BEATLES Day By Day 2/14/61
Tuesday 14th February, 1961
The Beatles played two gigs on this Valentine’s Day.
The first was at the Cassanova Club on London Road. The various Handbills and Posters for the gig credited The Beatles as the creators of a local foot-stomping dance craze called “The Atom Beat.”
In 1996 a 35 second piece of color, soundless, film of The Beatles playing at this gig came to light. (A frame from the film os shown above). The film was purchased by drummer Pete Best and is believed to the earliest known footage of the group in concert.
The second engagement of the day was at Litherland Town Hall. The poster for the show promised the first in a sequence of “Sensational Jive Dances” with music from “The Dynamic Beatles” along with “Ray and The Del Rena’s.” (sic). Admission for the show was advertised at 2/6 (2 shillings and 6 pence) before 8 pm and 3/- (3 shillings) afterwards. During The Beatles performance of Elvis’ “Wooden Heart” Paul wore a large wooden heart on his coat embroidered with his name, plus those of John, George and Pete. The heart was then raffled and a subsequent bout of screaming and pushing from the young female fans gave an early glimpse of Beatlemania as the show had to be stopped until order could be restored.
