On stage with The Beatles (1963 edition)

 

Paul on the Run

 

Beatlemania erupts

 October 11, 1963

"Is this the 5th Beatle audition?"

 

Beatlemania summed up in two photos

 October 11, 1963 -

1.  The Beatles pose with photos of a beauty pageant winner and important people backstage.

2.  The Beatles perform and girls scream and faint.  

Paul stopped the show

 My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families of those that lost their lives, are in critical condition in the hospital, were injured, and/or have PTSD due to the terror that happened at the concert in Houston this past weekend.   A concert should always be a place to have fun, and not a place where tragedy happens.   

A lot of people have been sharing videos of various artists stopping the show due to emergency situations in the audience.   This all made me think about The Beatles.    We know that things got really wild at Beatles concerts.   Fans rushed the stage, passed out, screamed, stood on unstable chairs, threw things, and pushed and shoved to get closer to John, Paul, George, and Ringo.    I am sure there were moments during these concerts that fans felt like their lives might be in danger.  Thankfully no one died during a Beatles concert, but there were a few scary moments.   I think one of the scariest concerts were the two at San Francisco in 1965.   We don't have a video of what happened, but I do have this letter that shows us that Paul did notice what happened and took charge of the situation. 

This letter was written to Bob Bonis from Joan Reyolds.

Monday, September 13, 1965

Hello Bob:

Hopefully, you remember me.  I met you ......I have a son, his name is Joshua.........he has a Lego Building Block set, we let you play with it.  Oh, you remember Joshua???  Well, I'm his mother.  My name is Joan.  I liked you.  Did you like me?

Read in Ralph Gleason's column your name.  You were with the Beatles on their tour.  Yes, Bob, this is a letter regarding the Beatles.  (Does anyone ever write you any more about anything else?)

To continue on...... we went to the evening Beatles concert in San Francisco.  We had front-row center seats.  We were happy.  I went with my husband Nick, Julie Stewart (her husband works with my husband in the Kingston Trio), and a male friend called simply Mayhall.

Anyway, when the show started we were comfortable.  Then, the Beatles came on, the mob surged, we were trapped, Julie, who is five months pregnant, was getting badly kicked, etc.  We were scared for her.  We almost died protecting her.  All the girls were screaming various Beatle names.  We were screaming Paul's name.  We sounded like those girls.  We just wanted help to get Julie out of there. 

Nick made some kind of contact with Paul, who sensed that our screaming was of a different nature.  How this happened amazed us, and we are totally grateful that Paul stopped the show.  We would like to thank him most sincerely and wonder if you can tell us who we should write to, hoping it will get to him.  Or, should we forget it?

I wish I had known you were here when you were here, could have said "Hello" maybe just as well ...........you were busy I imagine.  That is all, we're well.  How are you?  Goodbye.....if you get this note, let me know, if you don't get it, don't let me know.

Very truly yours truly,

Joan Reynolds

The concert with the fans on the stage

I don't know how on February 12, 1964, the fans that were seated on the stage while the Beatles performed were able to contain themselves.   This was when Beatlemania just started in the United States and girls were literally throwing themselves at the Beatles, but yet these fans on the stage didn't move at all.    I would love to hear a first-hand account from a fan that was on the stage and what she was thinking during the Carnegie Hall Show.

Was this the first Beatles riot?

If you didn't know better, you might think these photos were taken in Cleveland in 1966 or San Francisco in 1965 or Vancouver in 1964.    However --- you see the Beatles in the grey suits and British bobbies and learn that it was taken 55 years ago -- October 19, 1963. 

It looks like a full blown middle of Beatlemania concert riot.   Girls being pulled out of the audience while the Beatles play on,  cops telling the girls to be quiet and sit down, and finally, the curtain is closed.   

I need to find information about this concert because it is very interesting to see such crazy Beatlemania at a show in the fall of 1963.

Butting onto the Beatles stage

Trentham Rock

George the target

Yet again a fan makes a run for poor George Harrison while the Beatles performed.  Haven't you noticed that George gets this a lot?   And look at John back there, not having a care in the world except playing the right guitar chords.

