55 years ago today, January 30th, 1969, The Beatles performed for the final time in public.
They were in the midst of recording an album that was to be called Get Back (later released as Let it Be) with a film crew making a documentary of it. Instead of staging a proper concert for the film, the band and guest keyboardist Billy Preston set up on the roof of their Apple Corps building at 3 Savile Row in London.
Despite the windy cold, a Thursday lunchtime crowd gathered on the street below for the performance, which ended after three-quarters of an hour when police, having received complaints about noise and traffic, arrived and shut them down.
Flashing his trademark wit, John Lennon remarked, "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we've passed the audition."
The complete performance was part of their 2021 Get Back documentary.
The set list:
- "Get Back" (twice)
- "Don't Let Me Down"
- "I've Got a Feeling"
- "One After 909"
- "Dig a Pony"
- "I've Got a Feeling" (again)
- "Don't Let Me Down" (again)
- "Get Back" (again)