A wave of nostalgia is set to overtake the city of Hull, thanks to an event that’s recreating the hysteria of November ’63, when The Beatles came to Hull
The 24th November 2013 marks 50 years to the day that rock and roll history was made in Hull. For many of the city’s residents, it was an unforgettable, life changing moment when the Beatles performed at the ABC Regal and the city witnessed all night queues for concert tickets and a sea of screaming women.
The ABC Regal was demolished in 2004 to make way for the development of St Stephen’s Shopping Centre. This means that in the middle of the shopping centre (just below its Chill Out Zone and opposite the site of Handmade Burger & Co), stands the spot where the hallowed ABC stage used to be. This is the site that has experienced the stomping feet and pounding bass of legendary musicians like The Beatles, Buddy Holly and the Rolling Stones half a century ago. And the surrounding terrace in St Stephen’s is the site that once held young men and women packed like sardines and scrambling for a closer look at the legends.
Such a moment of musical history has not been lost on the shopping centre and it is determined to celebrate the occasion.
*Beatlemania weekend comes to St Stephen’s – 23rd & 24th November*
To mark the 50th anniversary, the shopping centre has planned a weekend full of Beatlemania activities including performances by Liverpool based band, ‘The Beatles Tribute Band’ and competitions to win Beatles memorabilia.
*Special performance by Reloaded*
There will also be a special performance from 6.30pm on Friday 22nd November by covers band Reloaded. The local band will be playing everything from Plan B to the Kinks as well as a range of Beatles songs!
One of the band members has a fond regard for the original Beatles gigs fifty years ago. His mother was pregnant with him at the time of the Hull gigs and so the St Stephen’s performance will be a special one, as he plays on the very spot where his mother watched the Fab Four, fifty years ago.
*Eleanor Rigby statue*
The Centre is also exhibiting a sculpture of the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby, as created by artist Leonard Brown out of one million old pound notes from the Bank of England.
There is also a serious side to the celebration with St Stephen’s working with local school and college students to celebrate the city’s musical heritage and to find out more about what made the concert so special and why there was, and still is, such hysteria around the ‘fab four’. Some of the pupils will also be performing Beatles songs in the Centre during the week running up to the big musical event.
Stories of meeting the Beatles are now flooding in from local residents that attended the original event.
Hundreds of people are expected to turn out to see the band in memory of when they saw the actual ‘fab four’ fifty years ago at the exact same spot.
*A celebration of musical history*
St Stephen’s Centre Manager Jim Harris says: “As a Beatles fan, it’s really exciting that within the centre is the site of the former hallowed stage where the Beatles – and many other rock and roll legends – played and such hysteria was generated! We’re delighted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ performance in Hull through our very own legendary events across the weekend and we’re looking forward to meeting and hearing from all the local people that were here, on this exact spot, in ’63!”
Earlier this year, St Stephen’s also paid tribute to Buddy Holly who played at the ABC Regal 55 years earlier on 19th March 1958.
