The Beatles shaped the music industry as we know it today. Over 60 years on from the band’s first inception, their reputation and influence remains unparalleled. Their recording techniques are still used, their songs are still considered among the greatest of all time, and budding bands still look to them as a reference point. But their live presence has often been overlooked amidst the ever-mounting praise for the Fab Four.
Despite history’s preferential treatment for their studio work, just as their impact can be found in every practice room and studio, it can also be felt on stages worldwide. Understandably, their recordings have come to overshadow their touring capabilities – the band only spent half of their lifetime on the road, playing shows from 1962 to 1966 before resigning themselves to the studio.
As a result of ever-growing exhaustion and some controversial moments on their final tours, the group decided to leave touring behind, only playing one more iconic show on a London rooftop in 1969. With such a short live stint, it’s no surprise that their mammoth recorded hits eclipsed their live presence, but that doesn’t negate the talent and connection they demonstrated onstage.
Between their frequent returns to the Cavern Club and their legendary final show documented as part of the documentary film Let It Be, The Beatles were just as magical and mesmerising onstage as they were on record. According to drummer Ringo Starr, they were so in sync on stage that it felt like they had a psychic connection.
“I’m always so excited when we get the chance to play together,” he stated on The Q Interview. “When we were playing together we were the best band in the land.” It’s a statement that few would dare to disagree with and one that is only proven by their live presence. “I don’t care what anyone says, and we knew each other. It was like psychic,” Starr added.
The drummer felt particularly connected to vocalist and guitarist John Lennon, explaining: “I would be playing drums with my eyes closed, the headphones on, I’d know John was going to go somewhere, and I’d drum in that. And I would hold it together while they went mad and bring it back.” It’s a connection you can see in live videos of the band, which sound just as effortless and masterful as recordings.
Though Starr joked about the band’s psychic connection, their slick performance resulted from relentless practising in the early days while Starr was still a member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. “There were two bands, and at weekends, we would do 12 hours between two bands,” he explained, “We all admitted that’s really what made us what we are. We found our way of doing it.”
Their persistent practising certainly paid off, as they became the self-proclaimed and widely accepted best band in the land, onstage and off. Revisit The Beatles’ iconic final rooftop performance below.
