Saturday, January 31, 2009

Brit Music Scene

Brit Music Scene

It Was 40 Years Ago Today… That The Beatles Played On Top Of Apple Building

Posted: 30 Jan 2009 04:53 PM PST

40 years ago today, the four members of The Beatles, plus guest keyboardist Billy Preston, played a concert on the roof of the Apple building in Saville Row, London. Although it was cut short, it’s still regarded as a momentous moment in music history.

By this time in their career, The Beatles weren’t getting on, with tensions producing some of the band’s best music in the studio, but putting paid to the notion of performing in public. This therefore ended up being the last gig the four played in public together.

The gig on the roof is now an iconic moment, but it wasn’t popular with the authorities at the time. The Metropolitan police stopped the show, first by pulling out the leads from George Harrison’s amps and then finally cutting power to the building altogether.

It’s obvious why they did it - for the health and safety of the people on the roof and gathered below on the roads around the building. but man, they cut short one of the defining moments in British music. Idiots.

The Bootleg Beatles, the finest Beatles tribute act, who have now been going longer than the original group, had plans to commemorate the gig. Once again, the authorities got involved and canceled the gig due to safety fears.

However, according to the NME, Andre Barreau (George Harrison) and David Catlin-Birch (Paul McCartney) did sneak up on the roof and play two songs, One After 909 and Get Back, in defiance of the police. And God bless them for that because this gig needs to be commemorated.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

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