Coventry Hippodrome / Apollo / Theatre

Yes, they were a support act to Helen Shapiro

The Beatles were rather more than a 'small fill in group' by February 1963. They had had 2 UK hits, a No.4 and a No.2 and by then were very well known. However, they were below Helen Shapiro on the bill because she had already had 2 UK No.1s by then. I believe that was how the system worked. The next Beatles single, From Me to You, reached No.1 in April. As an aside, Danny Williams was also on the bill and he had had a UK No.1 by then, Moon River. But then he was South African, I suppose.

The Beatles first visit in 1962 was actually at the Matrix.

A friend of mine worked in a rock and roll show in 1959/60 on the south coast and based in Southampton. The promoter, Reg Calvert, decided to move his operation to the Midlands c.1960/61 and bought Clifton Hall in Rugby where he established his 'School of Rock and Roll'. His own bands stayed there and also touring acts and bands. One of these touring bands was The Beatles. They were appearing at Nuneaton. It was just before the release of' 'Love Me Do' and they were looking for a manager. They rehearsed at Clifton Hall but Reg Calvert didn't think they were much good and that their song, 'Love Me Do', was rubbish! He declined their management offer and advised them to find some better material. OOOPS!

Here is the advert for the February performance. An ad 2 weeks before this one did not even have them on the bill. Shows how quickly they became popular. For the November performance they were bringing in extra police. They were to make their first performance at the Palladium and they had even changed the fashion in clothes, lots of ads for Beatles' jackets. I don't know whether they were the first boy band, there were loads of bands appearing on the scene at that time. Venues were smaller. Many pubs in Coventry had a dance night and I saw lots of groups at that time at places like the Matrix, the Lanchester and further afield if someone had a car. I was not even a massive Beatles fan but you had to go and see them and their music was different. Music was changing, you can tell that by the advert with Max Bygraves on the list. What 16 year old would go to see him! We were a new generation that had more money, but I would not like to be part of the current generation who have to spend a fortune to see one group in a football stadium or an arena and be miles away from the stage.

Never a fan but the day before the Beatles in November the Rolling Stones were at the Matrix. Also listed on the bill for November and December were Tommy Bruce, Freddie and the Dreamers, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, Gene Vincent, The Hollies and Dave Berry. All became popular groups and the Stones are still around today. We had so much choice of music then, we had our favourites but I suppose you will always have one lot who come out on top.

The only theatre in the country where they were attacked outside the stage door up the side alley! MrD-Di wrote in 2012 : "The subsequent appearance at the Coventry Theatre was a year to the day after the Matrix, 17th November 1963. They never played Coventry again". Paul McCartney was charged with speeding some time later on the Fletchamstead Highway and was fined by Coventry Magistrates!

The Tremeloes, Hollies and Dave Berry are all apparently still active. I met the Hollies in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia when they came to perform for the Aramco expat community. They came in on visas which did not reveal their entertainment activities in accordance with the Kingdom's rules in the mid 1980's!

Picked this up recently. 160 pages and published in 1995. Limited edition.

That's a good book 20A, an interesting read. I do wish, however, that it had a decent index - for instance, if you want to see if Deep Purple played the Coventry Theatre, they're not listed in the index - you have to search through the book and hope they get a mention in the general text! (Which, in this case, they are - but many bands that I know definitely played there aren't listed at all !) But apart from that..... Thinking about that - I wonder if The Herbert or anywhere actually has listings of who played at the theatre? I'd definitely buy a book that gave a definitive year-by-year list !

I used to save my programmes for the concerts I went to in the 60's. Wish I still had them now.

I do have to confess, I've not actually read the book, only given it a quick flick through. But, having all this time now to fill, I could sit down and make a start.

Hey don't think I should enter into this, I go back to seeing Old Mother Riley at the Hippodrome, the first one. Rob, what you missed were people like Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and the drum battle. But Ted Heath's drummer Ronnie Verrell did a drummer drum with illuminated sticks and darkened stage, absolutely mind blowing. Yes I saw all the big names, met many, all the ones mentioned here, lost a girlfriend to Dennis Lotis in Torquay - long story, but her family's name is on this forum, that I'll not mention (her family). Teddy Boys, lengthened their coats, wore shoe lace ties, and ducks a**e hairstyles, first called Edwardian Strutters. While the girls, bless them, shortened their skirts or wore a lot of lace to make them bounce when they danced, curled their hair with curlers, and wore the new 'whirlpool' bras and sweaters or a nice tight blouse, and everyone was happy.

Oh Kaga, you knew exactly what I'd loved to have seen, didn't you! Yes, seeing a live performance of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa would've been a real treat indeed. Now, I have to content myself with videos of them on YouTube. Thank goodness many of those great events were filmed and made available for us all to enjoy.

Anne, you would have had them laminated for posterity today.