book

"All You Need Is Love To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb: How The Beatles & U2 Changed The World"

written by Todd McFlicker

Chapter Ten: The Tribute Bands

(pages 105 - 112)

IN THE 1970's MAINSTREAM ROCK MOVED OUT OF INTIMATE CLUB SETTINGS AND INTO ARENAS, AS IMITATION ACTS MOVED TO RESTAURANTS AND BARS. COMMONLY COVERED ARTISTS INCLUDE ELVIS PRESLEY, BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, AC/DC, AND THE GRATEFUL DEAD. WHILE MOST IMITATION BANDS BEGIN IN ORDER TO PUSH AN ORIGINAL OUTFIT, OTHER COVER CREWS PLAY FOR EASY MONEY, WHICH MOST MUSIC LOVERS HATE TO SEE. SOME OF THESE TROUPES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS. PERHAPS THE MOST WIDELY COVERED ENSEMBLE EVER IS THE BEATLES, WHILE "YESTERDAY" IS OFTEN CALLED THE MOST COVERED SONG IN HISTORY. THERE ARE SEVERAL BEATLE COVER BANDS THAT ATTEMPT TO RE-CREATE THE LOOK AND THE FEEL OF THE GROUP BY WEARING WIGS AND FULL COSTUMES. THEY TRY TO PLAY THE MUSIC NOTE-FOR-NOTE. ALTHOUGH THESE BEATLE COVER BANDS MAY BE FUN TO WATCH, OBSERVERS FEEL THAT HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> POSSESSES MORE OF A BEATLES-LIKE ENERGY & AUTHENTICITY ONSTAGE THAN THE OTHERS. SPECTATORS WANT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT WAS ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE THE ORIGINALS IN A LIVING, BREATHING ENVIRONMENT AND HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> IS HAPPY TO OBLIGE.

HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> IS A TRIBUTE ACT IN SOUTH FLORIDA THAT STAYS BUSY KEEPING THE JOY OF THE BEATLES MUSIC ALIVE EACH WEEK. AFTER PERFORMING THROUGHOUT THE AREA, HELLO GOODBYE HAS SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED WITH AN IMPRESSIVE AND FIRM FAN BASE. HEARING THEM AND SEEING THEM IN THE VENUE THEY'RE IN, FANS LOVE THE ENERGY THAT HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> EMITS AT IT'S SHOWS. "WE TRY TO SHOW THE CROWD WHAT IT MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN TO ACTUALLY SEE THE BEATLES LIVE, AS OPPOSED TO LISTENING TO THE RECORDINGS A MILLION TIMES," SAYS THE BAND.

HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> DRUMMER AND BAND LEADER, BLAIR KING CONTENDS THAT "MEET THE BEATLES!" WAS THE VERY FIRST RECORD THAT HE PRACTICED AND LEARNED, AS THE MUSIC TOUCHED HIM. THE ENGLISH TUNES, IN ADDITION TO MANY OTHER GREAT REPERTOIRES, BECAME THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE DRUMMER'S LIFE. DESPITE THE BEDLAM THAT FOLLOWED THE BEATLES, BLAIR HAS ALWAYS GRAVITATED TO ARTISTS THAT FIND MORE THAN THEIR PERSONAL ARTISTIC ARENA TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN, SUCH AS JOHN LENNON, JONI MITCHELL, FRANK ZAPPA AND BONO. "WHETHER THE BAND IS RE-CREATING THE BEATLES OR ANOTHER BAND, I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE JUST WORDS, POETRY OR SONGS," BLAIR CONTINUED. "I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE EXTENTIONS OF WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW, SUCH AS RESPECT ONE ANOTHER AND EQUALITY FOR ALL. AT ANY RATE, I FEEL AS THOUGH U2 AND THE BEATLES ARE GENERATIONAL MUSIC IN THAT THEY TRIED AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF, AND EFFECT, CHANGE IN A CONFOUNDING ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL CLIMATE. PERSONALLY, I GET TO PASS ALONG THE PEACEFUL MESSAGE'S IN THIS MUSIC. AND FOR THAT REASON ALONE, I'M BLESSED."