When John Lubinski met the Beatles in Boston

On August 18, 1966, John Lubinski did something that only a few other fans ever succeeded in doing:  he ran up on stage while the Beatles were performing and touched John, Paul and George.    the interesting thing about Lubinski's story is that he was interviewed on the radio right before he took the leap onto the stage.

While the Beatles were singing "Long Tall Sally," British disc jockey, Kenny Everett, spoke to Lubinski and asked him his name and where he was from.   He told him that he was John Lubinski from Malden.  Then Kenny says, "And you're going to leap on the stage just now?"   John replies:  "Yeah--I'm gonna try."

From there Everett goes into a play-by play:  "OK.  There he goes.  He's gonna leap up now.  He's on the stage!  And he's got a hold of John!  Got a hold of Paul....now he's getting George.   They are taking him off the stage now.  They are pushing him off,  He is grabbed by all the police.  What an interview!  Whoo hoo!  I bet this is an exclusive.  They got him  the legs and arms and they're taking him off right now.  He's being bundled in a police car.  It's all happening tonight in Boston. "

In an interview he gave with Wicked Local in 2010, Lubinski re-called, "Kenny Everett was interviewing me before I jumped onstage; I told him I was going to  do it...he  didn’t believe me. Right after that I made it up onstage, Kenny Everett went crazy.”

It had been Lubinski's very first concert and he sure made it a memorable one!   He remembers what happened when he was taken by the police.  "It caused a little bit of a riot where a lot of people were running for the stage or trying to get up there. “I ended up getting away. They put me in a police car, and I got out the other door. They were kind of distracted...  trying to stop the other people. I got out the door, ran to the fence, hopped over, wandered back into the crowd and got away.”

This is how UPI wrote about John's adventure:

Beatles’ Barrier Broken- Briefly

UPI (Boston)

A shaggy-maned teenager dashed down the homestretch at Suffolk downs racetrack last night and caught up with the Beatles before he was overtaken by police. 

The wily invader, with the cheers of 25,000 fans ringing in his ears, scaled two fences and slipped through a row of policemen to reach the stage.

He danced from Beatle to Beatle, tagging George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  The Beatles never missed a beat.

The intruder was headed for drummer Ringo Starr when a bodyguard caught him from behind and tossed him off the platform.

Moments later, the teenager again beat long odds by escaping from his captors and dashing into the crowd.   About 50 exuberant fans tried to reach the British rock n rollers during the concert, but only the one boy made it.

The Beatles, on a 14 city tour, flew to Memphis, Tenn. . today. 

A night to remember

The BEST concert memory of the Cleveland show comes from Joy Kilbane of MacLen magazine.  She wrote this in 1976 for the 10th anniversary of the show.    

A night to remember (round #2)

By Joy Kilbane

MacLen fanzine issue #10/11  February-April 1976

As of this writing it’s been almost 10 years since that night in Cleveland, Ohio.  I’d like to once again share my experience of the August 14^th Beatles concert.  That day was very overcast, but there wasn’t any rain, thank God!  I went to downtown Cleveland with some friends of mine.  Lynda L., Donna T., Sherry S., Nita C., Chris D. and your truly.  And all of us were on our way downtown via the rapid transit.  Once we reached Public Square – the big deal center of town, we headed toward the Cleveland Sheraton Hotel.  I wore a blue and green polka-dot mini dress with high heels.  You know, the blue and green was for Paul and John.   All over the place there were Beatle people!  It was really a beautiful and exciting experience to be a part of.  I can’t really explain how I felt then.  I’m sure all of you know the feeling.  Well, the first thing all of us did was look up at the hotel and at least in my mind I thought this was it!  The guys you’ve wanted to see in action and not on the movie or TV screen.  This was MY first concert and I still couldn’t believe I was actually going to see them in action!  Also this was the second time there were in Cleveland.  The first being September 15, 1964.  I wasn’t able to go.

