Friday 2 November 1962 | Live performance | Hamburg, Germany | By Beatles Fabdom
On 2 November 1962, The Beatles played the second date of their second residency at Hamburg’s Star-Club. The fortnight-long engagement began on 1 November and continued through 14 November, bringing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr back to the Große Freiheit club where the group had first appeared earlier that year.
This was a different Beatles line-up from the one that had played the venue in the spring. Ringo was now the drummer, while McCartney played bass. The band’s return also brought them into the orbit of Little Richard, one of the performers whose records and stage presence had made a lasting impression on them.
| Date | Friday 2 November 1962 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Star-Club |
| Historic address | Große Freiheit 39, 22767 Hamburg, Germany |
| Residency position | Second night of the second Star-Club residency |
| Dates of this engagement | 1–14 November 1962 |
| Line-up | John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr |
| Weekly payment | 600 Deutsche Marks per band member |
| Little Richard connection | The Beatles shared bills with him during the residency |
The second night of a fourteen-date Hamburg engagement
The Friday performance on 2 November followed the opening night on Thursday 1 November. This was a compact engagement compared with the group’s first Star-Club residency, which had extended across April and May 1962.
The date belongs to a period of repeated club appearances rather than a travelling itinerary. For fourteen consecutive dates, the band returned to the same Hamburg venue. The contract described performances in separate stints, with breaks between them, rather than a single uninterrupted concert.
The Star-Club had already become part of their working history. Our account of The Beatles’ Star-Club debut on 13 April 1962 covers their appearance at the beginning of the club’s life. The November return was their second residency at that venue, not their second visit to Hamburg overall.
The line-up: John, Paul, George and Ringo
By November, The Beatles had the four members who would become internationally familiar. John Lennon and George Harrison played guitar, Paul McCartney played bass, and Ringo Starr played drums.
The distinction matters when comparing Hamburg dates. During their first visit in 1960, Stuart Sutcliffe was the bassist and Pete Best the drummer. By the November 1962 Star-Club engagement, Sutcliffe was no longer part of the group and Ringo had replaced Best.
The contrast can be seen in our account of The Beatles at the Kaiserkeller on 2 November 1960. Two years earlier, on the same calendar date, the five-piece Beatles shared a bill with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, with Ringo playing for the other band.
Those two Hamburg performances therefore capture different configurations of the musicians. In 1960 Ringo was a fellow Liverpool musician working alongside them; in November 1962 he returned as their drummer.
| Musician | Role |
|---|---|
| John Lennon | Guitar and vocals |
| Paul McCartney | Bass and vocals |
| George Harrison | Guitar and vocals |
| Ringo Starr | Drums and vocals |
How long did The Beatles play each night?
The account supplied for this date gives three and a half hours of performance nightly, adding up to 49 hours across fourteen days. There is a documentary difference worth noting: the surviving November contract, described by Tracks Auctions, stipulates three hours a day in separate stints with an hour’s break after each performance. The auction description gives 42 hours for the engagement.
The two accounts agree on the 1–14 November dates and the payment of 600 Deutsche Marks per musician each week. The contractual requirement and the three-and-a-half-hour figure should not be presented as the same measurement.
The contract was signed by Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Star-Club owner Manfred Weissleder. Its survival provides a direct record of the commercial arrangement behind the November booking.
For the 2 November performance, the practical point is that this was multi-set club work. A daily total described across the residency does not establish the exact running order or start and finish times of this particular Friday’s appearances.
What were The Beatles paid at the Star-Club?
The reported weekly fee was 600 Deutsche Marks for each band member. The source account also gives a sterling equivalent of £53.50 per person per week; that is the historical equivalent quoted in the account, not a present-day valuation.
The fee was individual rather than a single 600DM payment shared by the whole group. The surviving-contract description specifies seven days of work each week during the fortnight.
Those terms help place the engagement in context. The band was working through a commercial nightclub booking, with specified performance obligations and an agreed weekly payment.
Little Richard and The Beatles at the Star-Club
During this residency, The Beatles sometimes shared a bill with Little Richard, whom they had also performed with in Liverpool the previous month. The connection was both professional and musical: they were appearing alongside an artist whose singing had influenced their own approach to rock and roll.
In an official tribute to Little Richard, Paul McCartney recalled spending time with him backstage in Hamburg and watching his preparations before going onstage. John Lennon also remembered standing backstage at the Star-Club to watch him perform.
These recollections show how direct the connection became. Little Richard was not simply a name in their record collection; he was a performer they could watch at close quarters and meet away from the stage.
The residency-level connection is established, but it should not be turned into a claim that Little Richard necessarily appeared on the bill on 2 November itself.
A Star-Club design for Hamburg collectors
The Beatles Star Club Hamburg T-shirt celebrates the venue’s place in the band’s history. Its printed date refers to December 1962, their later return, rather than this November performance.
Complete November 1962 Star-Club residency itinerary
The venue for each date below was the Star-Club in Hamburg. This fourteen-date run was the group’s second residency at the club.
- 1 November 1962 — opening night
- 2 November 1962 — this performance
- 3 November 1962
- 4 November 1962
- 5 November 1962
- 6 November 1962
- 7 November 1962
- 8 November 1962
- 9 November 1962
- 10 November 1962
- 11 November 1962
- 12 November 1962
- 13 November 1962
- 14 November 1962 — final night of this engagement
November and December were separate Star-Club visits
The November engagement should be distinguished from The Beatles’ subsequent December return. The November run ended on 14 November; the later booking ran from 18 to 31 December 1962.
The recordings associated with the album Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 belong to the later December period. They should not be treated as a recording or setlist of the 2 November performance.
Keeping the visits separate also makes the merchandise dates clearer. The Star-Club T-shirt and Hamburg mug featured here refer to December, while the historical event covered in this article is the second night of the November residency.
Star-Club location map: the historic site at Große Freiheit 39
The Star-Club stood at Große Freiheit 39, 22767 Hamburg, Germany. Hamburg’s official tourism information identifies a memorial at the former club site in a backyard off Große Freiheit.
The original club building no longer stands. The map below targets its historic address and memorial location, not an operating version of the 1962 venue.
Open the historic Star-Club site in Google Maps.
Hamburg’s continuing Beatles connection
The Star-Club site forms part of a wider network of Beatles locations in St. Pauli. Nearby Beatles-Platz commemorates the group’s Hamburg association at the junction of the Reeperbahn and Große Freiheit.
For a collectible recalling the later 1962 Hamburg dates, the Beatles Hamburg boxed mug features a band photograph and December lettering.
Frequently asked questions
Where did The Beatles perform on 2 November 1962?
They performed at the Star-Club, Große Freiheit 39, Hamburg, Germany.
Which Star-Club residency was this?
It was the second night of their second residency at the venue, running from 1 to 14 November 1962.
Was Ringo Starr in The Beatles by this date?
Yes. The November 1962 line-up was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
How much were they paid?
Each member was paid 600 Deutsche Marks per week during the engagement.
Did they share a bill with Little Richard?
They shared bills with Little Richard during the November residency. That does not establish his presence on this specific date.
Can visitors still see the original Star-Club building?
No. The original building no longer stands. A memorial at the historic Große Freiheit 39 site commemorates the club.
Documentary detail: November 1962 Star-Club contract description. Historical site information: Hamburg tourism’s Star-Club guide. Recollections: The Beatles remember Little Richard.
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