Severn Beats to the Mersey Beatles

Mersey Beatles

Theatre Severn

25/September/2022

I think the most amazing truth about the Beatles music is the fact that just 18 years after the West and the East met in Berlin to destroy fascism together; The Beatles were riding high at number one with “I wanna hold your hand.” Doesn’t it make you wonder, did the one lead to the other? Would have love been all you need if we had never had the worst conflagration ever known to man? Just a historical question there that we cannot answer…nor will I try. But what can be said was the genius that came from those four lads that shook the world was immeasurable and that is why tonight Theatre Severn was thronged with a crowd awaiting their mop-top fix. Did they get it? And some.

Entering into the spirit of the thing the Mersey Beatles, from first note to last note, with your eyes closed you were with them back in the day; when peace and love was a substitute for food and Rock become something other than what one broke in the hot sun. Superb stuff.

The show itself was beautifully crafted joined with black and white photos and movies of those early days keeping up with the hectic lives of the four. The banter was fun and keeping the characters names, a practise I don’t usually approve of, the Mersey Beatles entertained the audience solidly for over two hours. Talk about value for money.

The musicianship was note for perfect note utterly spot on. Little harmonics or backing vocals were adding to the fabric of the performance, consequently turning a good performance into a great performance. None could say unless their soul is solid granite, that these boys didn’t entertain, they surely did. With talent leaking out like electric sparks the four boys came together to make this wonderful sound. A lot of audience were heard at half time praising the skills of the drummer, this reviewer concurs, he was wonderful. Turning the drums up slightly louder really put “Ringo,” in the game as he bashed and bongo'd his way through. “George’s guitar work was astonishing too; we really did have a very clever bunch of musicians here.

So importantly, how did the vocal sound? It’s a fair question and with a tribute band a deal breaker. Again, absolutely no issues, no need to panic. We were amongst four safe pairs of lungs and the lads belted out the hits as fresh and perfectly as they were ever played.

There’s a lot of tough stuff in the world just now as there was then, after all there were race riots, there were shootings at universities and there was a terrifying war in Vietnam, just hotting up. Yet there was a world full of love and talent and music.

Through that time of dark skies, the Beatles pointed us to the blue. We are in bad time right now and it’s worth remembering above the dark skies the sun shines perpetually. Clouds dissipate and happiness makes them melt. The Beatles did it and so can we!

I know that is slightly idealistic, but I believe that is in the spirit of the Beatles, just four lads came along and shook the world and changed its direction. The Mersey Beatles are doing an important task keeping that music and that musical spirit alive.

In summary a great show, a thought-provoking show and a show loaded with great skill, talent, and fun

This is a Four-Star Review

Owen J. Lewis