22 February 1963
Concert:
Oasis Club, Lloyd Street, Manchester, Lancashire
"I saw the Beatles at the Oasis Club on 22 February 1963. It was packed as Love Me Do was beginning to take off and people were beginning to think they might be big!
The crowd was orderly and you could actually hear the music. My diary entry for that night reads "Great, Chris Narva's Combo also on".
I remember Paul McCartney sitting on the small stage after the gig chatting to anybody and signing autographs. I think I got one but I don't recall what I did with it. The Oasis had a great informality about it and you could get up close and personal to the singers. Especially true on Tuesday nights when local favourites like the Olympics and Pete Maclaine and the Dakotas had the house spot.
Louis Murray
6/2/09"
Source: http://www.manchesterbeat.com/venues/manchester_cbd/oasis/oasis.php
Brian Higham recalls:
"Just to put you in the picture, I had met the Beatles several times before the Maton Guitar episode. I used to go down to the BBC Playhouse in Hulme most mornings and then Dickinson Road to follow up deals or sales with the Northern Dance Orchestra.
There was this group from Liverpool that had a gig there on regular NDO sessions at the Playhouse - doing the bit in between. At the back of the Playhouse, there was a lady that had a sort of butty bar for coffee, bacon rolls and buttys. I would sit there for ages while the NDO rehearsed and recorded, waiting for them to have a break (whilst the boys did their bit in between) and as soon as they broke it was wheeler dealer time.
But like I said while the NDO were working, the boys would come to the butty bar for a ciggy and a snack. George smoked more than Fred Dibnah's traction engine - he could smoke three fags while having a butty and a cuppa.
We used to talk about this and that - mainly about guitars and how much you got per gig and where. They were always very chatty and witty with it.
George and I were particularly chatty (hence the Maton thing ) but they were just another band trying to make a crust. I told Mal Evans that if they came to Manchester and had any problems to give me a ring at the shop.
On one occasion he did ring in a bit of a panic. The boys had come to Manchester to play a gig at the Oasis on Lloyd St. This was one of the biggest gigs in Manchester at the time. Well, the phone rang and, for those in the know, Barratts had two phone numbers. The number 236 0052 everyone knew but there was a lesser known one (236 4843) and it was this number I had given to Mal Evans.
He was in a bit of a panic to say the least. It turns out that The Beatles roadie had come all the way from Liverpool to Manchester for the gig but Mal had left the microphones back home in Liverpool. At that time they were using the two sided Reslo ribbon mike's.
Anyway I told him not to panic and asked him what time were they doing a rehearsal or sound check. I then explained to Mal that I only had the latest model in stock which were the Reslo C.R.H. Directional which were one sided - to which he replied any thing would do just get them here before Neil and John throw a fit.
Off I went to the oasis with three Reslo C.R.H. mikes and 3 Valan stands (the CR2H came after '62 I think).
As soon as I arrived outside the club, waiting for me was a very relieved Mal Evans. We went into the club where all the other gear was set up ready for the gig and I said to Mal that I would set up the mikes for him and because they hadn't used this type before, I would run through the PA set up with him.
All the guys were there and from the minute I started setting them up John Lennon never left my side, always asking questions like 'why was there only one side' and 'would it affect their sound'. I explained that they were directional and vocally it might improve things (now was that cheeky or what?).
By now Paul and George had become more interested, as instead of sharing one mike they now had two - but guess what, when I had finished setting up and they were ready to do a sound check Paul pushed his and George's mike together like as if they were one.
I looked at Mal he looked at me and said that that was the way they like it and so it was. With Ringo perched on his drum kit, they did a bit of 'Some Other Guy', 'Standing there" and one or two others I can't remember.
Afterwards they all said how good the sound was and John in particular was highly delighted and said that they might buy some at a later date (yeah yeah yeah we've heard that one before).
Anyway I was just glad to help Mal out of his predicament and was chuffed that the boys were so pleased. There was lots of thanks, joking and hand shaking as I said 'see ya' and left to go back to the shop. Mal rang the next day and said that he had left the gear at the Oasis with the manager and that they were in a safe place. He also thanked me personally and Barratts Of Manchester for pulling out all the stops to help out.
As we now know, they would become the biggest band the world would ever see.
This story is dedicated to the memory Adrian Barratt who was a great friend and great influence on the Manchester music scene throughout the 60s and 70s until his untimely departure from the job to which he devoted his life and to whom I owe a great debt."
Source: http://www.manchesterbeat.com/mystory/brianhigham/brianhigham.php
Daily Express, 22 February 1963
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