8,408 people were put in an Arena designed to hold 7,500 people per show. Patrons were put behind the stage to make this possible, and the fire laws were taken to the Nth degree as far as spacing between aisles and seating.

One of the inducements for the Beatles to come to Las Vegas was that they wanted to see Las Vegas. What they saw was the airport, a limousine, the Saharan hotel, the Convention Center, and the airport. Because the Beatles wouldn't be seeing any of Las Vegas, slot machines were brought up to their suite for them. It wasn't a manner of win or lose, they just wanted to see what it was like.

The Beatles' impromptu change to their schedule (advancing to Las Vegas immediately following the Cow Palace show in San Francisco) helped to throw off the fans that were expecting them 12 hours later. Perhaps taking a cue from the wild reception at San Francisco International Airport, Las Vegas officials took no chances ensuring that The Beatles' arrival in Las Vegas would be shrouded in secrecy. Using security methods bordering on the extreme, the chartered American Flyers Lockheed Electra, in which The Beatles arrived at 1:35 a.m., landed in the desert about 1.5 miles from the current main airport terminal at McCarran where the few teenagers had already begun assembling. The aircraft's resting spot, near the older, unused terminal was populated only with police and a handful of photographers. Vehicles maneuvered around in the dark without headlights.

Stan Irwin was on hand to greet The Beatles as flashbulbs pierced the darkness. Paul was the first to exit the plane followed by George, John, then Ringo, and he greeted Stan Irwin with "Hi ya, boy." After courteously allowing the waiting photographers to capture their arrival, they were immediately ushered into a limousine as part of a 6-vehicle convoy that dashed off to the Sahara. Their procession was temporarily halted by a vehicle containing 4 fans who blocked the exit from the airstrip with their car. Once the fans were moved, the procession continued down the Strip, turning east on Tropicana Avenue, then north on Paradise Road and into the rear entrance of the Sahara.

Once at the Sahara, the boys were maneuvered into the rear of the hotel where they were whisked up to the 23rd floor in a freight elevator. One resentful bystander, a guest of the hotel snorted "Ha, they're getting on the freight elevator, just like a load of garbage." The 2000 teenagers waiting in front of the hotel and in the lobby were successfully bypassed. A curfew for youngsters under 18 years old had been in place before the Beatles' arrival and officials warned it was still in place. Any teens that were found acting up would be detained for release to their parents. Obviously the threat of capture wasn't enough to dissuade the many die-hard fans assembled outside the Sahara.

Outside the hotel, irrational behavior ruled supreme. Girls climbed up on top of dumpsters, which collapsed under the weight, a photographer was offered money for his camera's electrical cord "because it had been used to photograph the Beatles," hotel clerks were pestered to supply pillowcases from the Beatles' suites and screams were let loose every time curtains moved in a window.

Inside Suite 4722, The Beatles stayed up until nearly 4:00am, and then retired for the evening. They slept until shortly before they were required to go to the Convention Center. Prior to leaving the Sahara, they posed for some photos atop the hotel, and tried their luck with some of the casino's slot machines. At close to 3:00 p.m., they were taken to the Convention Center where they spent their time backstage practicing their songs

At 4:00 p.m. the afternoon show began and every seat was taken. Liberace was among the many celebrities in attendance. He wore a light collarless suit and tie and was accompanied by a young male friend. Roughly 200 policemen tried to keep law and order. At 5:30, Stan Irwin introduced The Beatles as bedlam broke loose.

After the 30-minute show, the Beatles rested briefly before attending a press conference in a backstage room somewhere behind the stage. The four stood on a platform as they first posed for photographs, and then answered questions for approximately 100 people in attendance. After 20 minutes, the conference came to a close, and The Beatles returned to their dressing room to relax and dress for the evening show. During the press conference and between shows, the Las Vegas Sheriff's department received numerous prank phone calls with threats against the Beatles. The most serious was a bomb threat that prompted the deputies to clear the Convention Hall and search the premises. Fortunately nothing was discovered and the second show was allowed to convene as scheduled.

The 9:00 p.m. show was a duplicate of the afternoon show, differing only in that the earlier show's steady shrieking-it left ears ringing and heads aching-gave way in the evening to a steady dull roar. Following the performances, The Beatles were escorted back to the Sahara for the evening.

The Tour's First Scandal

Ivor Davis recalls some of the fallout from a private scandal that unfolded during the Las Vegas stay:

Despite security, a couple of young women--who turned out to be under sixteen were seen emerging early one morning from John's room at the Sahara. Enter the Clark County Sheriff's vice squad. An investigation was launched, statements taken but the detectives determined no laws had been broken. Derek Taylor insisted there was nothing clandestine about the girls' visits, that in fact --one of their mothers who had spent all night gambling in the casino downstairs--was fully aware that her daughter was in a bedroom upstairs with one of The Beatles.

And there's the matter died, or so it seemed. Taylor later revealed that a payoff of $10,000 had ultimately been made to the mother of one girl, after she threatened to go to the press with her daughter's tawdry tale. Brian Epstein feared that kind of scandal could have stopped the tour dead.

The girls reportedly had fallen asleep in the presence of John who was more focused on writing a song than paying attention to them. Although nothing tawdry had occurred with the girls, The Beatles would have to be more careful regarding their female guests for the remainder of the tour.