The Beatles in Aldershot: It's 55 years since the Fab Four played to just 18 people after advertising mix up

Imagine seeing the biggest band of all time. At a venue near Surrey. With just 17 other people. For a few lucky souls, this actually happened. Saturday December 19, 1961. The day The Beatles came to Aldershot - and played to just 18 people. It's a date etched into local folklore, but for all the wrong reasons.

Friday marked 55 years to the day since the fateful gig at the Palais Ballroom, organised by promoter Sam Leach. The night was billed a Liverpool vs London Battle of the Bands, but the first in a whole host of issues was the only London outfit, Ivor Jay and the Jaywalkers, failed to turn up. And then, when the doors to the Palais opened, the crowd was conspicuous by its absence, with no more than six people stood outside waiting to get in.

So what went wrong?

A mix-up between Mr Leach and the Aldershot News meant the gig wasn’t advertised and the group, who were to become the biggest in the world, played to a very spartan audience. Mr Leach maintains he booked a sizeable advert in the newspaper and sent a cheque down to cover the cost of it.

When they arrived, Sam told the group he’d promoted the gig in a big way and bought a copy of the News, expecting to see that large advertisement.