Yep they were short. I recall the whole set was at most 35 minutes, including the encore; they never left the stage just announced they would do one more.

Hendrix also, had a short show for most of his first wave US and Canadian tours (pre Band of Gypsies). It was around 40 minutes tops. No matter what the audience was yelling for, he did the same show city after city. At the time I saw him in Montreal, he only did songs from the first album Are You Experienced (despite the fact that Axis Bold as Love was out for at least a few months by that time), and the encore was a watered down version of Wild Thing in which he did not light the guitar on fire, but humped it, pushing it against the amp stack (standard feature in all shows). There were several guys stabilizing the amp from behind when he did that so the amp didn't fall over.

There were 2 bands which opened. A local band whom I can't remember (and it's just as well), and then Soft Machine (which were a real great British psychedelic band....great light show).

The Beatles had something like a dozen opening acts, playing...each for about 3 songs; it was like a Variety show. Real loser bands, for the most part; I only remember the name of one...Bill Black's Combo. They were the last band on before Les Beatles. There was quiet, then the announcer came out....he could barely be heard for the screams ('cause the teeny boppers sensed Beatles time had come), then when they took the stage the place erupted. It was truly deafening, but not the music...the screams and crying of thousands of young girls. I have never seen so many camera flashes...it was like a enormous strobe effect, and this went on for at least the first few songs, then less flashes as the concert went on. Every move they made...a toss of the shoulder, a wink, shaking their mop tops...sent the fans into a still louder frenzy. When George just switched guitars, more screams, and a few faints here and there. John did some sort of spastic dance when Paul asked everyone to "clap along on this one"...more screams, hair pulling and crying. It was madness. Then the stage rush with the final number (Long Tall Sally), the young kids were easily stopped by a wall of arm to arm cops. I went with my Father and brother. My Dad went through some torture with that one. Grimaced throughout the whole affair, and held his fingers in his ears. Wonderful. I think it was then that he started to hate my brother and me.

Rock, Rock, Rock n' Roll...

Gene