CRACKER OF A PERFORMANCE: The Classic Beatles do the legacy of the original proud. Photos by the author
Unlike the regular Beatles tribute bands that cash in on the craze and burn out in a haze, the Irish foursome has been pretty serious about exalting its heroes across the world, writes Anand Holla
The hall fell dark and softly erupted into applause. It was time to time-travel. Four men in velvet collared suits and mop top hairstyles snuck on to the stage. Just as a bunch of fancy lights rained down, the band swung into the foot-tapping, rock-and-roll classic I saw her standing there, and a swarm of couples raided the dance floor.
To look the part is one thing, and to sound the part is entirely another. The Classic Beatles, which has often been hailed as the best tribute band of The Beatles, manage to sound, look, and even act like the real McCoy.
Late Thursday night at InterContinental Doha — The City, the Dublin quartet gave a cracker of a performance, belting around three dozen hits in a two-hour treat that had the audience dancing, singing along, or just beaming at a tastefully recreated nostalgia.
Unlike the regular Beatles tribute bands that cash in on the craze and burn out in a haze, the Irish foursome has been pretty serious about exalting its heroes across the world. In fact, by being together for 23 years now, the disciples have by far outlived the 10-year-long stretch of their masters.
While the frenzied hysteria of Beatlemania will always remain exclusive to the Liverpool lads, their tribute band do well for themselves — they were mobbed for a good 20 minutes of photo sessions.
“I can’t see anymore. The phone flashlights have blinded me,” says the guy who is the band’s John Lennon, walking and rubbing his eyes vigorously.
Backstage, the guy who plays Paul McCartney in the band — none of them prefer to address themselves by their original names — says they still have the passion to keep playing The Beatles.
“We have seen other tribute bands going through the motions,” he says, looking blankly into space and mimicking a robot strumming a guitar, “We have always enjoyed playing The Beatles, and audiences all over love to hear it, too. We enjoy it all the more because we have been living it.”
The Classic Beatles is the only Beatles tribute band in the world to have worked with the legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin, who is also referred to as the “Fifth Beatle.” John says, “We worked with Sir Martin twice. It doesn’t get much better than that. He said the similarity in the vocals were uncanny. He was so nice to us and we got a lot of work on his recommendation.”
A decade ago, when they performed for Queen Elizabeth II, she is said to have danced through most of their set. Perhaps, the real reason why they are the closest to the real deal is because each of them have internalised the four Beatles, down to their playing style.
The way they approach their respective instruments and funnel out a cohesive rock-and-roll sound is distinctly Beatles. Paul not only sounds like McCartney but also looks like him while rolling out those pleasant bass lines. Ringo Starr’s stripped down drumming, George Harrison’s melodic guitar leads, and John Lennon’s emphatic strumming combine to serve as an earnest ode to The Beatles, without once seeming like a sloppy copy.
John says, “We have to lose ourselves to become John, Paul, Ringo and George. But we have been doing this for so long that the characters have already shaped within us. It’s easier to slip into the characters because now you believe in yourself.”
When the band started off in 1990, they became somewhat of a blueprint for several tribute acts that emerged from Ireland in the mid ’90s. “When we were growing up in the ’70s and the ’80s, The Beatles was over. It felt like an oxygen starvation of The Beatles songs. In us, we had a common desire to listen to The Beatles again. So when we learnt to play instruments, we started with these songs. Since we wanted to hear them again and again, we decided to form this band,” John says.
More than five decades after the world’s greatest and the best-selling rock band worked their way through gigs at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, The Classic Beatles have fashioned themselves as the messengers of their idols’ timelessness. This is why their tour, which is called Get Back: The Story of The Beatles packs in all the joys of Beatledom to a whole new generation, while letting the first generation fans relive the music that changed lives forever.
Doha experienced a rather satisfactory approximation of the sweetness and energy that The Beatles’ live performances would conjure. The mood remained upbeat as the band took it easy and even cracked a few funnies once a while — Paul has stapled his mop top wig to the scalp, John pointed out. Even better, the show, put together by Iconic Advertising and Events, was glitch-free.
Every now and then, the crowd leapt from its seats as the foursome performed the choicest of the band’s repertoire, such as: I want to hold your hand, Here comes the sun, Get back, Daytripper, Penny Lane, She loves you, We can work it out, Yesterday, A hard day’s night, Hello goodbye, Taxman, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, and ended with the rousing, audience-participatory chorus of Hey Jude.
Paul says, “The hardest part is to leave out some songs out of our set-list because they are all such classics. For instance, we couldn’t play Come Together and Let it be.”
John nods along, and says that when the show has to be cut short, they have to take tough calls on whether to include more popular favourites or their personal favourites. “We usually marry tracks from the Red and the Blue albums, but also throw in a few slightly more obscure numbers so as to keep the diehard fans happy.”
However, their usual show lasts for three hours and is more of a dramatic chronicle of the band’s seven golden years of 1963 to 1970. Featuring witty on-stage banter in Scouse accents, raw live concert footage, ground-breaking recording sessions and TV appearances, the band ensures that it incorporates as many authentic elements as possible to connect the crucial moments in the musical journey of The Beatles.
“So instead of eight costume changes, today, we did only two (velvet collared suits and the exotic Sgt. Pepper outfits). We hope to return to Doha with the entire theatre setup,” says Paul. John wipes sweat off his brow and says, “It was nice; our first time in Qatar. It wasn’t too hot!”
Having been part of six international Beatle Conventions in Liverpool, they are considered an authority on the Fab Four’s tribute acts all over the world. Do they then read their audience well?
“When we play in the college circuit, we know that they prefer Strawberry fields forever, I am the Walrus, or the Pepper stuff, you know the psychedelic material,” Paul says and smiles, “Older people tend to like the earlier hits, while children just want to listen to Yellow Submarine.”
In Ireland, they usually play to crowds with an age range of 7 to 70, and the overwhelming response surprises them even today. “They all know every word of every song. It’s amazing,” John says. “I mean 50 years after The Beatles, kids this size,” he says, holding his palm to his hip, “know the lyrics.” Paul makes a face and admits, “Honestly, we don’t always remember the lyrics.” They all laugh.
BELOW:
PROWESS: Paul McCartney, not the real one, performs on an acoustic guitar. Right: Ringo Starr, not the real one, gives his drumkit a pounding.
ELECTRIC: The crowd enjoying the performance.