Beatlemania takes a whole new Direction! Thousands gather in Montreal to catch a glimpse of the band

By Liz Thomas

PUBLISHED: 19:41 EST, 28 March 2012 | UPDATED: 04:44 EST, 29 March 2012

There may be 50 years between them - but the scenes are almost identical.

Back in 1964 when Beatlemania took hold of North America they doubted the hysteria over a boy band would ever be repeated.

Now, 48 years after the Fab Four melted the hearts of a generation of teenage women new group One Direction are having the same effect on their daughters, maybe even their granddaughters.

Hard core fans: Around 300 girls spend the night in the cold in Montreal to catch a glimpse of the band

Hard core fans: Around 300 girls spend the night in the cold in Montreal to catch a glimpse of the band

Band love: The teenage girls had camped out for 35 hours in freezing temperatures that plummeted to -10C, with 14 of them needing some kind of medical treatment

Band love: The teenage girls had camped out for 35 hours in freezing temperatures that plummeted to -10C, with 14 of them needing some kind of medical treatment

When John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison toured police and security guards had to hold back the crowds of hysterical women.

 

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Fans arrived in their thousands screaming, holding banners and barely contained their excitement when they caught a glimpse of their heroes.

This time the boys are Niall Horan, 18, Zayn Malik, 19, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles, 18, but the hysteria remains the same.

Best of British: One Direction played up to the cameras and posed with a cup of tea in Toronto

Best of British: One Direction played up to the cameras and posed with a cup of tea in Toronto

Looks familiar? The Beatles drinking tea: (L-R) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon seen in 1965 UK

Looks familiar? The Beatles drinking tea: (L-R) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon seen in 1965 UK

The group, in Montreal, Canada after being in America, gave a studio performance for Musique Plus, where a handful of lucky hopefuls were allowed to join them inside.

Streets had to be closed to cope with the thousands that wanted to see the band.

Around 300 teenage girls had camped out for 35 hours in freezing temperatures that plummeted to -10C, with 14 of them needing some kind of medical treatment.

A further 2,000 gathered during the day for a chance to see the home-grown boy band perform.

They also appeared in Toronto for Entertainment Tonight Canada - but wherever in the country they went - the crowds followed.

Making a mark: The group gave a studio performance for Musique Plus, where a handful of lucky hopefuls were allowed to join them inside

Making a mark: The group gave a studio performance for Musique Plus, where a handful of lucky hopefuls were allowed to join them inside

One Direction interview aEarlier this month, One Direction made history as the first UK group to debut at No.1 on the American BillBoard chart with their album Up All Night.

Chart success: Earlier this month, One Direction made history as the first UK group to debut at No.1 on the American BillBoard chart with their album Up All Night

Popular: Everywhere the band went, an eager gaggle of girls followed, clinging on their every word

Popular: Everywhere the band went, an eager gaggle of girls followed, clinging on their every word

Earlier this month, One Direction made history as the first UK group to debut at No.1 on the American BillBoard chart with their album Up All Night.

The previous highest entry for a UK group’s first album was number six - when the Spice Girls entered the charts with their album Spice in 1997.

In just three weeks, One Direction’s smash single, What Makes You Beautiful, has sold more than 260,000 copies and is currently one of the most requested track on US radio.

Touch down: From the moment they arrived, the boys have been followed. In just three weeks, One Direction¿s smash single, What Makes You Beautiful, has sold more than 260,000 copies and is currently one of the most requested track on US radio

Touch down: From the moment they arrived, the boys have been followed. In just three weeks, One Direction's smash single, What Makes You Beautiful, has sold more than 260,000 copies and is currently one of the most requested track on US radio

Big impression: At Montreal airport fans were ready to greet the boys with the signs, desperate to get an autograph

Big impression: At Montreal airport fans were ready to greet the boys with the signs, desperate to get an autograph

Their promotional tour across America caused pandemonium with thousands turning up to every event.

The group have also signed a lucrative deal for their own show on children’s network Nickelodeon, which will broadcast across the whole of America.

One Direction were put together by Simon Cowell when he became frustrated by the quality of the groups category on the 2010 series of The X Factor.

