It was 50 years ago today

Beatles last concert, at Candlestick Park.

The Beatles Setlist at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

My question: How did they get away with playing an 11-song setlist? It appears to be the same 11-song setlist on every tour stop, as well.

 

I saw someone say online that it took longer to get out of the parking lot than they were on stage.

It is pretty crazy. I know they hated touring, and a long show wasn't necessary to sell out, but holy fuck, that's a short set.

 

Beatles fans aren't very smart.

 

Maybe every song was Freebird! live length. Or as long as one Dead song.

 

It is my understanding that it was a combination of most concert tours featuring multiple groups, horrible sound systems, and the fact that the music was still not taken seriously. With The Beatles, most of their music was drowned out by screaming fans so they couldn't hear themselves play. They hated the grind, limits, and dissatisfaction of touring but lamented that their performing abilities were weakened by not having to bring their A-game because the crowds cared more about seeing the band than hearing their music.

 

My 4-year-old is getting into the Beatles thanks entirely to a Netflix original cartoon called "Beat Bugs," in which every episode is based on a Beatles song. The song ties to the plot of the episode, and it is performed by a current musician, such as Eddie Vedder, Pink, Sia, etc. So, for instance, in one episode a bug gets caught in a jar, so he begins to sing "Help, I need somebody ..." It's pretty well done. The covers all sound great and it's interesting how they tie the songs to the show (my personal favorite episodes are "I am the Walrus" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."

I'm convinced the show was created by a dad who was sick and goddamn tired of the annoying music in his children's favorite shows, so he decided to write his own show featuring the songs of his favorite band.

 

I had not heard of this. Starting tonight, I am going to be pushing it like a drug dealer at my house.

 

From what I've read about both the Beatles and other early to mid-1960s tours, half-hour shows weren't uncommon. That was the state of the business then. Hell, you can play a couple shows a night and make twice the money!

Even Pink Floyd, when they started out as a "Top of the Pops" band in England, would play 20 or 30-minute shows either on their own or as part of a hit parade tour with several other groups. Of course, they refused to play their "hits" and received, as I believe Nick Mason once said, their nightly dose of beer bottles as a reward.

The two-hour concerts for "serious" rock acts were a few years away when the Beatles stopped touring in 1966.

 

I just pulled it up so I didn't have to sit through the same episode of Elena of Avalor for the 20th time. Thanks, @bigpern23 .

 

Ha, those horrendous Elena of Avalor commercials are exactly the example I've been using when telling my friends about Beat Bugs. How many goddamn times does she sing, "It's myyyyy tiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmme ..." in a span of 30 seconds.

 

As far as kids shows go, Elena could be worse, but my girls got hooked right away and there are only a few episodes so far and it gets very repetitive.

 

Mine love "The Lion Guard."