Beatles - Across the Universe

by Andy Neill Culturally The Beatles were a global phenomenon changing all facets of popular music for good, but not just because they were a band that made great recordings. How big a part did performing in concert play? Would they have achieved what they did without an early grounding in the dancehalls and clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg? After their first year as a headline-grabbing attraction, why did The Beatles soon tire of the relentless pace of Beatlemania?