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The Beatles Story at the Royal Albert Dock

The Beatles Story at the Royal Albert Dock | Exhibition review

Liverpool is to The Beatles as Manchester is to Oasis. And if we have all heard about the seismic effect the reunion of the Gallagher brothers has had in their hometown in recent times, we can sense a glimpse of what the rise of the quartet must have been like back in their heyday. Today, the city is dotted with reminders of its musical legacy, from graffiti to statues and shops named after them. The Beatles Story, located at the Royal Albert Dock, is not simply an exhibition of memorabilia, but an immersive experience that takes visitors through the story, the context and the reasons behind Beatlemania, and how they came to be one of the greatest influences in modern music.

Equipped with a very informative and essential audio guide (included in the ticket price), the visit begins with George Harrison’s first guitar, an Egmond. This is a rare case, as objects that truly belonged to the band are scarce, leaving more space instead for an all-encompassing experience that feels like a time-travel journey. The first section, recounting how the original members began playing together, feels a bit rushed, without much ground in their earliest beginnings (possibly due to the lack of records). We then move straightforwardly to their first international stop in Hamburg, where their originality was already emerging – they didn’t yet have a drummer but declared that the rhythm was in their guitars. The exhibition also incorporates local anecdotes, from the Merseyside Beat newspaper to the Frank Hessy shop, where customers would leave with an instrument and a crash-course lesson. Both recreations provide a broader view, tangent to The Beatles, giving visitors an idea of what was available to aspiring musicians in the 1960s.

Remarkable is the section on The Cavern – which today lends its name to one of the most boisterous nightlife areas in town – and, perhaps most interestingly, the one about the role and involvement of Brian Epstein, the band’s first manager. These were times when no streaming algorithms or social media trends could propel artists to fame; success depended almost entirely on the foresight and strategy of a manager (see Elvis Presley’s missed opportunities). In Epstein’s case, his youth and lack of prior experience may well have been the source of his winning approach. The segment dedicated to the Beatles’ 1964 arrival in the US shows just how fortunate his vision and negotiations were in transforming the band into an international phenomenon, ensuring they were indelibly etched into history.

Epstein’s death was followed by one of the most eclectic and momentous releases: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. A meticulous reproduction of the neon uniforms stands alongside life-size cardboard replicas and identification numbers of the crowded album sleeve. Audio testimonies and descriptions draw on the band’s encounters with mysticism, as well as their desire to break away from the past and explore the unknown through musical experimentation. The resulting tracks went beyond “experimental”: recreating a psychedelic experience through sound was their primary ambition, and, remarkably, the audience embraced it – turning what could have been dismissed as too bizarre into yet another landmark success.

Rather than ending where the Beatles’ joint journey concluded – the sudden and abrupt breakup at the peak of their careers – the museum dedicates four further sections to what came next for Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon (with the latter given an additional photo gallery in honour of his time in the United States).

Whether you know the Beatles’ discography by heart or only have a vague sense of their trajectory to fame, this is a compelling, introspective look at how their place in history came to be. A lively and engaging way to bring their story to life – far more than a collection of relics gathering dust behind glass.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Courtesy of The Beatles Story

The Beatles Story was at Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AD. For further information, visit the exhibition’s website here.

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