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When The Beatles arrived in Adelaide
“When The Beatles arrived in Adelaide they were greeted by the largest crowd ever seen in their touring career—estimates as high as 300,000 while Adelaide’s population being less than 1 million—one-third of the city had turned out to greet them.”
Now when Mona and Lisa arrived in Adelaide 45 years later, at the tender age of 14/15, in 2009, I didn’t even know they existed. And unfortunately for me, it would be several years before I discovered them on YouTube and thus began my epic efforts to find out as much about these, talented, passionate, diligent and totally adorable Twins as I could.
It is my wish that when the MonaLisa Twins make their triumphant return to Adelaide, they are so well known that they receive the keys to the city!
I believe Mona and Lisa have advised us that they chose Adelaide, the driest city in the driest state, in the driest country in the world, as it was so isolated that they would be forced to speak English as no one spoke German in this remote (from Europe), part of the world. They even initially attended different schools and were billeted with different families.
This is a remarkable undertaking from twins who I imagine would have been rarely separated for any length of time from birth, and is testament to their vision and mission of creating something truly beautiful. We are fortunate they had a father who believed in them and supported their dreams, as well as an awesome stepmum who has also been there for them.
Well, they have succeeded in their endeavours and members of this Club in particular are the beneficiaries of their dream as we join them on their continuing magical mystery tour of discovery and creativity. I can’t help but feel that Mona and Lisa were aware of the awesome support for everything Beatles and music in Adelaide from that moment they arrived here in 1964, when they made their decision to spend their six month school exchange in Adelaide. Many of Australia’s finest groups emerged from Adelaide following the Beatles’ 1964 visit.
“On the 12th June 1964, The Beatles arrived in Adelaide, Australia and were met with huge rapturous crowds on an unprecedented scale. It was reported that over 300,000 people waved and welcomed the band as they took a convertible car ride to the city centre. They played four concerts at the Adelaide Centennial Hall, performing to packed audiences of those lucky fans who got tickets.”
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5 Replies
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Nice read Howard.
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Some of the most popular groups emerging from Adelaide in the sixties were the Twilights, the Masters Apprentices, the Vibrants and Zoot who all made a national impression—and all had to move to Melbourne to do it. And from 1973, Cold Chisel and from 1974, The Angels.
“Because I Love You” (Acoustic version) – Masters Apprentices
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Remember 1970? Well of course Mona and Lisa wouldn’t and I imagine their father would have difficulty too. For those of you who weren’t there, this is what it was like Downunder!
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Very groovy, Howard. (Or, from a northern hemisphere perspective, hilly.) Looks like they were ahead of the curve with regard to the early rock-and-roll nostalgia wave that I had thought started with American Graffiti.
I actually recognize the announcer for this show from a video I once found of Bruce Woodley performing Friday Man. He’s got a wonderful voice. (Well, both of them, actually.)
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When the Beatles did their first concert in Canada later in the summer (August 1964), in Vancouver, they were received like heroes, but unlike Adelaide where everything went really well, the police were ill prepared to control the over enthusiastic audience (never before seen in Canada) and it turned into a riot and the show ended early unfortunately.
Some interesting never before seen Beatles footage in this short video.
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