 HERMAN'S HERMITS have caused riots in America! Although it was expected that the group would be successful here, the national response to the boys has been absolutely tremendous. Herman is knocked out, even though on several occasions, he's narrowly escaped injury."When we played in Dallas, Texas, 6,000 fans blocked the street outside a radio station," he told me. "They tried pushing the car and everything. It was impossible to get out, so we blew the station appearance. We loved Texas, and would tour there again tomorrow, if we were able!" In New York and on their current Dick Clark tour, it's been the same story. Herman told me that they mostly start rioting just when he sings "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," although they prepare for the chaos a couple of numbers before that. Hardly able to believe the reports, I visited the opening night of the Dick Clark package in Philadelphia. There were 12,000 people at Convention Hall. For a while it was difficult to tell who were there |
for the Dick Clark package, and who were there for the Rolling Stones, who were appearing afterwards. Then the rivals flags came out. Big banners in red, white and blue, saying, "We Luv Herman," and "The Rolling Stones Forever." The show got underway. There were some great acts on it, including Little Anthony and The Imperials, Bobby Vee, The Detergents, Brenda Holloway and Freddie Cannon. Everyone screamed and got terribly excited. Then Herman's Hermits were announced, and wow! It was like a thunderstorm had appeared from nowhere. They wouldn't keep still. People started yelling and screaming, stamping on the floor and standing up in their seats. Herman's fans waved flags and threw presents on the stage. They started coming at him when he sang "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat," and then rioted en masse with "Mrs. Brown." After the show - in his enormous dressing room, which was filled with stuffed toys and elaborate cream cakes - and in between posing for photographers and answering Press questions, Herman said, "It's great. Did you see 'em all? This has been heppening all the time." Gary Smith - he's the producer of 'Hullabaloo - got Freddie Garrity and me to sng 'Super-Cali-Fragi-whatsit' from 'The Sound of Music.' We kept muffing the lines and couldn't stop laughing. Gary left it all on the tape because he said it was one of the funniest sequences that they'd ever filmed!" |
 HERMAN'S HERMITS are due to go to America again about June 6 for a guest spot in the "Ed Sullivan Show," and are set for a further transatlantic trip on July 22, during which one of their engagements will be at the famous Steel Pier in Atlantic City. |