Beatles Festival (The Australian): In the Adelaide City region of South Australia
It’s about forty years since The Beatles taught South Australians how to play.
On the June Long Weekend in 1964 The Fab Four arrived at Adelaide Airport - minus Ringo Star who was ill at the time. Jimmy Nichol replaced him for the Adelaide leg of the Beatle’s Tour. But even without Ringo, nothing could dampen Adelaide's enthusiasm for the mop-tops from Liverpool as Beatlemania hit town.
Thousands of people lined the streets from the Airport along Tapleys Hill Road and Anzac Highway all the way into the city. Kids either wagged school or were given the day off to see their idols.
Well-known Adelaide radio personality, Bob Francis was there and he can vividly remember the open-topped car pulling into a sea of people outside the Adelaide Town Hall.
“It was probably the most exciting day I've ever had in my life. The build up of three or four weeks of getting petitions and all that sort of stuff…to actually be here on the Town Hall balcony. And then you'd say hello to Paul McCartney and the bloody roar would be monstrous. It was quite amazing.”
Adelaide’s population at the time was about nine hundred thousand people and it’s said three hundred thousand came out to welcome The Beatles.
“John Lennon made the comment that the Adelaide reception was one of the best receptions they'd ever had in the world. George Harrison made comment many times when he came back to Adelaide for the Grand Prix, that he remembers Adelaide so well for the reception that he was given here.”
For the Beatles, life in the gold fish bowl of publicity had begun in earnest but it didn't stop George from turning the camera on us as he tried to come to grips with the enormity of Beatlemania Adelaide-style. For three days they were the dominant power holed up in their rooms at the old South Australian Hotel across the road from Parliament House.
Photographer Vic Grimmett covered the event for the Women's Weekly and he remembers the press conference and the impression the charming lads from Liverpool made on the people of Adelaide. He also has fond memories of the late John Lennon who saved his cover shot when another news-hound stepped in front of his camera.
“I said ‘excuse me,’ then Lennon said, ‘Hey come on. It's his shoot you've had your turn... Give him a go.’ So I took the photograph. They were great blokes... couldn't be nicer.”
People were dancing in the streets during that weekend. It was a time when the duffle coat was king, Can't Buy Me Love was in the charts and, sadly many couldn't buy a ticket to one of the Beatles sold-out concerts at Centennial Hall.
Vic was there and his photos are now collector's items. So too is all the other paraphernalia tucked away in sheds and bank vaults around the world.
Collector Graham Linton boasts sought after items like a Beatles pyjama holder, Beatles talcum powder and even Beatles sneakers. “There aren’t many sneakers in this condition - still in their box.” He said proudly as showing off his collection which included another highly desirable item. “This record player is from America - it’s the official Beatles record player, complete with some old 45s.”
Graham’s collection also contains a series of figurines; “These are Colgate bubble bath holders. Only Paul and Ringo were made.”
From rare albums to a model kit of the Yellow Submarine, the memorabilia will be on show over the June long weekend (2004). Fans will be able to look back on the impact of the Beatles tour and the shows they played at Centennial Hall.
Peter Martin plays "Paul" and Max Fredericks is "John" in the local cover group, the Fab Four. They’ll recreate the shows of the 12th and 13th of June, 1964.
“We're going to recreate the whole thing. We're going to play and do everything the Beatles did. It's gonna be fun. It happened forty years ago in this very building.”
But the final word on the hysteria of ’64 goes to Vic Grimmett. “When I walked outside a girl with a camera in her bag said ‘Did you see the Beatles? Did you touch them?’ I said I did. ‘Can I touch your hand?’ That's true you know - the kids were wrapped up with it.”
The Australian Beatles Festival is on from June the 11th to the 14th and will include Beatles cover-bands, memorabilia displays, a Beatles Movie Marathon and more. For ticket details contact Bass on 131 246.
Australian Beatles Festival
June 11 - 14
Centennial Hall, Wayville & other venues
For bookings contact Bass on 131 246