We had plenty of time to kill before the concert, so Donna and I went back to the Terminal where the rapids are located.  I can’t remember the reason we went back there.  Inside the Tower, there is a decline, can’t really explain it—like a ramp, no steps you climb down, just a smooth ramp.  As I said, I wore heels and I started to slip on one of the declines.  Had this really WILD idea to scream out the guys’ names.  I just felt like doing it, just to see what would happen.  Well, I started letting go with “John! John!”  Donna picked up with yelling for George.  I had to run in order not to slip and fall on my boomer plus our yelling caused a near riot inside the building.  There were at least 200 or 300 kids running inside the building after us.  We hid, naturally.  The others stayed outside while Donna and I had our jollies.

Boarded the bus that was to take us to the stadium.  I was a nervous wreck!  The stadium came in sight and my stomach was really letting the butterflies go.  Such a Beatleful feeling it was.  Found our seats – they were directly in front of the stage but far away.  WIXY 1260 on a banner tacked n the front of the stage where the guys were going to be.  WIXY wasn’t even a year old and yet, it was them that brought the guys back!  All over the stadium were banners.  I can’t remember what all of them said but I think one said “Bernard Webb Forever” and “Give us a kiss” was another one I saw.  Too much! 

I spotted Mal Evans on the stage setting up the guys’ stuff.  I told the others who he was and we started to yell out his name just to see what he’d do.   He turned around and all of us waved like mad.  He waved back at us and then started to resume what he was doing.  Again his name was called and again he turned and  waved back at us.  We did it again and all he did was wave since he knew where we were.  Again came the beautiful feelings.  

The time passed and more kids arrived.  I spotted Brian Epstein leaning against one of the legs(??)   He wore a purple suit and I told Donna that he reminded me of a grape.  Then the guys came.  Shit! What a feeling I felt!  They got out of their limo – I saw all of them but I can’t remember what the others wore except John.  He was in all white.  Yes, that is what he wore.  It was as if by magic, when the guys arrived everyone stood right up.

  The acts before the guys were enough to drive you out of your mind!  The waiting. The waiting…I don’t remember all the acts except the Cyrcle and Bobby Hebb, and the Ronnettes.  If I remember correctly, the Cyrcle was the act before the guys.  The Cyrcle did pretty well—the flash from the cameras was like lightening for them.  

Then it was time.  The WIXY DJ’s all came on stage and I thought, “Oh God!  This is it!”  They started with their small talk which drove me up the wall!  Now, I was really a nervous wreck!  Then WIXY DJ’s introduced themselves and talked about the radio station.  Then began the “Give me a B (We screamed B)---give me an E (we again let the DJ’s have it)—give me an A (we did) –give me a T (again)—give me an L (ditto)—give me an E (we did)—give me as S (again)—what does it spell?  (The Monkees?  What do you think it spelled, you dumb DJ’s???).  BEATLES! (louder) BEATLES!! (louder) BEATLES!!! “Okay, here they are—the Beatles!!!!!!”

The door of the specially built trailer for their use behind the stage opened and out they came!  All the screaming and the flashes from cameras all over the stadium—what a sight that was!  The guys ran up on the stage and went right to their instruments.  I was in such a state of shock that I can’t remember the first song they did!  Whatever it was, it was beautiful!  I know they sang “Nowhere Man.”  I had this great love for “If I Needed someone”—I really adore that song very much.  It wasn’t released in the States until the summer American LP “Yesterday and Today.”  So, I was really zonked out when George started that one!  I started crying.  I just couldn’t take it anymore!

