- Music
- 04 Aug 18
Amidst sets from newer musicians like Kelela and Wastefellow, it can be nice to hear the classics. Beatles tribute band The Bootleg Beatles filled that desire nicely.
The set began with the fab four's early pop tunes like 'Daytripper' 'Help!' and 'Twist and Shout', getting the main stage audience dancing. These were followed up by a message from John Lennon (Adam Hastings) where he said: "We're gonna go off and get a bit older." As the band got changed into 'Come Together-era' Beatles clothes, Paul McCartney (Steve White) performed a lovely solo rendition of 'Yesterday'.
The band returned with later day classics like 'Come Together', 'Get Back' and 'Hey Jude', the latter closing the show. While all tracks were flawlessly performed by the tribute act - who've played over 4000 gigs - the show was stolen by the group's George Harrison (Stephen Hill), delivering a strikingly straight rendition of 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. For a moment, one forgot they were watching a covers band, distracted by the power of the song.
What Bootleg Beatles do so well is that they not only nail the songs and Liverpudlian accents, they have the playful vibe of The Beatles. The set was filled with knowing references to the fab four, most hilariously Harrison's intro to 'While My Guitar..': "Eric Clapton gave me this guitar. I gave him something in return. What was that? ... Oh that's right, my wife!"
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The one hour set does feel very condensed. Typically the group's live show is split into four eras of The Beatles while here it's only two, meaning we lost the psychedelics of 'Across the Universe' or 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. However, the songs they did play were perfectly performed, putting everyone in a great mood. The Beatles would be proud.