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Le Cheile 200430th July - 1st AugustOldcastle, Co. Meath |
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Le Cheile 200430th July - 1st AugustOldcastle, Co. Meath |
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It's one thing to cobble together cover versions of a few tunes, but it's a totally different ballgame to base an entire stage show on one band's back catalogue. And when that band is The Beatles, the performance must really be first class.
That's just what the Classic Beatles deliver, and they do it with style, panache and a sprinkling of zany showmanship that leaves even the most demanding Beatle fanatic with little to quibble about and much exult over.
Indeed, it is a tribute to The Classic Beatles that this year they are celebrating 10 years as a band, three more years than their heroes lasted, with the classic Lennon (whose part in The Classic Beatles is taken by Scott Maher), McCartney (Fran King), Harrison (Rob McKinney) and Starr (Paul 'Binzer' Brennan) line-up.
Not unlike their heroes, The Classic Beatles began life as The Quarrymen in 1991 and built up a sizeable reputation until they decided on a name change and a timely relaunch with a brand new show back in the winter of 1999.
A demanding rehearsal schedule leaves them justifiably proud of their note perfect interpretations of the work of Messrs Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr.
When acclaimed Beatles producer Sir George Martin brought his sell-out Beatles tribute show 'A Night To Remember' to the National Concert Hall in Dublin, he invited members of The Classic Beatles to perform alongside his 70-piece orchestra and many elite members of the Irish music industry.
Martin himself singled out The Classic Beatles for lavish praise, so much so, that he invited the lads back to perform at a star-studded MTV Special, recorded at the MTV Studios in London in October 2001, while the band were showcased on television and in the press. Proof if proof were needed of their authenticity as the Fab Four.
Apart from those milestones and gigs in the top venues all over Ireland (including to over 60,000 people in the Phoenix Park in Dublin), The Classic Beatles have graced six international Beatles conventions and two at home in Ireland. From an international perspective they are reckoned to be among the top three Beatle bands in the world.
What does a Classic Beatles show consist of?
You will experience all the classic Beatles tunes, although the show is
far from just a run-through of the obvious hits. The band have an
extensive repertoire of over sixty Beatle gems, from the earliest hits
like 'She Loves You' to Lennon-McCartney album tracks which were hits
for other artists, such as 'Do You Want To Know A Secret?', a hit for
Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, and 'Got To Get You Into My Life', a
chart success for Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers.
A show can include songs that The Beatles took from their own heroes, as in the case of Chuck Berry's frantic 'Roll Over Beethoven' and the cutesy ballad 'Till There Was You'. But to their credit, The Classic Beatles have also taken on the complexities of such groundbreaking recordings as 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'I Am The Walrus'. They are not averse from featuring les well-known album tracks of the vintage of 'Rocky Raccoon' and 'Dig A Pony', if the audience so request.
But apart from the pristine recreations of the songs and the sound of the Fab Four, and the wacky banter for which The Beatles were famed, The Classic Beatles show also brings you the fab groovy gear as worn by the original band, from Cuban-heeled boots and polonecks to the full psychedelic Sgt Pepper garb and Yellow Submarine backdrop.
A Typical Classic Beatles Show now consists of three costume changes (three half's!). The first 'half' is either black polo-necks (circa. 1963) or black suits, white shirts & black tie (circa. 1964). With all the hits from the height of 'Beatlemania' being performed.
The second part of the show sees the lads in full Sgt. Pepper costumes and facial hair performing all the psychedelic greats from 1967.
Longer hair and authentic attire is donned for the third 'half' of the show, which includes all the classic songs from The White Album, Abbey Road & Let It Be.
The Classic Beatles bring the joys of Beatledom to a new generation, and allow first generation fans to relive the music that changed their lives forever. After the show, it is not unusual for fans to go away convinced that they actually saw The Beatles up there on stage.
Further details available from the official Classic Beatles Website