THE names Grant, Max, Cliff and Matt may not have the pizzazz of John, Paul, George and Ringo, but there’s no doubt The Ultimate Beatles know how to please a crowd.
I attended their performance at the Weymouth Pavilion with The Beatles as my favourite group, and this Fab Four tribute act did not let me down.
What was most striking about them was their authenticity – from their replica costumes to the instruments they used and the sound they produced.
Indeed, one might say they sounded more authentic than whoever was masquerading as Paul McCartney at London 2012.
That they did should come as no surprise, given they all have extensive musical experience and have been together as The Ultimate Beatles since 2001.
They treated their Weymouth audience to four 30-minute sets covering distinct Beatles eras, from their Cavern Club breakthrough years to Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road, sprouting more and more hair as they went on.
The set list was a magical mystery tour of The Beatles’ greatest hits. Personally I felt the White Album and With The Beatles were cruelly under-represented, but then neither of those albums are chock-a-block with the biggest crowdpleasers.
And please they did, taking us from I Saw Her Standing There and She Loves You to Lady Madonna and Get Back, via the Ringo-led Yellow Submarine and George’s delightful Here Comes The Sun.
Polished as their musical delivery was, it was far from sterile. Their on-stage chemistry was akin to that of the original foursome, with John and Paul bickering, John teasing George and everyone piling in on Ringo.
As a result, they were able to win over what was an initially sedate crowd – not quite to the point of Beatlemania, but soon audience members were bobbing, clapping and singing along.
By the end the venue came together to na-na-na-na-na-na to Hey Jude and several dozen boogied to the encore rendition of Twist and Shout, reflecting the infectious nature of their performance as well as that of those iconic Beatles songs.
All in all, this was a real thrill for anyone who loves The Beatles – the ultimate tribute to the Fab Four.
For more information on The Ultimate Beatles, see thebeatlestribute.co.uk
RICHARD BROWNE
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