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A Hard Day’s Night in Manila

July 4, 1966. The Beatles performed for the first and last time in the Rizal Baseball Stadium in Manila for 2 shows. Though the concert numbered 80,000 people in attendance, the highly successful show was highly marred by 2 incidents that made the Beatles never to set foot again in the Philippines. This was due to miscommunication, lack of understanding or just sheer bravado on both sides.

Then First Lady Imelda Marcos invited the group to a courtesy call at 4PM, but the group declined because the first show is to start at 4PM. But with 100 kids in the Malacañang, they were invited for a supposed meet and greet the Beatles at 11AM. The Beatles did not come, because they arrived shortly before that and they say they did not recieve invites. A day after the concert, newspaper’s headlines flash the Beatles “snub” of the President. Upon leaving the country they were manhandled on their way to airport, with all transport and security arrangements removed, and booed by the people on their way to home.

The group tried to apologized to the Filipinos but at the middle of the press conference, the live transmission would turn static (on Marcos’ orders, in consipracy) and the public apology will not be heard (2 decades later, the law of retribution worked, the Inauguration of Marcos on 1986, the live transmission of the inauguration will also be cut off) on National Telly.

The Manila incident will make the Beatles stop tours from then on.

More Readings on the Matter:

http://991.com/Buy/TopItems/LennonGlasses/Stiffed.aspx

http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/db1966.0708.beatles.html

(via theurbanhistorian)