McCartney Times

The Cavern Beatles QnA: “I think of it in terms of classical music”
Written by Kyle Walker

The Cavern Beatles.The Cavern Beatles come to Eden Court on Thursday, April 6.Over the last few decades, Liverpool’s very own Cavern Beatles have been paying tribute to their home city’s most famous musical export. Now, as their latest lineup – Paul Tudhope (John Lennon), Rick Alan (George Harrison), Simon Ramsden (Ringo Starr) and Chris O’Neill (Paul McCartney) – come to Eden Court on Thursday, the group speaks about staying true to the Beatles’ sound, and acting as ambassadors for the venue synonymous with the Fab Four – Liverpool’s Cavern ClubHave you ever played Inverness before? If not, are you looking forward to visiting the Highlands? If so, how did the last visit go?RICK: We have played Inverness three times before! We’ve played twice at Eden Court, which is such a fantastic venue. Playing in Scotland generally is something that we all enjoy. The audiences are kind of similar to those you’d get in Liverpool, warm and appreciative if they like you and you perform as you should, but there’s no kidding them so you’ve always got to be on form. We like it that way. Fortunately, we’ve always gone down very well.How many years have you been performing together as the Cavern Beatles? How did you get started? And how has the stage show evolved over that time?CHRIS: This line up has been together nearly six years now, and in that time the show has seen its greatest evolution. From a band that performed predominantly the material that The Beatles would have performed, or been able to perform, live up to 1966, we’re now a band that is able to convincingly perform the more complex songs completely live as a four piece.How does it feel to be endorsed and licensed by a club like the Cavern Club – a name that’s been so synonymous with the Beatles? And how many times have you still to play there before you beat 292 appearances?SIMON: There is a lot of prestige attached to the endorsement, and to be associated with the club is a real “feather in the cap” as a Beatles tribute band. Although we have performed many times at the Cavern, our appearances are rarer these days because of the amount of touring we do. The club has fully realised the importance and draw of such a band and has put together its own resident band that plays week in, week out. They are obviously unable to tour.As ambassadors for the Cavern Club, and considering the current state of small venues closing up and down the country, why do you think that the Cavern has managed to stay open and relevant over the years?CHRIS: I think it’s simply because the current owners (since 1992) have maintained their commitment to live music. The Club’s heritage has attracted contemporary and established big names to perform there which has kept the ball rolling. Paul McCartney’s appearance in 1999 is probably the best example, but the list goes on and on.How important do you think it is, 50 years on from Sgt Pepper, for bands like yourselves to keep the legacy and music of the Beatles alive for modern audiences?SIMON: I think of it in terms of classical music. You can always put a record on, but there is really nothing like sitting in a concert hall and watching real people play real instruments live and with a passion. There is something about a live performance that inspires people to enthuse over the music, go home and enjoy it even more.There are so many distinct eras for the Beatles that you replicate in the show – which would you say is your favourite, and why? And also, which would you say is the most challenging and why?PAUL: Such a hard question to answer because all the eras have their own elements which excite the musicians. It’s easy to say that the early stuff is the easiest to play, because The Beatles were still developing as musicians, but there is also the fact that that period is very demanding vocally and requires a lot more on stage energy.Probably for us though, the later songs that require a few of different keyboard parts plus the guitar lines, are the most mentally challenging.The Cavern Beatles pride themselves on their attention to detail – how much research did you do when putting together the show? And what interesting little details about the band did you uncover that people might not know about?PAUL: It’s really a lifetime’s research as we are all lifelong fans. In more recent times, the internet has become an amazing resource, because now almost everything is available at the click of a mouse. It has meant that the instrumental parts can be played with greater accuracy because you can see the exact chord shapes they used on the live recordings etc. But also, lots of little mannerisms can be picked up, which hopefully some will notice and find “funny”.You’ve been endorsed by Hofner Guitars and Pyramid Strings – how did that come about?RICK: As we have toured extensively in Germany, we came to the attention of these two German companies that were conn

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