UNITED STATES: 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATLES LEGENDARY SHEA STADIUM CONCERT IN NEW YORK

Record ID: 393426

  • Title: UNITED STATES: 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATLES LEGENDARY SHEA STADIUM CONCERT IN NEW YORK
  • Date: 4th August 2000
  • Summary: NEW YORK , USA (FILE 7 FEBRUARY 1964 ) (MONOCHROME) (REUTERS) BEATLES ARRIVING AT JFK AIRPORT FANS WAVING BEATLES FANS OUTSIDE HOTEL/ FAN HOLDING UP POSTER BEATLES FOREVER
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA65L3YLDI1UFSDGMJPWV9FSD94
  • Story Text: In 1965 popular music concerts were normally held in small clubs or theatres. But the arrival of the Beatles in the US in August of that year changed all that - and they made music history when they filled the Shea baseball stadium in New York thirty-five years ago today..
    Thirty five years ago today the Beatles created a world attendance and revenue record when they packed New York's Shea baseball stadium to play a concert - the first of its kind.
    Amid thick police cordons, the Beatles or the Fab Four as they became known, made their entrance on to the stage before 56,000 screaming fans.
    "It changed the face of music, it changed the venues where music was being exhibited," says original promoter Sid Bernstein.
    "Up until then it was nightclubs mainly, small venues, theatres, but going from Carnegie Hall, a theatre-size venue to a stadium suddenly turned the face of music all around, that's what the Beatles did."
    The concert began at 8pm, when the bemused Scousers wandered onto the field and began with 'Twist and Shout'.
    The sounds system was the regular PA system used during baseball games - so no-one could hear them.
    No-one seemed to mind.
    Even Elvis hadn't created as much hysteria.
    The Plaza Hotel, where the four young Liverpudlians were staying was in complete disarray. Doorman Edward Trinka, still remembers it clearly.
    "It was chaos out here. People were out here, waving and screaming - the girls. The police had all the barricades up.
    We had all our security on alert to make sure nobody sneaked in so it was very hectic"
    Bernstein said the boys were shocked by the welcome "They were just the boys next door. Totally bewildered, amazed, excited about the crowds outside their hotel window.
    When they pulled up one by one at the Plaza and seen this huge crowd they later told me - this is more exciting that itsd been for us in England. Which was hard for me to believe - but it probably was."
    It was not long after the concert that John Lennon made the comment about The Beatles being more popular that Jesus.
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