The snow fence—if you’ve ever read in any magazine about the tours, in their description of the Cleveland Stadium concert, they mention a little fence (about waist high and very flimsy which surrounds the outfield).  This  my friends is the snow fence.  The police, thinking that they were so smart and not many police would be needed for the concert since the Beatles weren’t as popular.  There weren’t many of the little blue meanie there.   George really started the gathering during “If I Needed Someone” and so it began.  A guy was able to get on the field and naturally he was cheered on.  But the police cut the trip short.  George began the beginning of “Day Tripper” and that’s when it happened!  The kids (including yours truly) started to leave their seats.  It was like magic.  I could see the fence slowly give way and the police running toward the stage since that was the only thing they could do.  The guys on stage were really enjoying all of this.  They really started to act up and motioned for us to keep coming, which we did!  Those four were really throwing themselves into that song, all the while motioning for us to keep coming.  The police couldn’t argue with thousands of kids.  Speedy here made it to the middle of the ground, my stupid heels got stuck in the mud!  Needless to say, I was able to see the men I love up close once again, only in action this time.  John was having a good time.  He kept teasing the girls that were right up to the stage with his foot.  Paul was laughing because of the girls  came with were tickling him (on his leg).  The police began throwing the kids off.  That’s no joke!  In one of the articles about the Cleveland riot, it stated that Ringo was pulled off the drums, but that’s not true.  A girl asked if she could shake his hand and he said it would be okay.  It is just that a “nice” policeman just happened to grab her while she was still hanging onto Ringo’s hand!  That’s why he was “pulled off I his drums.”

I felt like I was going to faint.  It was so hot on that field and all the kids were just shoved together which didn’t help matters.  It was bad news, but I told myself that I couldn’t let myself faint.  I watched Paul and the guys, with the help of the police leave the stage and go into the trailer rather fast, I must say.  Jack Armstrong, one of the DJ’s started yelling that we broke our promise about not mobbing the stage.  He was crying!  That’s what I said—he was crying.  Since he’s a jerk, nobody listened to him.  The field was covered for about 20 minutes but it seemed like an hour.  After a while, it was finally cleared and an English voice came over the loudspeakers and told us that if the field wasn’t cleared right away, the show wouldn’t go on.  I swear to this day that the voice belonged to George!  After the little speech, the field was cleared fast.  I remember telling Donna that we were going to really  make news because of the riot.  Well, would you believe that in one of the Cleveland papers the next day they printed just what I said?

Also before the riot I remember one of the amps weren’t working and Paul announcing a song, “Our next number will be--- our next number WON’T be…” as no sound came from the amp.  Then Mal was called on stage and with a quick flip of a knob, got it to work (good old Mal!)

Anyway, the show started up again and the guys played “I feel Fine.”  I just wanted to die!  That’s another one of my songs.  Oh!  Another thing I forgot to mention.  One time during the show Donna was standing on her seat and was bouncing up and down.  It seemed as though Lennon was looking in our direction or our section.  Good old Donna—she was still bouncing up and down and her half-slip fell down!  It was so funny!  And John just doubled over at that moment, laughing (strange).   Also, Lynda leaned over too far and fell right into the dugout, where some of the DJ’s were sitting along with other people and on the news that night there was a film of her display of grace.

The concert ended with “Long Tall Sally” then the guys left the stage because the filed was getting full again since everyone knew that would be their last song.  I was in total shock and I just couldn’t believe that I was actually at the concert!  All of our “gang” or most of us anyway, some  were lost in the riot, met up and started back toward the Terminal Tower.  Outside the stadium the WIXY satellite studio was playing all Beatles songs and “And I love her” was playing.

On our way back, I heard this English voice.  So the lot of us ran to see who it was.  Would you believe it was Mal? I about croaked when I saw him!  He was walking back to the hotel.  I no doubt figured that he thought nobody knew who he was so he’d be safe.  Only a few girls were with him with Donna, Bonnie, Lynda, Sherry and myself ran up to him and started to rattle off about meeting him at EMI Studios on Abbey Road that past April.  I asked him if he remembered me and he did.  He asked how I liked the concert and I told him I just loved it!  Someone asked him if it would be okay with him if we kissed him.  He said it would be okay so each of us gave him a kiss.  When it was my turn, he put his hand on my back and helped me up to him.  That man has such a soft cheek and he smelled so good!  Bonnie asked him to give John and kiss and he gave her a funny look.   I offered to do it for Mal, but he just looked at me as if to say “I just bet you would.”  Oh well. I would have been able to give John that kiss if I had a few drinks in me.  Told Mal that we saw “Help!” and we liked the part he had – you know, coming out of the water and asking Lennon if he made it to the White Cliffs of Dover.  I asked him if he was cold and he said he was.  I told him I wished I’d been there to give him a towel and he said he wished I was too.  One of his friends met up with Mal and he said that he had to go.  We begged him to let us come with him but he said there were too many of us and he was going for a drink with this other guy and we weren’t old enough.  So we gave Mal all the gum chains that we had made for the guys.  I bet he was most thrilled about that.  But he did take them from us.  I bet he threw them away from we left.  Then again maybe he didn’t—I’ll never know.  And we said goodbye to him as did the other girls.