Brainchild: One Direction were put together by Simon Cowell when he became frustrated by the quality of the groups category on the 2010 series of The X Factor

Brainchild: One Direction were put together by Simon Cowell when he became frustrated by the quality of the groups category on the 2010 series of The X Factor

The boys auditioned individually as solo singers but the music mogul decided they would have a better chance of success if they were a boyband.

Matt Cardle went on to win the competition, while One Direction placed third behind singer single mother Rebecca Ferguson.

But Cowell signed the group anyway and they have become the runaway success of that series.

The boys come from a mixture of backgrounds - Styles is perhaps the most well-known after his high profile relationship with presenter Caroline Flack, who was 15 years his senior.

Cardle
Rebecca Ferguson

Look to the future: Matt Cardle went on to win the competition, while One Direction placed third behind singer single mother Rebecca Ferguson. But Cowell signed the group anyway and they have become the runaway success of that series

He grew up in Worcestershire and attended a comprehensive school.

Parents Anna and Des split up when he was seven, but he remains really close to his mother and older sister Gemma, often texting or calling them five times a day while he is away from home.

Irish-born Horan has been the heartthrob in the US where fans love his blue-eyed, blonde “all American” looks.

His parents Maura and Bobby divorced when he was just five.

Malik, from Bradford, is mixed race and three sisters.

Memories of the Fab Four: Police officers hold back thousands of hysterical fans as The Beatles arrive in Toronto in September 1964

Memories of the Fab Four: Police officers hold back thousands of hysterical fans as The Beatles arrive in Toronto in September 1964

His mother, Tricia, is from England, while father Yasser is from Pakistan.

Payne is from Wolverhampton where his mother Geoff and receptionist mother Karen still live with his older sisters.

He auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was just 15.

Tomlinson is the oldest of the group and is understood to be the only one in a serious relationship. He is dating student and model Eleanor Calder.

He previously appeared in small roles on ITV and BBC dramas.

Last year the singer told of his heartbreak after his parents Johanna and Mark announced they were getting a divorce.

Comments (74)

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Except The Beatles made real music, had far more talent and One Direction will last about 3 years if they are lucky. The Beatles are about 41 years on and still going strong.

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They don't come close to the Beatles. The Beatles are bigger than Jesus.

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@ Ugh, Montreal - what a cesspit. By the way, the Beatles are remembered and appreciated even now. That's because the Beatles were a time of music, meaning, and talent - to both women and men, old and young. This band will be forgotten in 5 or 10 years, just like all the modern pop boy-bands before them - because the mass entertainment industry is hardly about music and talent anymore. These pop boy-bands are famous to girls, for the reasons equivalent to the VS Angels/models being famous to boys. - Cain L., Westmount, Quebec, 29/3/2012 23:54 ............ A couple of weeks ago you were telling us One Direction were unheard of in Asia, Australia, South America, and North America, what a difference a few weeks makes. PS exactly the same thing was being said/written about the Beatles in their early days. We shall see!

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Is it sad that I have never ever heard of this lot???

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The Wanted haven't even released their album there yet. Their single done better than 1D so if you're judging on singles not albums The Wanted are the biggest UK boy band in US chart history ever, not 1D!

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Ugh, Montreal - what a cesspit. By the way, the Beatles are remembered and appreciated even now. That's because the Beatles were a time of music, meaning, and talent - to both women and men, old and young. This band will be forgotten in 5 or 10 years, just like all the modern pop boy-bands before them - because the mass entertainment industry is hardly about music and talent anymore. These pop boy-bands are famous to girls, for the reasons equivalent to the VS Angels/models being famous to boys.

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The Spice Girls debut album went number 1 in the US too. And without the help of social media and youtube etc. It was also the best-selling album in America of 1997... it went on to shift almost 30 Million copies - 1D's album hasn't even sold a million yet. Just to give some perspective lol. Besides, Adele is the biggest Brit act in America since The Spice Girls anyway.

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Like most new boy bands these days,they'll be doing the do this year and doing the dole next..

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I'm 67....give me One Direction any day!

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Here a few things people keep getting wrong: 1. They are not being compared to the Beatles by talent just the reaction 2. Yes actually 2 of them do play instruments 3. They are very popular like it or not 4. They can sing and having heard them live I know that 5. People do not only like them for their looks, as who buys album to stare at someone's face? You use a picture for that. So like it or lump it people One Direction have made an impression and they may not make history like the Beatles but for now they are here to stay.

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