Mersey Beat - Tower Ballroom New Brighton

New Brighton Tower and Ballroom

 

The New Brighton Tower opened in 1900 and, at 567 feet high, was taller than Blackpool Tower. With a 1,000 tonne lattice-steel observation tower overlooking the Wirral Peninsula, it was the tallest building in Britain when it was completed. However its structure began to decay following closure because of the war and the tower was dismantled between 1919 and 1921. Underneath was The Tower Ballroom on the New Brighton promenade which fared better, however, and was used for nearly 50 years, capable of holding up to 5,000 people and will always be remembered on Merseyside as one of the premier music venues, the place being cavernous, consisting of a wonderfully high ceiling, huge dance floor with banquettes all around the perimeter. There was always a crowd at the front of the stage consisting mostly of girls.

During the 1960s days of the emerging Liverpool Sound, the venue was re-discovered; reinvigorated and, later managed by Sam Leach, the visionary Liverpool promoter, one of whose many brainwaves it was to present a series of spectacular 'Operation Big Beats at The Tower'. The first began on the 10th of November 1961, organised by Sam Leach, under the name 'Operation Big Beat' which drew an audience of 3,000 people. The groups appearing were 'The Beatles', 'Rory Storm & the Hurricanes', 'Gerry & the Pacemakers', the 'Remo Four', 'Earl Preston & the Tempest Tornadoes' and 'Faron's Flamingos'.
The show opened at 7.30pm and 'The Beatles' appeared at 8pm before they fulfilled another engagement at Knotty Ash Village Hall and then returned for their second Tower appearance that evening at 11.30pm.



The Beatles played at the Tower Ballroom on 27 occasions. The other dates were 24th November; 1st, 8th,15th and 26th of December 1961; 12th, 19th and 26th of January 1962; 15th, 16th and 23rd of February; 2nd of March; 6th of April; 21st and 29th of June; 13th, 21st and 27th of July; 17th of August; 14th and 21st of September; 12th of October; 23rd of November; 1st and 7th of December  and finally the 14th of June 1963. 

The last of their live shows on Friday the 14th of June and was one of Brian Epstein's Mersey Beat Showcase concerts, in which 'The Beatles' headlined a bill made up of acts managed by Epstein’s NEMS Enterprises. After the show at 11.45pm Paul McCartney was stopped by police for driving over the speed limit on Seabank Road in Wallasey and subsequently received a fine and a one-year driving ban. 

On the 5th of April 1969 the ballroom was destroyed by fire. The area where it once stood, now known as the Tower Grounds, shows little sign of the impressive structure which once stood there. A Plaque marking 50 years since the Beatles played at New Brighton’s former Tower Ballroom was unveiled by the man who brought the legends to the venue Sam Leach.
The unveiling was part of events to mark the 50 years since the first Beatles show at New Brighton on November 10 1961.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2017/11/mersey-beat-david-lewis-club.html