The Beatles visited Leeds four times in total in the early 1960s. The Fab Four first took to the stage in the city at the Queen’s Hall in 1963, on the same bill as Acker Bilk. They returned in June 1963 and on that occasion, dozens of police were employed for crowd control. The Beatles also appeared at the Leeds Odeon in November 1963 and October 1964. Were you among the audience? READ MORE: 10 loved and lost Leeds nightclubs from the 1960s and 1970s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook
1. The Beatles in Leeds
Enjoy these photo memories of The Beatles in Leeds. PIC: West Yorkshire Archive Service Photo: West Yorkshire Archive Service
2. The Beatles in Leeds
The Fab Four first performed at the Queen’s Hall in 1963, on the same bill as Acker Bilk. It was after the release of their hit debut single Love Me Do. Photo: Bruce Rollinson
3. The Beatles in Leeds
They came to Leeds again in June 1963 and on that occasion, dozens of police were employed for crowd control. In addition to throwing assorted items of underwear on stage, the mainly female crowd pelted the mop-tops with pounds of Jelly Babies, because Ringo Starr had recently expressed a liking for them. Photo: Christie's
4. The Beatles in Leeds
The Beatles in the dressing room of The Odeon during their third visit to the city in November 1963 . They played to a capacity audience of 2,500 with another 8,000 fans outside. Also on the bill were the Vernons Girls, Brook Brothers, Peter Jay and the Jay walking Rockmen and the Kestral vocal group. Photo: West Yorkshire Archive Service
5. The Beatles in Leeds
Although the group weren’t due to perform until 6pm, by 4pm a large crowd had gathered outside and whenever any of the band so much as walked past a window, the fans went wild. The queue for tickets stretched all the way from The Odeon down to Vicar Lane and took around four hours to dissipate. Photo: Bruce Rollinson
6. The Beatles in Leeds
A rare Beatles concert handbill from The Odeon in November 1963. Photo: Bonhams