Sept. 8, 1964 - The hurricane-bound Beatles found Montreal a real breeze after they touched down there today on their North American tour.
Mop-topped George, John, Ringo, and Paul were met with maximum enthusiasm but minimum hysteria in two Montreal Forum shows during the eight hours they spent there before they flew off to Jacksonville, Fla., and a possible encounter with Hurricane Dora.
Behind them they left 12 teenaged girls treated for hysteria and minor cuts and bruises; a policeman recuperating from a bitten thumb; 500 tired, rain-soaked Montreal policemen, and a happy relieved staff at Montreal International Airport in Dorval.
Also behind they left 21,000 cheering, screaming, swooning fans; 22 songs; and a few gems of Beatlemania. Sample:
Q — What do the Beatles do when they’re cooped up in a hotel room between shows?
A — “We ice skate.”
The shaggy-haired four made two appearances, 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. In each show, they appeared on stage for 30 minutes and sang 11 songs, the same songs for each show.
Marvin Kane, who promoted the appearance of the Liverpool group, said 9,500 saw the afternoon show and 11,500 were present for the evening performance.
“Definitely a success,” he said. “We’re extremely pleased with both the Beatles’ performance and the behavior of the youngsters.”
A high-pitched collective shriek greeted the Liverpudlians as they made their appearance following the hour-and-a-half show by the supporting acts.
The shriek, which resounded throughout the lofty hockey palace, lasted close to two minutes.
At a massively attended press conference held at the Forum between the two shows, the Beatles seemed a little bored an extremely blasé as photographers and cameramen swarmed around them on the improvised stage. The screams of frustrated girls waiting outside the building sounded faintly in the background.
Paul McCartney said he and his fellow Beatles enjoy the screaming because “it adds to the atmosphere.”
The Beatles agreed unanimously that:
— None of them speak French.
— They have to stick together to succeed in show business.
— They would like to appear in future concerts anywhere there’s enough people and enough money.
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