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| The Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead |
The Majestic Ballroom, Conway Street, Birkenhead initially opened in June 1916 as a cinema with a seating capacity for 730 people, in 1924 it was renamed Birkenhead Super before being converted as a 'Top Rank Luxury Ballroom' which could accommodate a standing audience of about 1500., Then by 1962 it was called The Majestic Ballroom, before being closed down in 1969.
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| The Beatles at The Majestic on 10th April, 1963 |
The Beatles made 17 appearances here with the final one being on the of 10th April 1963, their first appearance for Top Rank. When Cilla Black was introduced to Brian Epstein by John Lennon, John persuaded him to arrange an audition for her at The Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead. However, she remembered in an interview that she sang Gershwin’s 'Summertime' but it was not in her key., " I was very nervous...I flunked it.."
Chick Graham of the Coasters also made his debut here when only 15 years old
( see http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2016/04/mersey-beat-coasters.html )
( see http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2016/04/mersey-beat-coasters.html )
Jeff Martin got a job as a DJ here when the manager was Bill Marsden. He remembers "All the top groups played there nightly, including 'The Beatles' who made their debut performance of 'Love Me Do' before it entered the charts. They used to relax at the Conway Arms pub opposite the Majestic at a time when they were just beginning to hand out autographed photos."
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| Teenagers queuing in the rain at The Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead for tickets to see The Beatles. 17th April 1963. |
Having just returned from Hamburg in early June 1962, Brian Epstein had managed to persuade the Rank Organisation to book 'The Beatles' into one of their Majestic Ballrooms which would be upmarket from their usual type of venue. Here there was a stricter dress code and 'security staff' would ensure it was maintained with suits, collar & tie and polished shoes being the order of the day.
As with lot of venues he played at, there was usually an incident involving 'showman' Rory Storm. So it was no surprise that in January 1964, during a performance at the Majestic Ballroom, he climbed up one of the columns supporting the balcony, but slipped and fell 30 feet (9 m) to the floor below, fracturing his leg.
As with lot of venues he played at, there was usually an incident involving 'showman' Rory Storm. So it was no surprise that in January 1964, during a performance at the Majestic Ballroom, he climbed up one of the columns supporting the balcony, but slipped and fell 30 feet (9 m) to the floor below, fracturing his leg.
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