Review: BEATLEMANIA ON TOUR Revives The Music Of The Famous British Band With Colour, Light, Archive Footage And An Uncanny Likeness Of Sound
By: Jade Kops Oct. 24, 2017
Saturday 21st October 2017, 8pm, State Theatre Sydney
All Australian tribute band BEATLEMANIA ON TOUR delighted Sydney fans of the British Rock Pop icons in a two hour concert covering the band's significant moments. Established in 2008, the show has toured the world and current incarnation of BEATLEMANIA ON TOUR is finishing up it's Australian tour before heading to South Africa in 2018.
The quartet that comprises Ben Harper from Brisbane as Pete Best and Ringo Starr, Cameron Charters from Newcastle as Paul McCartney, Brett McMullen from Sydney as George Harrison and Zac Coombs from Melbourne as John Lennon, don wigs of the famous black bowl cut and an assortment of costumes to transform themselves, as best they can visually, into the Fab Four. The staging is kept simple with two microphone stands in front of the raised drum kit with a large LED screen providing a backdrop that indicated the progression of the band's career from Hamburg's Star Club to the Ed Sullivan show and beyond.
Whilst the acting is a tad corny it is the recreation of the music that makes this performance so impressive. With the aid of replica instruments and finely honed musicianship, which includes Charters playing left handed as per McCartney's style, the tribute band captures the sound and energy of the music that had such an influence on pop culture world wide. Charters and McMullen's falsetto during You Can't Do That is beautiful and it is good that they have selected songs that allow Harper to also take the lead vocals as Ringo.
Whilst the audience was rather subdued, possibly because many of the audience were probably around during the Band's heyday there were a few that did make their way up to the front of the audience to dance along and it was refreshing to see some of the younger generation joining in enthusiastically. The performers encourage audience participation as they try to recreate the atmosphere of screaming devoted fans that clap and sing along. With music that has stood the test of time, regardless of age, most people in the western world will know at least some of the Beatles work and therefor this bit of Nostalgic Cheesiness is suitable for all ages.
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