1961 Beatles Aldershot Concert Poster For An Audience of 18 People

In 1961, one of the earliest Beatles concert posters ever, from their December 9 show at the, “Battle of the Bands” in Aldershot, 30 miles outside London.  This show was The Beatles’ first live performance in the south of England and took place the same night as their informal London debut. But this date was legendary as this was the night the Beatles performed for an audience of only 18 people.

Promoter Sam Leach’s advertisement failed to run in the local paper, and the Beatles arrived, after a nine hour bus journey from Liverpool, to an empty hall.  Leach ran around to local pubs offering free admission and was eventually able to round up 18 people for The Beatles performance.

The Beatles, with original drummer Pete Best, were as the poster read, “Direct from their German Tour”  playing in Hamburg for one night, along with Ivor Jay & the Jaywalkers, billed as “One of London’s Top Beat Groups” they were virtually unknown, and adding to the confusion, they never showed up. While this was billed as the first in a series of “Big Beat Sessions,” it was the Beatles’ first and last performance in this series.

There are only two examples of this poster known to exist, a third copy surfaced some years ago, but it is missing much of its right edge. A truly extraordinary Beatles collectible from their earliest days.