The Fabulous Beatle Boys rocked audiences here in February for the Port Macquarie Beatles Festival and loved it so much they’re coming back.
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After a record-breaking national tour with the Australian Symphony Orchestra, the lads will this time come together to present the Beatles No.1 hits.
John Kater, who has worn the persona of Paul McCartney since 1996, says all four of the band members have been Beatles fans since they were kids.
“A lot of what we do is through osmosis. It’s second nature,” he says.
Kater says they have become more accurate through constant tweaking and work really hard to provide an amazing experience for the audience.
“We must be on the right track because people keep coming back to see the show. People come up to us afterwards and say things like ‘you took me right back’, and that’s the tribute aspect.
“We are on each other’s case to get it right. The music is looked at in fine detail. It’s important as much as the audience having fun.
“People go away with the experience of having heard amazing songs treated with dignity and flair.”
When rehearsing, Kater says they tend not to talk in the Liverpudlian accents.
“We concentrate on the music. The banter becomes automatic. When we put the costumes on we put the character on.”
The costumes they wear are mostly imported from Liverpool. But the Shay Stadium suits are sewn in the USA by a gentleman who owns one of the original Beatles’ suits.
John Lennon is played by Chris Frazer and George Harrison by Rod Auld.
“He is so George in his normal life,” Kater says. “He is quiet, but worth listening to – very sage.”
Arguably the best musician of the group is Nando Pettinato who portrays Ringo Starr.
The No.1s concert is two hours of classic Beatles songs that will have you reliving the magic and unique sound that made the Fab Four the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band the world has known. Help, A Hard Day’s Night, Can’t Buy Me Love, Yesterday, Love Me Do, She Loves You, Eleanor Rigby, Hey Jude, Let It Be, are just some of the hits we all sang along to.
Kater says the initial hook of The Beatles’ music grabbed people because it was so easy to sing to. “But they held on to people over such a length of time because they transformed into an experimental band. They became more arty, which is rare for a band.”
He says they cast a wider net: “People who like from metal to ballads have been influenced by them”.
“Musicians from Dave Grohl, to Ronan Keating all say The Beatles got them into music.”
“The Fab Beatle Boys impress with their deft grasp of the Fab Four’s entire span,” says Glenn A Baker.