"ACTS LIKE THIS SPEAK OF HIGHER IDEALS FOR ALL OF US," BLAIR CONTINUES. "WE PERFORM THIS MUSIC AS A MEANS OF HELPING SPREAD THE MESSAGES THAT THIS REPERTOIRE REPRESENT. AS FOR MYSELF, I FIRMLY BELIVE THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS CAN ALL GET ALONG TOGETHER AND THAT WE CAN OVERCOME OUR DISTINCT DIFFERENCES. WE CAN COME TOGETHER AS ONE SPIRIT OF HUMANITARIANISM AND EQUALITY FOR ALL GENDERS, RACES, CREEDS, AND TRIBES. IT'S MY FORM OF MINISTRY, IF YOU WILL."

SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF PEACE FOR A FEW HOURS, UNLIKE TODAY'S MUSICAL AGE OF PERSONAL PRESTIGE AND GANGSTA RAP, IS APPROPRIATE AT THIS TERRORIZING POINT IN TIME. EVERY SATURDAY HUNDREDS GET TO EXPERIENCE HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> HAVING NOTHING BUT FUN DURING EACH OF THEIR SETS, CONVEYING THE IDEA OF PURE LOVE AND HARMONY THAT NEVER AGES.

HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> ENJOYS PLAYING IN ENGLISH PUBS BECAUSE THEY GET TO PERFORM FOR SUCH A LOVELY CROWD OF JOKERS AND SMOKERS, RANGING IN AGE FROM THEIR THIRTIES TO SIXTIES. OCCASIONALLY, THEY GET YOUNGER SPECTATORS, WHO BLEND INTO THE SCENE. BY VIRTUE OF MERE MUSIC, MANY GENERATIONS COME TOGETHER ON HELLO GOODBYE'S <BEATLESQUE> DANCE FLOOR FOR DOZENS OF BEATLES SONGS DURING ANY OF THEIR THREE SHOW EVENINGS.

DRESSED ALL IN BLACK, HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> SOMETIMES OPENS WITH "A HARD DAYS NIGHT." AFTER "A TICKET TO RIDE" IS PLAYED, LISTENERS CLAP AND SWAY THEIR HIPS TO THE BEATLES' RELEASE "LOVE ME DO."

CONCEIVABLY THE GREATEST PART OF A HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> SHOW IS HEARING UNFAMILIAR TRACKS, AS THERE ARE MANY UNSUNG BEATLES CLASSICS, SUCH AS "I'LL CRY INSTEAD" AND THE BLUESY "BABY'S IN BLACK."

WAITING FOR THE BAND TO SING THE TRACK "HELLO GOODBYE," THE ROOM TYPICALLY GETS PACKED WITH OVER ONE HUNDRED BAR-GOERS DANCING TO THE FAMILIAR "SGT. PEPPERS'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND" AND "WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS." THE LADS HARMONIZE A SLOW VERSION OF "NORWEGIAN WOOD" WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE AUDIENCE, AND THE GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS DURING "YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY." ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS EVERY EVENING IS SURE TO BE THE BEATLES' CLASSIC COVER OF THE ISLEY BROTHERS' "TWIST AND SHOUT," FOLLOWED BY "HEY JUDE." THERE IS USUALLY FANTASTIC INTERACTION BETWEEN THE FOUR MUSICIANS, AS THEY ALL BOUNCE AROUND LIKE THE BEATLES.

SOME BEATLES FAVORITES ARE SAVED UNTIL THE THIRD SET, WHEN SPECTATORS GET TO EXPERIENCE "ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE," "ROCKY RACOON," AND "REVOLUTION." HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> TAKES THE ROOM ON A"MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR" AND SINGS ABOUT HOW LUCKY THEY ARE TO BE "BACK IN THE USSR." BLAIR KING, THE DRUMMER FROM PHILLY, SMILES FROM EAR TO EAR BEHIND A PAIR OF SHADES AND A DRUM SET WITH A PSYCHEDELIC WOMAN PAINTED ON HIS BASS DRUM HEAD.

HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> USUALLY CONCLUDES ITS EVENINGS WITH "THE END," LEADING INTO AN ENERGIZED ENCORE OF "DIZZY MISS LIZZY," AND "ROCK & ROLL MUSIC." UNTIL THESE BIRDS HAVE FLOWN, HELLO GOODBYE <BEATLESQUE> SHOWS ARE ALWAYS EXCITING, AUTHENTIC AND INVITING.

"A SPLENDID TIME IS GUARANTEED FOR ALL."

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the band formerly known as HELLO GOODBYE