Love, we do – the night Dundee was rocked by the Beatles
Images bought by the city of screaming fans at the Fab Four’s last Caird Hall concert are a piece of social history, writes Alison Campsie
Dundee was so mad for the Fab Four that it’s said the phrase Beatlemania was coined in the city after a particularly wild night at the Caird Hall.
Now images from The Beatles’ last gig at the venue, on 20 October 1964, are to return to Dundee.
The 33 photographs and 28 negatives are now held by The Mcmanus art gallery and museum after being purchased from photographer Winnie Forbescochrane.
It is understood that the city paid more than £6,000 for the images, including copyright,
The evocative pictures offer a snapshot of fans’ devotion at the height of the craze for the Fab Four, who were mobbed as they tried to enter the back entrance of Caird Hall. The Beatles were also captured on film backstage before the show.
More than 6,000 screaming fans, most of them teenage girls, all but drowned out band’s set.
Museum chiefs said the photographs captured a piece of social history, with hopes that the images will go on show later this year.
It is said local music promoter Andi Lothian first came up with the Beatlemania phrase following a gig at the Caird Hall in 1963.
Sinclair Aitken, chair of Leisure & Culture Dundee, said: “We have such a rich and diverse musical heritage in Dundee.
“Caird Hall and the concerts there are a huge part of that, so it’s really pleasing to see these pictures of The Beatles come home.
“These pictures are a fantastic acquisition for The Mcmanus and will now be preserved in our collections for future generations to enjoy.”