Even in 2020 The Beatles hold unwavering and legendary status in the eyes of the general public, which hit movies using their music such as the recent Danny Boyle directed Yesterday starring Dev Patel. With this being the case just think of how they were perceived at the height of their popularity in the 60s during the era which has now become known as Beatle Mania.
in 1964 the The Sahara Hotel & Casino would be the crashpad for the Beatles and predictably as word got out it was surrounded by thousands of adoring fans all issuing chants and hoping to get a glimpse of their idols. They crept in through the back entrance and the following day would play to 11,000 screaming fans in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Let’s not forget that Vegas was already home to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr but the response to the Beatles eclipsed all of this. Prior to their only two Vegas shows The Sahara Hotel was good / pr aware enough to bring up a selection of slot machines for the Fab Four to try out and in the process created a photo-op (as seen in the above image) that would be seen all around the world.
It’s thought that a combination of a substandard sound system and screaming fans made the show all but inaudible to those there. That hasn’t stopped being part of the rich history of the Beatles though. Their sole visit will go down as one of the most memorable in the ruch history of Las Vegas performances.
