The Silver Beetles live: Regal Ballroom, Nairn, Scotland

The Silver Beetles’ penultimate show as the backing band for Scouse singer Johnny Gentle was at the Regal Ballroom, situated on Leopold Street in Nairn.

By this point the group had barely any money. During a call made by Gentle to tour promoter Larry Parnes in London, an angry John Lennon grabbed the receiver.

He didn’t hold back. It was like, ‘We’re fuckin’ skint up here. We haven’t got a pot to piss in. We need money, Larry!’ Anyway, it seemed to work because [Allan] Williams did send them up a few pounds more.