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The Rolling Stones live at The Kurhaus, Scheveningen 1964
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August 8, 1964: Kurhaus, Scheveningen, Holland (first Stones’ concert ever in the Netherlands, and also their first on the European continent)
Bill Wyman, about the Kurhaus riot: “The same thing that happened in Blackpool happened in this beautiful old opera house in the Hague. They just ripped the place to pieces. We were on stage for 7 minutes. One number at full volume, and two with no electricity. All the power got switched off by the cops. We tried to carry on with maracas and tambourines but we just had to give up. The police made us leave and then the audience destroyed the place, pulled the tapestries off the walls, ripped the fitted chairs out and threw them into the chandeliers. It was really awful.”

From De Dag van Toen:
The concert of the rock group Rolling Stones in the Kurhaus will be remembered as one of the shortest in history. The crowd of young people in the audience tonight was so overjoyed it was demolished part of the furniture. After ten minutes,, at the request of the Stones, discontinued the occurrence.  

It was not the first time was one of the biggest bands in the world to Netherlands. During the visit of the Beatles, a few months ago, There was also a craze in Netherlands. But action in Blokker (North Holland) had nowhere near hysteria as today in the Kurhaus in Scheveningen. The atmosphere in the hall reared reached a boiling point when the Stones were on stage. Chairs were pulled down and back- and armrests were thrown towards the stage. Drummer Charlie Watts could just avoid that he got himself pitched against a piece of glass. he stooped, thus landed the glass in the face of technician. The technician was bleeding heavily treated behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, trying to prevent the guards on the stage that people were able to get from the crowd to the stage with the performers. People -ongewild or not- still came on stage, receiving hits and were removed. The Stones music was by barely hear the frenzied crowd. Despite the chaos and on stage, Yet the artists played by, until even the cords of the microphones were destroyed. Singer Mick Jagger was nothing more, but his colleagues went on to an instrumental track.

Meanwhile, more people were injured, Also the fights that took place in the hall at some places. Some girls from the web clothes were torn. Two of them were brought to safety by police. The police, which had been hitherto in the catacombs to avoid inciting further violence, was now also stand on the podium. The officers were willing target for beaten by public.
(Ref. scheveningen)

From the auditorium stage was almost bombarded with chair legs, backrests and other objects. The organization finally decided to end the concert. The band members were brought to safety. This did not make the rest returned to the hall. There are more fights broke out and the police acted even harder. Even after the light was turned off in the room did not return the rest. Planters were emptied and smashed windows. (Ref. scheveningen)

After ten minutes, the police could clear the room, but outside the destruction continued. Parked cars were demolished. The Hague police had to perform several batches. There are four young people arrested. The Stones had been through a lot in their careers, but what happened in The Hague, also surprised them. They mostly had nothing good to say about the police action.

Guitarist Brian Jones concurs fully. “We have played all over the world, but never have we seen a police force who acted so harshly and impolitic as here in The Hague. We therefore want to never play in The Hague. This is awesome.”
Superintendent Buyze stressed that the police action had to have a preventive effect, but they have not succeeded in doing. “Where work, made mistakes “, Buyze said in a hastily-ranging press conference in the hall of the Kurhaus. Buyze had about 25 officers and three dogs at his disposal.

Also the concert organization got pretty endured some criticism. The atmosphere was tense during the preliminary program, with artists like Rudi Carrell, Johnny Lion and Andre van Duin. These artists had absolutely no connection with the young audience and the audience let it know well. Afterwards it was also pointed out to the crew, those images were of the action. During the preliminary program, when it was still quiet, The team tried to incite the young people by saying things like “Come on boys, do even go crazy ‘.

How big the damage is to the Kurzaal is unclear. Organizer Paul Acket mentioned earlier between EUR 15.000 en 20.000 gulden, but that amount was later denied by Kurhaus director Van Dusseldorp. The director made no further statements about the extent of the damage. Who will pay for the cost is equally unknown. Acket would not be insured. By hallow behavior of the EMS crew he feels no longer liable for the damage.

It is not the first time that a concert by a pop idol ends in complete chaos. It happened two years ago in Rotterdam at a performance by Cliff Richard. Who eventually turned up for the damage is not clear. Go some stories about the riots preconceived game, but have always denied stakeholders.

We clearly that the concert of the Stones in the Kurhaus enters the books as one of the most memorable music from the Dutch. And one of the shortest moreover. The images on YouTube, knocking not entirely. The action is left alone picture and no sound. The song you hear playing Stones, they have not played in the Kurhaus. The sound comes from another concert. The images are real

In the media the day after the concert, there follows a detailed argument about who was responsible for the problems. The organization received a slap, because no account was taken of the public. More critical was the police who by their boorish behavior (and violence) not yet contributed to restoring calm. “Hague police is very heavy handed ‘, headlined the Free People. The Truth comes up with a similar cup.

There were also media entirely blamed for the youths in the hall. Youth had one goal: destroy everything ‘. There must be a very big caveat to be placed. That headline is written by Telegraph journalist Henk van der Meijden, who was also producer of the recordings in the Kurhaus. (Ref. scheveningen)