Beatles Tour De Force

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30342, 18 January 1964, Page 15

Beatles Tour De Force

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

PARIS, January 17. The mop-haired Beatles —in spite of power failures ' for their electric guitars and back-stage fist fights—scored a rousing tr’umph last night in their French debut at the Olympia music hall. The toast of Britain’s pop singers evoked standing applause from the firstnight audience, packed to the rafters in the 3000seat theatre. Several fights broke out back-stage as photographers tried to invade the Beatles' dressing room. During one melee, the Beatles’ road man-

ager, Mr Malcolm Evans, threw several photographers bodily out of the dressing room. There were about 300 photographers, reporters and hangers-on back-stage before the four went on. About 10 photographers tumbled ‘o the floor when a make-shift platform on which they were standing collapsed. There were no injuries, just several broken cameras. The B’aties hustled on to the stage through a gauntlet cf police, theatre employees and self-appointed bodyguards. On stage, the four brought loud applause with their bobbing and weaving delivery, although three

power fa'lures for the electric amplifiers on their guitars caused momentary pauses. But they quickly picked up their beat after brief apologies. Paris police turned out en masse. At least 300 completely surrounded the theatre in the glittering Opera quarter. They sealed-off a side street where the Beatles left the theatre under heavy guard, holding back a chanting crowd. The performance was the Beatles’ debut before a critical audience of France’s society elite. The young quartet appeared on Wednesday night in a try-out performance in Versailles.