I’ll never forget that wonderful day as long as I live.  Thanks Mal!  Indeed it was a night to remember. 

Cleveland concert memories

I saw the Beatles in concert on a rainy Sunday evening. I was 13 and my parents insisted on making it a "family outing" so there I was with my best friend, Tina, and Mom, Dad and my younger brother and sister all in tow. It was pretty embarrassing!
The rain had stopped just before the warm up acts. There were three, as I recall - Bobby Hebb ("Sunny"), The Cyrkle ("Red Rubber Ball") and the Ronettes. Nobody in the audience seemed to care. We wanted the Beatles.
There were about 25,000 people in the audience, all seated in the stands. The stage was set up on second base, so when The Beatles finally did come on, we had to use binoculars. We couldn't hear very well although we could tell what song they were singing above all the screaming (we did our share too).
I remember that The Beatles wore dark green suits and yellow shirts and we were kind of surprised that they weren't wearing ties.
The concert was very short by today's standards. They sang about 10 songs and half way through several hundred fans rushed the stage, forcing security to get The Beatles off the stage and stop the concert until everyone sat down again. We waited for what seemed an eternity for The Beatles to come back, but they finally did, and a half-hour later it was all over. We couldn't believe it -- we had really seen them!-Rozy 

 "The date was August 14th 1966. This date is indelibly etched in my mind. On this date I saw the Beatles at Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium. The trip to Cleveland was memorable in itself. The bus we were riding in broke down on  the way to the show, on the Ohio Turnpike. I had won the tickets from KQV Radio 1410, and we just barely made it in time to see the Fab Four. We had already missed seeing the Cyrkle, but no one seemed to mind. I was on a bus full of screaming girls, I think there may have been 1 other boy on the bus, and all we wanted see was the legendary Beatles! We got there and about 10 minutes later the concert started. the Beatles were brought into the stadium in an armored car through the center field fence. The stage was set on 2nd base and 6' fences lined the field down the foul ball lines. Murray the K introduced them and then all chaos broke loose!! I have never, to this day, heard that kind of noise. The decibel level was so high that you could barely hear a word they were singing. There were people fainting and being taken out on stretchers the entire show. About 20 minutes into the show the band started to play the first notes to their famous song "Day Tripper" . A girl ran up to the 6' fence and started to climb up and almost over the fence until she was pulled back down. By that time more and more people had run up to and knocked down the fences and when it was all over 10,000 people had stormed the stage. The Beatles were taken off the stage on the same armored truck that had brought them in.  Murray the K said that if people did not go back to their seats the show would be over. About  45 minutes later the crowd got back to their seats and the concert was resumed. It's easy to see why the Beatles gave up live shows. First was the sound quality and secondly the security problem. I salute KQV for the chance to see the Beatles and as you can see, I will forever cherish the moment in time."  - George
 

Stop the show

Kicking and screaming

Frisco's Near Riot

In many ways I think the two shows the Beatles did at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California on August 31, 1965 were the most out of the control shows they ever did in the United States.   There are other shows that were pretty wild and crazy such as the Cleveland 1964 and 1966 shows, but the Cow Palace '65 shows were wild because fans were getting carried up onto the stage while the show was going on!      Look at the photos and read the newspaper accounts and decide for yourself.

Somebody on Guard
Associated Press

Five teenage girls were injured when a youth leaped on stage with Britain's Beatles, touched drummer Ringo Starr on the shoulder and then did a swan dive off the stage into the front row seats.

The incident occurred Tuesday at the Cow Palace as thousands of screaming, fainting and sobbing teenagers threw jelly beans, stuffed animals and themselves at the singers.

