“Who are these guys The Beatles? I try to keep up with the British scene, but I don’t know their work.” [Chris Montez, in response to the reaction The Beatles received from audiences on their 1963 UK tour]
The Beatles pictured with Chris Montez and Tommy Roe backstage at the Granada Cinema, East Ham, London on 9th March 1963. The Beatles were booked to support, but it was quickly apparent that the audiences had come to see them, and not the headline acts. The promotor, Arthur Howes suggested the Beatles close the first half of the show which upset Tommy Roe who was supposed to be closing (with Chris Montez closing the end of the show).
“We said, ‘No, no, Tommy and Chris close,’ because they still sounded like big names to us. I remember Tommy Roe getting all uptight, saying, ‘I’m contracted, and I’m going to leave if I don’t close the show!’
“I felt sorry for Chris Montez; he was just a little Mexican bloke. He did a slow song on a chair, a Spanish tune, and the Teds were all shouting, ‘Boo, fuck off.’ He said, ‘Oh, you don’t like it, OK,’ and he stopped and put down his guitar and tried something else. It was sad really, but Beatlemania was coming on; Please Please Me had been a hit and From Me To You was on the way.” [George, Anthology]
