The Rolling Stones lost some locks before being smuggled to safety from their screaming fans during a concert in Aberdeen in 1964.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts were bundled into the back of a van through a side door before the show finished.
The Stones played the Capitol Theatre twice on May 19 1964 in a month where they crammed in an amazing 45 shows, before heading off on their first US tour.
The Stones were booked to close the first half
The late Moray promoter Albert Bonici booked the Stones to join the bill of a pop package tour of Scotland to perform in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh.
Mr Bonici and co-promoter Andi Lothian clinched the deal after the popularity of headline act Freddie and the Dreamers started to decline in the UK.
Other artists on the bill were Peter and Gordon, Millie and the Five Embers, Dave Berry and the Cruisers, Tony Marsh, and Mark Peters and the Silhouettes.
The Stones were signed up to close the first half of the show and Freddie and the Dreamers would close the second half.
But by the time the gigs came around their cover of Buddy Holly’s Not Fade Away had peaked at number three and was still in the UK charts.
The contrast was palpable.
Mr Lothian said: “The Stones were brought in to boost flagging ticket sales.
“By the time the gigs came around it was clear that the concerts were going to sell out.
“But Freddie and the Dreamers were going out of fashion fast while the Rolling Stones’ popularity was increasing at almost the same pace as The Beatles.
“Thus the scenario was set for a series of concerts in Scotland which was to shape the moment that rock ‘n’ roll confronted its two sides.
“Which would prevail?
“The roll of Freddie or the rock of Mick?”
Tickets for the gig cost between five to 15 shillings
Extra police and stewards were brought in for the two shows in Aberdeen at 6.30pm and 8.50pm with seats ranging from five shillings to 15 shillings.
The Stones closed the first half of the 6.30pm show with a set including Not Fade Away, Poison Ivy, Walking The Dog, Cops And Robbers and Roll Over Beethoven.
Freddie and the Dreamers closed the second half before the Stones returned to the stage to take a bow just as the curtains came down.
Nearly 40 fans rushed a side door in an attempt to get back stage before being taken out of the theatre where they stood shouting and screaming.
The Stones performed again at the 8.50pm show before 300 teenagers staged a sit-in protest when they failed to return to the stage for the curtain call.
But what the disappointed teenagers did not know was that the band was already on the way to Dundee after being “manhandled” as they arrived for the first show.
“Because of this the Stones were advised to leave the theatre early for their own safety,” Mr Bonici told the Evening Express after the concert.
“The matter was arranged backstage and I was not even informed about it.
“All that I know is that the boys were smuggled away in a closed van before the show finished.
“They then transferred to a car and went to a hotel in Dundee.”
A carton of milk was thrown towards the stewards
Mr Bonici added that in the incident at the stage door one of the Rolling Stones had some of his hair pulled out by the roots.
“All the fans would have seen at the end of the show anyway was the group taking a bow,” he said.
It was after the second house that the chanting began and the teenagers sat tight in their seats, despite efforts by police and attendants to clear the theatre.
The EE reported: “Jeers greeted appeals for them to leave and a carton of milk was thrown towards attendants.
“Probably most disappointed of all were 40 Inverness teenagers who had paid threepence each to travel to Aberdeen and see the second house.
“On the journey their bus was involved in a minor incident with a car and they were delayed at Forres until after 7pm.
“By then it was obvious that they were going to miss the first appearance of their idols the Rolling Stones and they decided to phone the Capitol to make sure that they were making a second appearance.
“They were assured that the beat group would be taking the stage at the end of the evening and they continued happily on their way – to disappointment.
“Some of the boys and girls were still at school and had saved their pocket money for three or four weeks to come to Aberdeen for the show.”
P&J review said the crowd were screaming and sobbing
The Press and Journal described the atmosphere as “pandemonium”.
The front page review said the “crowd went berserk” at each show “as the group stood nonchalantly on the stage, almost ignoring the audiences”.
Girls jumped up and down in their seats, screaming, sobbing, almost tearing their hair out.
With Walking the Dog, High Heel Sneakers, You’d Better Move On, I Just Want to Make Love to You, and other rhythm and blues numbers, they were the hit of the show.
But a very close second was Freddie and the Dreamers.
Despite his twisted ankle which was heavily bandaged, he jumped about the stage in his usual lively fashion.
He explained afterwards, however, that he had landed on one foot all the time and had toned down his antics because of the pain.”
The P&J review said Millie “put on a tremendous act” while Peter and Gordon were “most disappointing” with “no patter act and scarcely any movement”.
Mark Peters and the Silhouettes were described as “competent but not startling”.
The Stones returned to the Capitol in 1965 and 1982
The Rolling Stones returned to perform at the Capitol on June 17 1965 when their chauffeur-driven car collided with another vehicle at the rear entrance.
No one was injured and the Stones hardly noticed the bump as they raced for the safety of the venue where they performed in front of screaming girls who tore their hair, wept, waved, sobbed, and raced down the aisles and struggled with police and ushers.
The band performed songs including Not Fade Away, Little Red Rooster, It’s All Over Now, The Last Time, Time Is On My Side and Everybody Needs Somebody To Love.
But after the gig all they could talk about was the meal of sausages, eggs, bacon and chips they enjoyed in a country pub in Laurencekirk before the show.
The Stones would later return to the Capitol for a warm-up show before their European Tour in 1982 which was the band’s first in Britain for six years.
Richards said before the 1982 gig: “I need this to keep me young.
“When we started this band we thought we had about two or three years.
“Now it’s habit and it’s absolutely vital that it works on the road.
“We need constant contact with a living audience.
“We’re so excited about the prospect of doing Britain again after so long.
“Wherever we might make our home now, Britain is where our roots are.”
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