Essen • 5pm show

[…] We arrived at the concert venue at the same time as the cavalcade – and swept through a fierce guard of leather-booted police with guns at their hips and huge muzzled dogs at their heels.

At Essen, the brutality started to show itself. At each concert, over-enthusiastic fans were dragged outside and on several occasions were beaten up by bouncers who apparently seemed to enjoy it.

Later, I asked Ringo what the Beatles thought about this sort of thing and whether they were aware of it.

“We know about it and we hate it,” he said. “It’s happened in other places too. We get really mad and once John even jumped off stage to try to stop it. But you can’t, they don’t take any notice.” […]

From Melody Maker – July 2, 1966

[…] Again it was the white Mercedes plus police motorcade which took us on a very slow drive to the Grugehalle in Essen. The reason for driving at a funeral march pace, was so that we’d arrive after the audience had gone to their seats.

There were two dressing-rooms set aside for the Beatles — one was for the boys to change in, the other was used for lounging in.

Essen proved to be the wildest concert — John was working the audience into a frenzy by getting down on his knees and shouting “Meine Kinde” with arms outstretched. But the biggest ovation of all was when Paul announced Ringo — the crowd went absolutely potty.

After the first show everyone had a meal in the dressing room and at the same time stared in wonderment at the crowd outside. Five thousand strong wouldn’t move, they kept chanting “we want the Beatles”.

It was now time for their press conference, which followed the same pattern as the previous one, with the exception that the questions asked were even more inane. […]

From The Beatles Monthly Book – August 1966