(HAMBURG, GERMANY) -- On Monday, August 17, 2020, the music city of Hamburg will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best appearing live on stage as “The Beatles”. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the event will be solely available online – streamed directly from the Indra Club, the original venue in St Pauli.
As part of the two-hour program, the Fab Four will be honored with plenty of live music, stories about their legendary time in Hamburg as well as talks with renowned experts and former companions. Under the tagline “Stream & Shout”, the live show will be aired from 3:00pm (EST) here. Moreover, celebrating the occasion, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg will be streaming a Beatles homage by jazz pianist Julia Hülsmann directly from its Grand Hall, starting at 2:00pm (EST).
To celebrate the 60th Beatles anniversary, Hamburg is inviting music fans from across the globe to experience the original Beatles location, the Indra Club in St Pauli: online as well as on Facebook and YouTube, the anniversary show on August 17 will be presented by Hamburg’s Beatles expert and musician Stefanie Hempel – starting at 3:00 pm (EST) at the legendary Indra Club.
Together with her band as well as other Hamburg musicians, Stefanie will be bringing rock'n'roll to life, with a recreated original Beatles set from August 1960 and some of their greatest hits. The night will be filled with classic rock'n'roll pieces and fresh interpretations, as well as inspiring stories and anecdotes from the young Beatles’ wild days in Hamburg.
The iconic Cavern Club in Liverpool will be contributing to the show, and so will U.S. band Bambi Kino, with musicians from the indie bands Nada Surf, Maplewood and Cat Power – as well as Beatles expert Mark Lewisohn alongside many other surprise guests.
Following the live stream event, the full program will also be available as a video on demand (VOD).
What is more, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg will be joining in on the Beatles anniversary: as part of the “Elbphilharmonie Konzertkino” event format, there will be a live stream from the Elbphilharmonie’s Grand Hall beginning at 2:00pm (EST). Audiences can look forward to a special premiere honoring the Beatles, arranged by jazz pianist Julia Hülsmann.
Hamburg – a breeding ground for music talent ever since the Beatles’ years
Following their debut on August 17, 1960, the Beatles spent a total of two years in the clubs of St Pauli, laying the foundations for their unique success story. In Hamburg, the Beatles spent more time on stage than anywhere else in the world, with some 1,200 hours and 218 gigs and five engagements with four different live clubs. With months of engagements and endless nights in the clubs of St Pauli, the Beatles soon evolved into a professional live band. In Hamburg, the Beatles also met Ringo Starr, shaped their unique style and acquired their iconic haircut. Or, as John Lennon aptly put it, the lads “grew up in Hamburg, not Liverpool”.
Today, the spirit of the Beatles can still be felt in Hamburg – not only as part of a themed guided tour e.g. with Stefanie Hempel, but above all in the countless live music venues on the Reeperbahn and at Hamburg’s various music festivals. The Reeperbahn Festival, for instance, is Europe's biggest club festival and provides an ideal environment for up-and-coming bands – and some perform on the exact same stages where the Beatles would have played back in the 1960s.
To learn more about the music city of Hamburg and to view current travel packages, click here.
