FOR EARLY 1960s Hamburg youth, jaded with the austerity and honking jazz of the early post-war years, the opening of the city's Star Club heralded the electrifying arrival of rock 'n roll in Germany. And the group that opened the club on the now legendary night of April 13, 1962, was none other than The Beatles. Not a home-grown band, but who could have wished for a more illustrious opening act?
Even during their Hamburg sojourn, The Beatles were a stellar group. Indeed, just over a decade later, John Lennon remarked: 'We were never a better band than when we were in Hamburg.'
Located in the heart of the Reeperbahn, a neon jungle of bordellos, girlie bars, mariners' taverns and tattoo parlours, the Star Club contained a tiny stage with a backdrop consisting of an image of the Manhattan skyline on a tatty curtain.
Cramped and smoky, it wasn't the most salubrious of venues, but The Fab Four endured three stints at the club that year, earning modest house-band wages and living at a nearby guesthouse.
This was not The Beatles' first visit to Hamburg. During the preceding two years they had played at The Indra and The Kaiserkeller bars.
In early 1961, The Beatles played at the Top Ten Club for three months. During this time they were recruited by fellow Briton Tony Sheridan to be his session players.