Police said there were no serious injuries and that everyone recovered.

Wave after wave of frantic teenagers, mostly girls, charged the line of police and guards in front of the stage during the Beatles' concluding performances on their American tour.   A private guard, John Edwards, 43, either fainted or was knocked out at the afternoon performance but returned to help control the evening crowd.  The shows drew 28,000 fans.

The evening performance was stopped about ten minutes while Beatle Paul McCartney pleaded with the pushing, shoving teenagers to let police remove Mrs. Julia Stewart, who is five months pregnant from the arena floor, where she had fallen in a faint.  She was taken to a first aid station.

The audience participation performance marked the last day of the Beatles eight city tour of the United States.  Sources said they would take back more than a million dollars to the United Kingdom.

Between shows the Beatles told reporters that they'd make their third movie next year in Spain-- a western.  No details were given.


Beatles end U.S. tour in wild S.F. concert
UPI

The Beatles fly back to London today after a 19 day tour capped by farewell performances here almost spilled out of control as hysterical girls leaped onto the stage to grab their beloved Liverpudlians.

"This was the wildest of the whole trip," leader Paul McCartney said after the final show last night.  "We don't blame the police--there just weren't enough of them."

Playing at the Cow Palace, a cavernous auditorium designed for stock shows, the British four were on a stage almost completely surrounded by a sea of 17,000 adolescents whose unbelievable screaming drowned out sounds of real pain.

At least 51 girls were carried out.  Some had just fainted.   But some 30 suffered minor injuries from the crush against the stage.   At one point, a teenage girl flung herself against Paul McCartney and almost toppled him off the stage.  Others grabbed George Harrison and John Lennon.  Drummer, Ringo Starr, high on his podium, was comparatively safe except for the thousands of stinging jelly beans, as well as teddy bears, shoes and lipstick cases thrown at the stage.


Beatles Aide ripped Frisco near-riot. 

UPI

Brian Epstein, manager of  the Beatles, today criticized the management of San Francisco's Cow Palace where a near-riot broke out during the performance of the shaggy haired singing quartet Tuesday.

Mr. Epstein, at a new conference held several hours after the Beatles returned from a concert tour of ten American cities, blamed the management for "insufficient security."

The Beatles netted an estimated one million from the tour.

During the disturbance which forced the Beatles to cut short the second show, the fans threw rings, pens, flashlights, Teddy Bears and jellybeans onto the stage.

"They may have underestimated the Beatles' appeal," he said of the management.  "There is a problem here.  Their adulation can be underestimated."


Here is what Alf Bicknell had to say:

The boys played the Cow Palace San Francisco.  It's over, Thank God!  What can I say?  If all the rest of the shows were put together they could never beat this for enthusiasm from the boys. Oh, but the crowd was wild!  I've never seen the likes of it.  Incredible.  So frightening out there tonight as well.  At one point, I thought the show was going to stop and not continue.  Pulling those kids up on the stage, it's a wonder that one of them, or more, wasn't killed.  What happened to the security to put the fans to close?   They just climbed up onto the stage, on top of those being crushed.  Anyway, everyone mucked in, and thank God, again, no one was hurt.

 
And Alf memories of it from 1990:
Cow Palace.  Amazing!  I think this was one of the first concerts, the only one that I can remember, that the Beatles had to leave the stage due to the pandemonium and excitement of the people.  And it was exciting!  I used to get excited every time they went on stage, but this was special.  A guy appeared out of nowhere, from the back of the stage, over a high wire.  John used to wear a sort of sailor's hat, and this guy grabbed it, which seemed to be a one-bounce movement.  With the hat in hand, he dived straight into the audience.  Before I go any further, it was some while later that the hat was returned, to everyone's amazement.  I remember it so well.  John was absolutely delighted.

But the excitement of the concert.  It had got to such a hectic state.  They all had to leave the stage, back to the dressing room.  I think Paul had to go and ask people to quiet down, not to subdue anyone, but just for the fear of anybody getting hurt.  There are photographs to prove how bad it had gotten, with me running on stage.  I was never on stage with the Beatles before.  It was very exciting.