A fan gets to Ringo

Photos of a fan that actually made it to Ringo on stage in Sweden in 1963.    Good thing Mal always had the boys' back, right?

Performing in Rome in 1965

Mary Smith --- we salute you!

Whenever I think of the Beatles concert at Forest Hills Stadium in New York, I automatically think of Mary Smith.

Mary was the girl who rushed the stage and actually got on stage with the Beatles and grabbed George.   She didn't cause any harm and I always just admire the guts she had to run for it and I am shocked that she was successful! 

Mary had snuck away to go to the concert and her parents did not know she was there.   Mary took off her shoes and ran for the Beatles.    If you want to read more about Mary's time to shine, you must read Chuck Gunderson's book, Some Fun Tonight.   He really goes into detail about Mary Smith.  (There is a link on top of this page so you can buy the book).

Auckland concert memories

If you recall, John Lennon refused to perform in Auckland if there was not proper security.   The police of the town claimed that they would not receive it because they were not royalty.   And so the Beatles almost didn't perform in Auckland.   Derek Taylor was all set to call off the show, but the Beatles had a change of heart because they did not want to disappoint their fans.

While there weren't any police to escort the Beatles to the Town Hall, there were plenty of police inside of the venue.  They would only allow the concert-goers to enter the concert hall two at a time, which caused the some of the fans to miss some of the show (the exact same thing happened when I saw Paul McCartney in concert in 2002---there was no much security after 9/11 that they were only allowing us in two at a time---and some fans missed the beginning of the show because of it. Luckily I got there way early).

Once they got inside, the Auckland fans had a great time.  It was reported, "When John said, 'We're gonna sing an oldie called 'She Loves You,' the crowd went wild and they could have been singing anything at all and the crowd would have been none the wiser."

There was a bit of rowdy behavior from the fans, but nothing too wild.  Derek Taylor said, "The Wellington audiences had been more staid than those in Auckland, the Beatles were very pleased with last nights show."

Looks like someone got up on stage!

Some concert memories

As a twenty year old I was very fortunate to go to TWO Beatle concerts at the Auckland Town Hall!

On the 6.00 pm session of the first night I drove three girls from work, at Papakura, in my treasured A35 and with my cousin sat in great seats in the stalls. The noise was deafening yet wonderful!  At some stage I remember (much to my female cousin's disgust) finding myself on the floor. I soon got up tho'.

The next night I, and a female friend, attended the 8.30 pm session and that again was a wild night. 

I distinctly remember my friend, who was a devout George Harrison fan, just sitting there with her mouth wide open but no sound was coming out. I was getting a bit concerned but realised that she was just so enraptured seeing George it was all she could do!!!

After the performance I recall going to the Royal International on Victoria Street West and standing in the street chanting "the Beatles". However I don't think they did appear. 

Well there are my memories - I still have the Ticket Stubs, the Program and my still immaculate Beatle Boots to prove the "point"!- Garry F B, Auckland CBD 

As a then 20 year old, I went to see them at the Auckland Town Hall with two flatmates. 

One flatmate was madly in love with Paul McCartney, so much so that her boyfriend bore an uncanny resemblance to said Paul. 

They had front row circle tickets and didn't hear any music through the screaming, to which she contributed mightily. 

The other flatmate and I had our tickets in the choir stalls behind the stage, consequently, could hear the music quite well, and I remember that Ringo kept turning around and waving to us.  I also remember leaving the Town Hall with my ears ringing from all the screaming, which was probably the start of the tinnitus from which I now suffer!  Wonderful memories as I have always loved their music. -- Jenny H.


I went to the concert with a boy I wanted to impress, so I didn't wear my glasses and The Beatles were just a blur in the distance.  We were all screaming.  Screaming was a way of loving them.  They gave us so much and we just had to give it all back to them.-- Susan
 

Fans went a little wild in Wellington

At some of the Wellington concerts, the fans got a little crazy.   No one got seriously hurt, but the fans did start to move out of their seats and forward toward the stage when the Beatles came on.  Many fans tried to get onto the stage, and few of them were successful.  In his 1999 book, The Beatles in New Zealand, Bruce Renwick says this:

