Behind the Curtain with The Beatles (Experience)
It’s not everyday you get to meet the Beatles all in one room, let alone hear them play their songs. Such a day has certainly not occurred in at least 30 years. However, it was possible to Experience an authentic approximation of such a day recently at the Capitol Centre where John, Paul, Ringo and George took the stage. Myself, Cameron J. Armstong, and Jimi Hendrix caught up to the Faux Fab Four after their adoring fans went home.
Tony Loeffen (TL): How long after the show do you guys drop your accents?
Ringo Starr: After a beer.
TL: I forgot to ask you if they are contrived accents, as in… are you British?
John Lennon: We’re Australian…
Ringo: Most Americans and Canadians think the Australian accent sounds British.
TL: You know what? I know the difference, but, your Sgt. Pepper’s outfits combined with the Australian accents made me hear Britishness. But anyway, you guys travel around and keep the Beatles’ music alive to a whole bunch of people that it is important to. Beatles fans tend to have a strong attachment to the Beatles. Do you find that people are willing to form the same attachment to you, and what you represent, as they are to the music you’re playing?
John: In some ways, because we evoke a lot of emotion in people, and nostalgia, they become very appreciative, so we have actual fans… fans of our own. They contact us by email or visit our myspace page. Some people, after they see us, they can’t wait for us to come back. There are fans of Beatles tributes that will see many Beatles tributes, and then tell us how well we performed in that context.
TL: So there are connoisseurs of Beatles tributes out there?
John: Exactly, and we love them.
TL: So they can be your fans AND Beatles fans. Two different levels. As in they aren’t impersonating your fans while actually being Beatles fans, while you impersonate the Beatles, while actually being you. They are actually your fans.
John: Totally, and we give our heart and soul to this every night. It’s pretty obvious if you are a Beatles fan, we are up there busting gut to make sure we’re giving people the best Beatles show possible, we’re attempting to provide an authentic experience in terms of looks and sound.
Ringo: … as authentic as possible for us. There may be four other guys that look and sound like the Beatles more so than we do, but they may not have the passion that we do.
John: It’s not a competition though.
Ringo: You’re right it’s not a competition,…
TL: Well I was thinking that it is a competition. When you were talking about connoisseurs of Beatles tributes, it is inevitable that some people will prefer one tribute act over another, and your livelihood would depend on how highly you rank in the esteem of the connoisseurs.
John: True. All we can do is let the audience sort that out, and we don’t let that affect us.
TL: I guess you can’t control that, all you can do is give as much of yourself to the Beatles as you can. I notice the marquee outside says “Beatlemania”.
John: It says “Beatlemania on Tour”.
TL: So your name is “Beatlemania on Tour”? Is there also a “Beatlemania”? I thought you guys were called the “Beatle Experience”…
John: What we are, or what this show is… is “Beatlemania on Tour Performed by the Beatles Experience”. “The Beatles Experience” is us as a band, and the show is “Beatlemania on Tour”.
Cameron J. Armstrong: Is Beatlemania an incorporated term?
John: Beatlemania is pretty much…
TL: Trademarked.
John: No, its not even trademarked, it’s a generic term in the English language.
Ringo: “Beatlemania” is not a term the Beatles came up with, therefore they could never patent it.
John: There are a lot of Beatles tribute bands that use some spin on Beatlemania, such as “Beatlemania Live”, or “It’s Beatlemania!”
TL: Do you guys imitate or pay tribute to any other bands?
John: We have done in the past, but not at present.
TL: So you’re dedicated to the Beatles. I was speaking with a local actor named Rod Carley earlier today, whom you will not have heard of, but he’s quite well known ‘round these here parts, and I told him I’d be interviewing you guys tonight. I asked him if there would be a different mindset for people paying tribute to one band, that really existed and, for example, the role playing mindset of an actor who would pour his or her identity into many different fictitious characters.
John: In fact, I am a dramatic actor, and I’ve done musical theater since I was a kid.
TL: Is there a different psychological dynamic between with constantly giving your identity to a person that exists, and playing different fictitious characters.
John: It’s more the point that John Lennon is a being that walked this earth. He had certain speech patterns and mannerisms. As I play this role, and interpret John Lennon, I can portray him correctly or incorrectly.
TL: That would be mimicry as opposed to acting then.
John: For portraying Lennon, I think that there are more criteria to filter your brain through than there would be for acting, because for acting, for the most part, you find what there is within yourself that would suit the role you are playing. You can invent the character to a much larger degree. With this, you go in much deeper, and research that person, until you know exactly how they think, and then you reprogram yourself so that they can completely and utterly live through you. It is a far more intense form of acting when you portray someone real.
TL: When you are playing a fictitious character, do you find that you give up less of yourself than when you pay tribute to an actual human being that actually did exist?
John: I’d say that in a normal acting role, there would be more of yourself in it, whereas the better I become at portraying John Lennon, the more I disappear.
TL: I think I understand. The better you do at portraying John Lennon, the more you disappear into the role, but the at the same time, you retain more of your identity separate from him, because you would invest less of it in such a portrayal than you would in playing a fictitious character. John, what is your real name by the way?
JL: Chris Frazer.
TL: Very pleased to meet you Chris Frazer, and please allow me to introduce you to my friend here, Jimi Hendrix, he’d like to get a picture with you guys if you don’t mind…
From Left: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison.
