Pages tagged with: beatles

When four young Liverpool musicians landed in Wellington on a lazy Sunday afternoon in June 1964, seven days of pandemonium erupted. Young New Zealanders flocked in their thousands to hear or just catch a glimpse of the famous 'Fab Four'.

The Beatles' 1964 tour occurred as New Zealand was undergoing a cultural shift, and many young people swapped their old image for the new 'mod' look.

Seven thousand screaming fans waited as The Beatles touched down at Wellington airport on 21 June 1964. As the band stepped off the plane, the fans' shrieks drowned out the noise of the jet engines.

Entertainment generally and music in particular have always been a part of the Wellington cafe scene.

A selection of the key events in New Zealand history from 1964

Auckland fans were as riotous as those in Wellington. The Beatles' music went almost unnoticed as everyone commented on the audience.

Pages from the Beatles programme for their tour of New Zealand in 1964

From the The Beatles and Rolling Stones to Tom Jones NZ had an extraordinary exposure to contemporary singers and groups at the height of their success in the 1960s

Hear an interview with George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Hear an interview with Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

A media scrum awaited The Beatles shortly after their arrival in Wellington on 21 June 1964.

Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison perform at one of The Beatles' Wellington concerts in June 1964.

Ringo Starr on the drums at one of The Beatles' Wellington concerts, 1964

Hear an interview with John Lennon.

Hear an interview with Ringo Starr.

Newspaper advertisement for The Beatles' concerts in Auckland on 24 and 25 June 1964

Beatles fans scream during one of the concerts at the Wellington Town Hall.

The Beatles stand on the balcony of the St George Hotel, Wellington, shortly after their arrival in New Zealand on 21 June 1964.

The Beatles shortly after arriving in Wellington on 21 June 1964

This shows a Beatles black plastic souvenir bag. The Beatles brand was highly sought after for a wide range of commodity products.