This date was The Beatles’ first at Hamburg’s Star-Club, the city’s newest rock ‘n’ roll venue.
John came on stage dressed like a cleaning-woman, doing his cripple act and carrying a long wooden plank. He walked across the stage and knocked over the microphones and some of the drum kit, then he went up and cleaned the microphones. He cleaned under Paul’s armpit, and George’s. The people in the club were laughing – they didn’t know Stuart had died. They didn’t know Stuart. It gave me shivers to watch it, but this is what clowns do, bring humour to tragedy. It was hilarious.
Klaus Voormann
Tune In, Mark Lewisohn
Tune In, Mark Lewisohn
The group spent the following seven weeks performing at the venue, notching up 172 hours of stage time over 48 nights. They finished their stint on 31 May 1962, and left Hamburg on Saturday 2 June.
It was The Beatles’ third residency in Hamburg within two years, but wouldn’t be their last; they returned two more times to the Star-Club before the end of 1962.
Page last updated: 25 January 2024
Totally amazing to see this stuff & understand a little more beatles history
What a great early photo! Wonder who took it. I didn’t see a credit. Astrid?
This was the day Astrid had met them at the airport, and broke the news about Stuart’s death ( to put Klaus’ quote in context).
Interesting to see Paul rubbing up against John like that!
They played way much more than 172 hours during that first residency. Their contract, dealt by Brian Epstein and signed on the 22nd of January, stipulated 6 hours a night Sunday to Friday, starting at 8 pm and finishing at 2 am. And 8 hours on Saturday evening, finishing at 4 am. They had 15 minutes breaks after each hour played which means their real finishing time was 3.15 am during the week and 5.45 am on the… Sunday morning. Over 48 nights. So it means, without the breaks of course, 302 hours of stage.