Scene but not heard: Beatles at the Forum

The Beatles concert at the Montreal Forum started at 4 p.m. on this date in 1964 -- not that early when you consider the young age -- and early bedtimes -- of their mostly juvenile fans.
One eyewitness described the scene: The (pre-renovation) Forum was packed from floor to rafters -- 10,000 spectators, most of whom looked to be about 13 or 14 years old. Eight out of ten of them were girls.
There were several backup acts, including a "rather bad" francophone singing group, a better twist orchestra, a quartet of "black singers" that earned their name of The Exciters followed by an American female singer and a black singer [most group and performer names were not given - ed].
When the Beatles finally appeared, thousands of hands started clapping and teenagers began screaming and pushing themselves towards the stage.
The Beatles played a 35-minute set but their songs were completely drowned out by the constant screaming of the fans. At the end of the 35 minutes, Paul announced that the next song would be the last. The screams got even louder. The eyewitness had to block her ears.
Then the Beatles left, "like gods indifferent to the supplications of their faithful." Moments later, John and Paul returned to the stage to acknowledge the cheering -- John "coldly," and Paul "with more warmth and and a disarming smile."
The screams persisted for several minutes. The 100 or so guards on duty to help avert a feared panic began to herd the crowd towards the exits. Guards had to restrain girls who were overcome with emotion. One young girl had to be taken away in an ambulance.
Everywhere, girls' eyes were reddened and swollen by tears.
When asked why the Beatles made them cry, one trembling teenaged girl said "It's stronger than us."
Why did they scream if they came to hear the Beatles?
"It doesn't matter if we don't hear them," she said. "We have their records."
They did not come to hear the Beatles, after all. They came to demonstrate an admiration touching on idolatry.
Nobody seemed surprised that the Beatles were only on stage for half an hour, but they did seem disappointed.
At the end of the evening's entertainment, the spectators -- who paid $4.50 and $5.50 for their tickets -- were more worn out than disappointed.
An hour later, the gum-chewing Beatles -- looking fresh and relaxed -- appeared before journalists to answer questions. But the eyewitness, a French-speaking journalist, had difficulty understanding the English being spoken at the press conference. She left early and, by some coincidence, ran into the Fab Four as they were being escorted out by a dozen or so security guards. The ever considerate Paul hesitated, asking the journalist what it was she had struggled to ask during the conference. But she was not given a chance to reply for just then, one of the security guards grabbed her by the shoulders and hustled her along, as if she were some kind of fanatic. The Beatles, too, were rushed brusquely away.