Police battled with hundreds of screaming teenager in near riot scenes, forcing girls back to their seats.   Everyone of the seventy strong police contingent was called to a position in front of the stage to reinforce a wall of constables fighting a losing battle with the crowd.  Policemen were knocked to the ground or slid helplessly towards the stage under the pressure of the surging fans.  People sitting in the front row were advised to move aside when the crowd showed signs of getting out of control.  By the time the police had formed a wedge in front of the hall, the entire crowd was on its feet and surging forward.  Screaming girls climbed over seats to get close to their idols.  The crowd came in waves and the police only had enough time to deal with one outbreak before another would surge towards them.  As the group sang it's last song, a solid wall of fans was struggling with the police.   One fan did manage to get on stage and almost knocked a bemused Ringo from his stool before four burly policemen got on the stage and grabbed the youth and tossed him back up the stairs.  Ringo who was taken totally was surprise was able to still smile cheerily at the youth.  Paul was nearly dragged into the crowd but the four remained straight faced throughout the incident and did not stop playing.   Some of the more exuberant girls were almost catapulted back into their seats by the arms of the law.  Paul facetiously commented later that it 'got a bit exciting towards the end, we were hoping for few fans on stage dancing, but the police dragged them back. '

This Wellington concert photo shows some of the chaos that broke out

This is what the newspaper said

First, two girls started dancing in front of their seats from the time the Beatles started their first number, then two more girls tried to invade the stage and so it went, with someone always on their feet from then on.   Four girls were next to venture into the aisles twitching, stiff limbed and glassy eyed in time with the music.  Police rushed from the stage to stop them.  It wasn't the right place for the Birdland Twitch or the Hippy Hippy Shake.  Two youths then rushed the stage but were similarly dissuaded, but soon scores of young people in the stalls were on their feet.  Police were on their  feet too, guarding the stage.  One young acrobat dived between the police, ran along the stage and grabbed Paul before the police removed him off the stage.  He was last seen retiring to the back of the hall holding his stomach.  Two other youths also succeeded in mounting the stage but they too were individualists, with insufficient backing, causing their success to be brief.   The crowd standing in the aisles meanwhile pressed forward with a couple of the more husky ones attempting to wrestle with the police.  Some verbal abuse was given and the police needed reinforcements when they were pushed back.  From the stage it was obvious to see that the melees were getting closer and things were getting rougher.  Finishing their last song the Beatles were off and away before the fans knew anything and when the National Anthem started a few second later practically everyone was on their feet, if only to see what was happening.  There was no more trouble and the crowd dispersed but no bodies were left behind, not even a fainted one and there had been no arrests.

Fans at the Beatles concert, Wellington Town Hall, June 1964
Photographer: Morrie Hill
Reference number: 1/4-071853-F
Cellulose triacetate negative.
Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library

The Dominion Post Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library".

 In this photo, the constable in the helmet is Trevor Morley, who worked all four of the Beatles concert in Wellington.   He is currently trying to find out who fan in this photo is.  So if any of you know him, let me know because I have the email address to contact.   He says, "At the time things were pretty hectic in the Town Hall, so there was no thought of arresting him.  We were just trying to get him off the stage, so I didn't get time to get his name."  (Thanks to Lucy Atkins for sending me the article).



Of course not everyone recalls there being a surging crowd during those shows.   Damien O'Shaughnessy who attended the 3rd show said in 1984,

There were no great crowd surges at the concert I was at.  The occasional girl would run down the aisle and try and throw herself on the stage and just get dragged away.

On stage with John in Melbourne

I love the stories of the few fans that actually made it up on stage with the Beatles in concert.  I should make a list of the fans that actually accomplished this difficult task.   One such fan was Brent McAuslan, who got onstage and shook John's hand in Melbourne, Australia. 

This story was written by Aaron Landmaid and you can find it here. 

 

THE Beatles had been on stage for more than half an hour and had worked the packed crowd at Melbourne’s Festival Hall into a frenzy. 

As the Fab Four launched into their final song, John Lennon suddenly spotted a young Aussie striding across the stage to meet him.

The kid wasn’t meant to be there. Police and soldiers had created a ring of steel around the biggest band in the world.

Shocked, but seemingly impressed, Lennon smiled widely and held out his hand.

“How are you, cobber?’’ he asked.

