Beatles in Kirkcaldy: appeal for 1963 gig memories for commemorative book

An appeal has been made to Fifers lucky enough to see the Fab Four play at the Carlton Theatre in October 1963 in a bid to capture their memories in a special commemorative book that will be preserved by OnFife Archives for posterity.

The Beatles came to Kirkcaldy as part of a mini Scottish tour. They were originally slated to appear at the Raith Ballroom, but their manager, Brian Epstein, insisted they only performed in theatres, and so the shows were moved to the bigger Gallatown venue where an estimated 1500 fans packed every seat for each show. It was their only visit to the Lang Toun in a year which saw them undertake their first world tour as Beatlemania spread across the continents.

Helen Stevenson, venue manager, explains: “We’d like to hear about people’s experiences of seeing John, Paul, George and Ringo at the Carlton and hearing their songs live for the first time. Beatlemania transcends generations and we want to celebrate their popularity today as well as 60 years ago.”

The anniversary is also being marked with a unique event at Kirkcaldy’s Kings Live Lounge which is screening the film A Hard’s Day’s Night followed by six local musicians performing tracks by any of the Fab Four.

The film showcases 36 hours in the lives of the group as they prepare for a television performance. It was a huge commercial and critical hit, and is credited as being one of the most influential of all musical films.