Have you ever been to a BEATLES concert?

Well this is going to date me but... When the Beatles were just starting out, they toured all of the UK and Ireland, including my hometown of Belfast. At that time, "stars" didn’t do solo tours but went on the road as part of a package deal, meaning that the shows were set up much in the old "vaudeville" style - there would be a compere who Emcee’d the show, another group or two from the same management stable and usually a comedian to fill the breaks between acts who usually played for about 20-25 minutes each. I only remember a couple of the other acts who were on the same bill: a girl group, the Liverpool singer Cilla Black, the comedian (who’s name escapes me but I know he didn’t have an easy time of it from all those frantic kids waiting to see their heroes!) and a sort of "Beatle-clone" group from the same record label.

Fearing that we wouldn’t get tickets for the event, a group of us young teens took sleeping bags, flasks of tea and packets of sandwiches (prepared by our rather concerned Mums) and headed on down to the theatre to camp overnight on the pavement (sidewalk). I was only 15 so my Mum only reluctantly agreed because I was in a crowd.By the time the box office opened in the morning, the line of sleepy teenagers went all the way around quite a large city block. I’m afraid I don’t remember much about that concert: we had cheaper seats up in the "circle" (not quite the "nose-bleeds" but almost!

), and we young ladies took a lot of care in getting ourselves primped for the evening - teased-up bouffant hairstyles, almost white make up, pale lipstick, extreme black eyeliner (the wags among the boys in our clique called it the "Raccoon Welsh" look! For those who may not make the connection, Raquel Welsh was one of the 60’s sex symbols gracing our movie posters at that time) - I had to borrow make-up from an older friend and apply it well away from the critical eye of my Mum who thought I was too young for that "warpaint". Think sort of early 60's Ronettes fashion but with pale Irish skin and red hair!

We more or less politely waited through all of the other acts, getting more and more restive as the "big moment" approached. I had scoffed at all of the screaming I had seen on TV programmes where the Beatles appeared and was 100% certain that I certainly wouldn’t stoop to something like that! I remained convinced of that until the curtains opened and there they stood with those cute hairstyles and the round-collared jackets, almost lost from sight in a hale of jelly-babies (candies) and stuffed toys thrown onstage by their adoring fans!

All I can remember about that concert is being engulfed in a wave of mass hysteria, screaming my lungs out and pulling at my painstakingly styled bouffant hairstyle until all the bobbypins scattered and I was left looking as if (to quote my mother) "I’d been dragged through a hedge backwards"! A year later, the Beatles came back to Belfast, this time to a much larger venue and I don’t remember having to "sleep over" to get tickets for that one. By that time I had met and was dating (during his very infrequent concert stops in Belfast) a guitarist from one of the groups who toured as back-up for such stars as Brenda Lee, Little Richard and the Liverpool lads themselves so I got a backstage pass to that concert.

The "Fab Four" were, however, extremely well screened off from the rest of the world by then so even if, to my disappointment, the pass didn’t lead to a "meet and greet" with John, Paul, George and Ringo, I did at least get to see them up close (they passed me within touching distance). Of course, I was also too cool by then to scream and actually did hear some of their music that time. What an era!

Video Beatles 1962 .

Damn... stop that! Did we share a childhood or something? Yes, The Cow Palace (got to love that name) in 1965 (August?) in SF.

I was 13 and my mom drove me there, waited in the car ('57 Chevy BelAire wagon) and drove me home after. Couldn’t hear for beans (duh... what kind of acoustics would you expect in a livestock exhibition hall with the amps in those days?) but I was there.... Nosebleed seats (before the term was coined) but you *could* see them and you could scream and we did.... Now, if you were to ask me, I would have followed the Stones I think... but at that moment the Beatles were gods. Sources: the rummage room of my soul .

1 unixcorn, regarding your answer "damn... stop that! Did we share a childhood or something? ": I WAS BORN IN 1953 -I have a good hard drive and terrific RAM (in my head ) I remember everything ,the hard part is recall = RAM ,but I do ASKVILLE IS A GOOD PLACE TO DO THIS -, so I stood outside SHEA Stadium (ny mets) and enjoyed the same acoustics as you but sadly without a god in sight G O N-b .

Unixcorn, regarding your answer "damn... stop that! Did we share a childhood or something? ": I WAS BORN IN 1953 -I have a good hard drive and terrific RAM (in my head ) I remember everything ,the hard part is recall = RAM ,but I do ASKVILLE IS A GOOD PLACE TO DO THIS -, so I stood outside SHEA Stadium (ny mets) and enjoyed the same acoustics as you but sadly without a god in sight G O N-b.

3 Sorry about the Video blank in my answer G/O/N-b! I couldn't find the one I wanted! .

Sorry about the Video blank in my answer G/O/N-b! I couldn't find the one I wanted!

" "when and why did the beatles split" "A fantasy Concert, They have them for Football. Music lovers lets hear your line up.

A vietnam era musical with music from the beatles.

A fantasy Concert, They have them for Football. Music lovers lets hear your line up.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.