Monday (August 17) marked the 49th anniversary of my having seen The Beatles (The “Beatles” as shown on the concert ticket) live at the then-home arena of Toronto’s storied hockey team – Maple Leaf Gardens.
Although I published this almost semi-centenary event yesterday on just my Facebook music page, I decided to not only repost the JPEG of my treasured ticket stub here, but also add my recollection of the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This was prompted by an article in today’s (August 18) edition of The New York Times – written by Times critic Jeannette Catsoulis, who herself has fond and vivid memories of seeing The Fab Four live in her native Scotland in the mid-sixties.
In addition to her rather strident recollections, she points out how different times were in a simpler pre-internet/technology era of attending live concerts – one unencumbered and undistracted by the myriad of hi-tech gadgets we now possess, with the means to transmit the event via social media virtually as it’s happening.
The Official Beatles 1966 North American Tour Program
Here’s my first-hand account of what it was basically like, followed by The Times piece.
Wednesday, August 17, 1966 (2nd Show at 8:30 PM)
My ticket, Floor-Row LLL-Seat 20, was about two-thirds of the way back from the stage.
The sense of impatience as we sat through four opening acts (Barry & The Remains, The Ronettes, The Cyrcle and Bobby Hebb) was palpable, and the intense electricity in the air from the mounting excitement was something I’d never felt before – or since.
When The “Beatles” finally came on, as with every single one of the mostly hysterical fans (i.e. girls), I stood for the entire 30+ minutes, and, along with all floor seat folks, it was on the chair.
Every few seconds, delayed sound waves would arrive from the stage, wafting past my ears just long enough to recognize each song. But for the majority of time, their playing was inaudible.
The sustained mass pandemonium is difficult to describe – no doubt you’ve seen videos of Beatles concert fans, but to be IN it, with the simultaneous, unrelenting, high decibel assaults on one’s eardrums from screaming, yelling and crying (i.e. girls) is very hard to put into words. (Although it happened elsewhere throughout the delirious throng, no fainting occurred in my vicinity)
I surmise it would equate to being in a large building with 16,000 other people, with everyone yelling “Fire!” – but, strangely, no one is leaving. Just the hysterics – but 10 times crazier.
Rather than a pleasurable concert, it was, without question, a remarkable event deeply burned into one’s memory forever.
As one friend who attended with me, Tony Busbridge, commented Monday on my Facebook post, “I remember it like it was ‘Yesterday.'”
New Yorks Times Article
Source: NYTimes.com