The teenager placed his hands on Lennon’s shoulders in a brief moment of admiration and then turned to face a squad of stern-faced police.

Fifty years later, the ­moment Brent McAuslan met a Beatle is still etched into his memory.

It had been a spontaneous decision for the then 19-year-old. Though, he now admits, the bold move was made easier after he asked a friend to run ahead of him to distract police.

It gave Mr McAuslan a brief window of opportunity and he made his dash for the stage and the history books.

The moment he stood next to The Beatles was captured in print and in grainy TV footage.

“It was the last song so I knew if I got thrown out afterwards I wasn’t going to miss anything,” Mr McAuslan said.

“I got so close to him I could see the makeup caked on to his face and the sweat breaking through it all - it was a remarkable moment for me.’’

Walked off stage, Mr McAuslan said he was trapped against a wall by police. But as the band came off stage themselves, Paul McCartney told them to let him go.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal,” Mr McAuslan said. “But I think the cops thought I made them look stupid.

“Then when Paul told them to let me go, it was like Moses parting the waters. They just let me go back into the crowd.’’

As he did so, he told a Melbourne Sun reporter: “I won’t wash my hand for years.”

Now 69 and living on the Gold Coast, the lifelong Beatles fan has been the subject of numerous interviews and a mini-documentary. Footage of his feat even featured in the recent Martin Scorsese documentary about the life of George Harrison.

“It’s my 15 minutes of fame that never seems to end,” he said.

A short (only 6 or 7 minutes) film was made about him and I posted the video link from youtube below.  

 

Fans gone wild

What a photo!!  

Short fan

Ringo is quoted as saying at this moment, "the fans are getting smaller!"   Look at that smile on Richy's face!   How sweet!

I'm Really Down

he never missed a beat

If you look closely, two guards are pulling a girl off Ringo in this photo.  You can just barely see part of her.   And there is Ringo. just keeping his head bobbing and drum sticks flying.  

Can anyone tell what concert this is?? 

Ger Your Wings!!

Tonight I have a story from the 1976 Wings Over America tour.   It is from the May/June 1976 issue of the Harrison Alliance.   Several fans from this fanzine who lived out on the east coast did a mini-tour of concert dates during the tour and got to see Paul outside his hotel in New York a few times.   The best part for me is when the fan in Boston got on stage.  Funny!   This story was written by Jennie Swenton.

Paul performing in Boston.  Photo:  Blue Packard

Get your Wings!

Jennie Swenton

Just a week and a half after the Philly show we were off again – bound for Boston this time.  The show in Boston was tremendous, the best of of the give I went to.   There’s no doubt that Boston absolutely loves Wings, which of course helped the band put on an even better show.  The excitement was tremendous throughout the show.  We were all up on our chairs for the first three numbers, and many of us were up on our feet at many points through-out the show.  Towards the end of the evening, Patti, Jude and I managed to work our way up front of about the 5^th row where I ended up standing on a chair along with two guys, while Jude and Patti squirmed up a couple more rows.  Things were pretty wild by this time.  Someone threw a sneaker up on stage, hitting Paul’s guitar.  Something else flew up on stage and nearly clipped him in the head.  Very close to the end of the show some guy ran up on stage and hugged Paul.  Paul had his back to the guy and the guy hugged him from behind and Paul turned around really surprised, his eyes open wide.  I couldn’t see all that was going on, but I remember seeing Paul shake the guy’s hand.  (Though I must say, to my eyes Paul looked a bit scared through all of this).  Then this fellow grabbed the mike and shouted, “I love Paul McCartney!!  I love this man!”  Paul’s reaction was hysterical – he shrugged his shoulders and with the funniest 

expression on his face, said, “I love him too!”   The band returned for the 1^st encore, “Hi Hi Hi” but didn’t come back for “soily,” apparently because things were getting rowdy.  I can’t say I blame them, especially after that fellow got up on stage.  I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm, but when things like that happen it must get rather frightening for the band!

