Lennon | Paul McCartney | George Harrison | Ringo Starr
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