Celebrate 50 years of Love Me Do

Music fans, clubs and venues around the world have recently been celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ first single…

Music fans, clubs and venues around the world have recently been celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ first single, Love Me Do, and now Dublin’s Grand Social is joining in the festivities, too. They’re staging a week of events dedicated to the Fab Four from next Tuesday, when The Beatles Illustrated opens.

An art exhibition featuring the visual representations of Beatles tracks selected by, among others, Ronan Collins and John Kelly, it will feature the work of 40 artists from Illustrators Ireland. DJ Jacqui Carroll will provide tunes from the era on the night. On Wednesday, a screening of A Hard Day’s Night, along with some other Beatles’ film footage will take place, while on Thursday there is an evening titled The Beatles on Record, with the venue’s resident DJs playing requests and rarities alike.

On Friday, The Mersey Beatles, who have been the resident band in Liverpool’s Cavern Club for the past decade, play their first Irish gig. Ready, Steady, Go!, a 1960s-themed clubnight, will follow. All events except the Mersey Beatles gig are free to attend.

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times