"We're quite normal," John Lennon tells a mesmerized and befuddled crowd
of local reporters and fans (and reporters who were unabashed fans)
during a press conference in Cleveland on Sept. 15, 1964. When asked
what they'll be doing after the newser, he effects his most extreme and
goofy British accent and says, "Have a jolly good cup of tea!"
Self-aware and witty always.
 |
| Beatles Press Conference September 15th 1964 Sheraton Hotel DJ's in background Radio Station WHK, Cleveland Ohio. |
The whole video offers some really terrific looks into the band's
weariness with asinine questions about, you know, their hair and their
opinions of America.
The press conference came about hours before the Beatles took the stage
at Cleveland Public Auditorium — 50 years ago today. That show was
riddled with the era's patent Beatlemania, complete with a "riot" the
likes of which local police hadn't anticipated.
 |
| Police Inspector Carl Bear of Cleveland’s Juvenile Bureau, left, orders George and the other members of The Beatles, off the stage of the Public hall, Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 16, 1964 as teenagers rushed the stage. Bear let the group back on after wailing youngsters were given 15 minutes to cool down. From left to right, Bear, George,John,unknown, and Ringo, top right. |
The Cleveland Public Hall just couldn’t stand the heat of Beatlemania.
Check out the photo of Carl Bear of the Cleveland police ordering the Beatles
to leave the stage because the thousands of screaming fans were being
unruly and needed time to calm down before they could resume wailing at
the top of their lungs once the Fab Four returned.
Fans reportedly jumped over police barricades, stormed the stage, and
generally acted unruly as they basically lost their minds during the
show. It is a microcosm of just how deeply the Beatles affected young
fans’ minds when they invaded America that year.
No comments:
Post a Comment