The Bootleg Beatles, hailed as the “No. 1” Beatles tribute band, finally returned to the country for a show in celebration of their 44th anniversary.
Excited for their show, the quartet, consisting of Steve White (Paul McCartney), Stephen Hill (George Harrison), Paul Canning (John Lennon), and Gordon Elsmore (Ringo Starr), met with the press on October 25 ahead of their performance at Solaire in Parañaque City.
Steve White, who performed as Paul McCartney shared that in their 44 years of touring, the first performance in Manila was his most memorable experience. With the excitement of fans, for him it almost felt like they were the real Beatles, “it was a glimpse of how it was for those boys.”
“And that’s never been replicated anywhere else, so for me it was a massive memorable moment that we had a police car in front and a police car behind, taking us to our hotel… It felt like we were back in the 60s,” he added.
For the Bootleg Beatles, their performance was an ongoing process where they are “always perfecting as you go.” They added that they were always evolving, updating their performances so their fans still had more things to look forward to.
When asked about the best part of being in a tribute band, they shared that they “never get bored playing Beatles songs.” They also see it as an honor to be huge fans of the Beatles, feeling privileged to stand on stage and perform their favorite music.
An advice they have for others who want to start their own bands was that they should “fill your record collection with Beatles collection,” saying that it’s a good place to start since they have a range of great music. “Let that shape what you want to do as a musician, let that come through in your creativity,” Paul said.
When asked what song they would dedicate to the Filipino fans they said ‘Here’s comes the Sun,’ as a fitting song since it has been raining days leading up to their performance.
For the band meeting the younger generations during their tour was a thrill, “It’s just fabulous because it’s a testament to how great that music is, and how many generations of that music can cross.”
They added that it was fun for them to know that the young generation is the next generation that will carry the Beatles story, “It’s amazing, it’s a privilege to be in a position to see this.”
The 44th Anniversary Tour
The tribute band for the iconic British rock band, showcased a bewildering blast from the past performance during their 44th-anniversary tour at the Theatre in Solaire, in Parañaque City, last October 26, 2024.
The tribute band nostalgically revisited the original band’s famous eras in the ’60s and ‘70s with their performance of all-time hits in front of a crowd filled with different generations.
“No fans scream louder than the Filipino fans,” Gordon Elsmore, who portrays Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr, said.
The band also performed I Saw Her Standing There, All My Loving, Roll Over Beethoven, Can’t Buy Me Love, and I Want to Hold Your Hand, followed by Twist and Shout, Help!, and Yesterday. Bootleg Beatles also showed off the original band’s signature mop-top haircuts and psychedelic suits.
During their performance of the 1968 folk hit Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, over 1,700 attendees rose from their seats to dance along.
Towards the end of their concert, the band humorously pranked their fans by announcing “Let it Be” as their final song of the night
After finishing the performance of the song, saying goodbye to the crowd, and walking off stage, the band hurried back to the center stage and concluded their concert with the beloved classic “Hey Jude.”
After their stop in Manila, they will continue their tour and perform in Vietnam. They will then return to England and tour in December a whole new show that they said is, “fresh for the band and fresh for the audience,” which they will also perform in Europe all the way until April 2025.
The event was made possible by the Concert Republic.
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