"We can do over 100 Beatles songs but on a night we will do about 30, so which 70 do you leave out?" Rob Simpson of premier Beatles tribute band, Imagine...The Beatles, is describing the Long and Winding Road the band takes to compile a set list. "We'll say, oh we have to do Ticket To Ride', but that means we have to get rid of All My Loving, then someone will say no we have to do that', but then we would have to get rid of Get Back, it just goes on."
Sounds like they need Help. But anyone who has ever made a compilation of one of their favourite artists for a friend will be familiar with such agonising, and The Beatles' back catalogue is arguably the hardest to distill. The Stones, Michael Jackson, Queen, Bowie, they all had longer careers and more albums, but The Beatles packed such consistency and productivity into their eight or so years, that leaving out several gig's-worth of classics is inevitable.
Nonetheless, Imagine...The Beatles are the cream of the many Fab Four tribute acts out there, and Rob (Paul), James Hender (George), Geoff Raggett (John) and Steve Townsend (Ringo) are Fixing A Hole in their schedule with a gig at Boom Boom Club this Friday.
But if it wasn't for their attention to detail, they'd be Nowhere, Man. All four have worked Eight Days A Week to save up the dough for replica guitars, basses and drums of the original foursome. What's more, they (Rob in particular) have adopted some of the mannerisms of their heroes, the ducks, the bounces, the looks, for maximum autheiticity.
Rob founded the band and recalls the first time he became aware of The Beatles: "I was too young to know them when they came out, but I remember when I was about 18, somebody played this record and I thought hang on, I know all these songs, how do I know them?'
"It was their Red and Blue album. Everybody knows these songs, even the people who think they're not particularly a Beatles fan, once they've had a few drinks they can't resist getting up and having a dance! By the end everybody is singing Hey Jude at the top of their voice."
And things are Getting Better for the band, as they said I Will to a Magical Mystery Tour in South Korea, where they will (here comes the pun) Come Together with an ABBA tribute band. Agnetha, My Dear, Why Don't We Do It On the Road etc.
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So check them out while you can at Boom Boom, all your troubles will seem so far away. And if you miss them? Well, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on.
Imagine...The Beatles; Boom Boom Club, Sutton Football Ground, Gander Green Lane; Friday, February 1, doors 7.30pm, tickets to ride £10/£8adv, visit boombomlive.co.uk or call 01784 46 00 94 for tickets.
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