After the gig in Boston it was off for home a day’s stopover in beautiful scenic Terryville, Connecticut (home of the Harrison Alliance).  We left Monday for New York City.  The stay in New York was to turn out much more exciting than we ever imagined.  After we’d arrived in the city and checked into our own hotel, we went up to the Stanhope, where Paul was staying (the rest of the band was at the St. Regis hotel).  We knew he had to come out in late afternoon as he had been arriving at the various arenas around 5 or 6 o’clock.  By late afternoon quite a crowd had gathered, all of us waiting for Paul.  Round about 5:00 Paul’s limo pulled up and “the big moment” was approaching.  I’d never seen Paul close up before, just at the concerts, and had only seen him going by in the limos in Philly and Boston, so this also was something I’d been waiting for a long time for.  I didn’t actually see Paul come out other door but did see  him once he was outside, and his eyes went WIDE open when he saw all the people waiting.  He looked genuinely surprised at how many people were waiting for him.  Blue was off to his side and he recognized her, having seen her in the front row in Boston; he looked at her and gave her a big smile,  stepped back and threw up his hands in surprise.  Then everyone crowded around him as he tried to make his way from the hotel door to the car.  Patti tells me he was looking all around saying “where’s the car?  Where’s the car?” and I know he did look a bit scared.  I was near the edge of the sidewalk and he passed right near me – just a bodyguard between him and me.  Linda was there near him and someone called her name and she turned in my direction.  She really is beautiful; her photos simply don’t do her justice.  The same is true for Paul, 100 times over – I still can’t get over how handsome he is, how dark his hair is and how lovely his eyes are.

After the gig that night we all went up to the Stanhope to wait for Paul and Linda.  Once again there were quite a few of us waiting.  I figured we’d have a long wait, but Paul and Linda arrived at around 1:30am.   Paul looked terrific – very tanned from his vacation in the sun before the tour.  He was all smiles and was wearing the jeans, dark print shirt and brown leather jacket he’d had on that afternoon, as well as a black and white tweed cap (like the one he wore in one of the pics in the “People” article done last year).  There were a lot of people around him near the car but Jude, Patti, Blue and I were near the hotel door.  I was trying to see everything at once, trying to get a really good look at him in the short time it took for him to walk from the car to the hotel.  Just before he opened the door to go in, Jude somehow got in front of him and managed to give him a little kiss on the cheek, and he sort of went “ahh” as he went into the hotel.  We watched Linda and him through the glass door until they went upstairs, then waited for Rose (housekeeper/nanny from their home in London) and bade her goodnight as she left for her hotel.

Both the concerts in New York were terrific – Paul’s voice was a little hoarse the first night but the 2^nd night he sounded better.  There were a few technical flaws in the show the first evening but no one really seemed to notice.  The show was being filmed the 2^nd night so Paul was hamming it up a bit more than usual.  Wings seem to have an endless amount of energy and they generate such excitement.  I was very glad to see people accept Wings as a unit.

Wednesday (May 26) Paul was leaving New York to move on to Chicago, so we were once again at the Stanhope to try and see him one last time.  We waited there all day, worried that we’d have to leave for home before he came out.  About a half hour before we were to leave, though, Rose arrived, and someone who had been down at the St. Regis told us it looked like the band was about ready to leave there.  Then and there we decided to take a later bus home.  We really didn’t think we’d see him though.  We’d been waiting for so long, and couldn’t believe our luck would hold out for one more time.  It was an agonizing wait, those last couple hours, wondering if he’d come out before we had to go.  After a while all the luggage was brought down and put into a rented van, so we knew it would be soon. 

Finally, Paul came out – in front of him, someone from the tour staff was carrying Mary, and then came Paul carrying Stella.  I didn’t get a very good look at the kids (just the backs of their heads), but Patti and Jude assure me they’re beautiful.  I certainly saw Paul – he looked very good in a pinstripe blue suit with a red carnation in his lapel.  I stood there looking at him and trying to remember his every feature, again marveling at how handsome he really is, realizing this was the last time I’d see him in a long time.  As he put Stella in the car he noticed Linda wasn’t there with him and he was looking around, a concerned look on his face – then he saw her coming and waiting outside the limo until she reached the car, too.  Heather was also there someplace, but with the crowd of people there, I didn’t see her.  Once the whole family was in the car, off they went, with a few people running down the block after them.  Right after they left, we headed towards home; delirious with happiness, knocked out that so much had happened in those three short days. 

photo:  Blue Packard