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Thursday, January 22, 2004

double take

I confess I didn't even notice the mistake:

The Beatles Live in Melbourne June 17 1967

We wish. Poor old Melbourne. On the second day of Monterey, the day China explodes its H bomb, the Seekers in the charts and six months to the day before Harold Holt disappears swimming off Portsea, the fab four weren't playing Festival Hall and weren't even holed up at the Southern Cross escaping the seething crowd.

Elsewhere on the previous day Paul admits to taking LSD.
"It opened my eyes. We only use one-tenth of our brain. Just think of what we could accomplish if we could only tap that hidden part! It would mean a whole new world if the politicians would take LSD. There wouldn't be any more war or poverty or famine."
- Paul McCartney, 1967
"I now realize that taking drugs was like taking an aspirin without having a headache.
- Paul McCartney, 1967
(source)

No doubt the gratuitous aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) would have added an extra dimension to the phantom concert. Googling the date returned this contemporary record from the diary of a young American which also touches on the subject of illicit substances. And also quite by coincidence, another Procol Harum page. (I was feeling kinda seasick as the ceiling flew away)

You have to wonder though if 67 could top the 64 gig:
On the spur of the moment we decided to drive into Melbourne to see the Beatles at the Southern Cross. Just to stand in that great seething crowd was one of the most amazing experiences of my young life. The crowd was so large and packed that it was not possible to leave or change position. As the crowd swayed you simply went with it, arms pinned to your side and feet barely touching the ground. But we did see them and the sense of excitement was totally electric (source)

Another who saw the show was Robert Whitaker - photographer of the famous "butcher" sleeve, who had been offered the position of staff photographer at NEMS
"I initially turned it down, but after seeing the Beatles perform at Festival Hall I was overwhelmed by all the screaming fans and I decided to accept the offer to return to England ".

Guess like 64 once the phanton psychadelic tornado passed, mondo melbourne would resume normal service, the Seekers on track, and flotsam would steadily collect in china cabinets.
For many years, the family had a patch from McCartney's shirt, which Mrs Peters remembers placing in "a beautiful ornament cabinet of her mother's

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