5th Beatle

THE LONELY WAIT

It was a melancholy ex-Beatle who waited alone yesterday at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, for his plane to take him home to England. Not a fan turned up to say goodbye to Jimmy Nicol, the drummer who stood in for Ringo Starr at the start of the Beatles’ Australian tour. The lone departure was in sad contrast to the frenzied welcome Melbourne gave the group the day before.

Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995), Tuesday 16 June 1964, page 1

MELBOURNE, Monday.

The first concert of the Beatles in Melbourne tonight passed off surprisingly without incident. Earlier, however, workmen, whose patience came to an end, turned a fire hose full force on a band of Beatle fans who tried to storm the car park entrance of the Southern Cross Hotel. The workmen were repairing the door after the hysteria yesterday and their patience gave out when they used the fire hose to drive back defiant and drenched fans.

Festival Hall, the venue for the two Beatle performances, was packed by teen-agers who frustrated efforts to hear the group with continual screaming and applause. The famous four pounded out 10 songs in half an hour, apparently oblivious of the noisy audience.