Main Performers | Donald MacLean, Billie Davis, Susan Maughan, Kenny Lynch, Clinton Ford - vocals, Arthur Greenslade - piano |
Orchestra or Band | The Vernons Girls (Maureen Kennedy, Jean Owen, Frances Lea)
The Viscounts (Ronnie Wells, Gordon Mills, Don Paul)
The Beatles (Paul McCartney - vocal, guitar, Ringo Starr - drums, George Harrison - vocal, guitar, John Lennon - vocal, guitar)
The Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger - vocal, harmonica, Brian Jones - vocal, guitar, harmonica, Keith Richard - guitar, Bill Wyman - bass guitar, vocal, Charlie Watts - drums)
The Brook Brothers (Ricky Brook, Geoff Brook)
Shane Fenton and The Fentones (Bob Elliott, Bonney, Mickey Eyre, Jerry Wilcox)
Arthur Greenslade and The Gee Men
The Lorne Gibson Trio (Lorne Gibson, Steve Vaughan, Vic Arnold) |
Set List | The Rolling Stones, The Viscounts, Kenny Lynch, Susan Maughan, Shane Fenton (AKA Alvin Stardust) and The Fentones, Clinton Ford, The Vernons Girls, The Lorne Gibson Trio, Arthur Greenslade and The G-Men, Helen Shapero, Karl Denver,
The Beatles: 'She Loves You' (The Beatles), 'Twist and Shout' (The Beatles) |
Performance Notes | According to the Hall's Council Minutes (24 October 1963), pandemonium broke out at the appearance of The Beatles.
This was the first time that the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were on the same bill. They also performed together on 11 April 1965 at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London for a New Musical Express (NME) concert and on two other occasions.
Prior to the event the Rolling Stones and the Beatles did a photoshoot on the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Steps to the rear of the Hall. Paul McCartney later said; "Standing up on those steps behind the Albert Hall in our new gear, the smart trousers, the rolled collar. Up there with the Rolling Stones we were thinking, This is it - London! The Albert Hall! We felt like gods!"
"We opened the show, and The Beatles watched us. They told us years later that they were very nervous with the reception we got. - Bill Wyman, The Rolling Stones. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richard would later write: "We opened this afternoon performance and were followed by a bunch of typical British pop acts including Shane Fenton and the Fentones. We got an amazing reception. The Beatles closed the show but we couldn't hang around because we had to head back down the A3 to Richmond to play the Crawdaddy Club that night." (From "The Rolling Stones 50", 2012)
The Daily Mirror reported: It was the siege of the Beatle-crushers
6,000 screaming teenagers intent on crushing just four Beatles. Never has the Royal Albert Hall seen scenes quite like it. Even for Britains newly-elected top vocal group, the Beatles, it was bewildering
They were the target for anything the teenagers could lay their hands on. Girls swept out of their seats and tried to rush the stage. They were repelled by a solid block of forty commissionaires. After their final hit number, Twist and Shout, the four Beatles fled from the stage and out of the Hall into a waiting cab.
The Rolling Stones performed on a small platform in the centre of the arena.
Original photographs of the event are held by Mirrorpix. |
Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1963/141), Photographs |