Find a Band in Gosforth

Reviewer – Louise SharpIt’s been fifty years since the Beatles released their debut album Please Please me, before going on to dominate the charts throughout the world and became the greatest, most successful act in the history of popular music.A superb performance at the Whitley Bay Playhouse took the audience on a tour of hits throughout the years, from high energy sounds of ‘She Loves You’ and ‘Hard Days Night’, to songs of pure emotion including ‘And I love her’ by Paul (Dave Peterson) and a mesmerising performance of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by George (Rich Jevons).The night started with a brief audio introduction in true sixties sound, immediately setting the mood for the evening. The curtains then went up and the band kicked off with ‘Saw her Standing There’, then continued with a string of hits including the all-time favourites, ‘She loves you’, ‘Hard Days Night’, and ‘8 Days a Week’. The lights went down, and the band left the stage, but only very briefly for a quick costume change, then another spoken audio was then heard, detailing the Beatles success to date, and taking us to America.Six more hits including ‘Twist and Shout’,’ Ticket to Ride’ and ‘Paperback Writer’,  wrapped up set one beautifully, and the atmosphere indicated the crowd were eager for more.The second half of the show brought us another costume change, a more colourfully lit stage and the magical sounds of the sitar as the band kicked off with ‘Sgt Pepper’.  As the evening progressed more and more of the audience of all ages, were on their feet, dancing along to hits ‘Penny Lane’, ‘All you need is love’,’ Back in the USSR’.The band not only performed the Beatles hits, but took on the role of each individual perfectly. Paul interacting with the audience while John provided the humour, which combined with a strong likeness, made for a very entertaining evening. The vocals were strong, the music spectacular with Paul, George and John (Paul McDonough) on Guitar, swapping it for a piano in the second half of the show, and with Ringo (Dave Gee) on the drums.The show came to an end with chart topping hit ‘Hey Jude’, as a sea of hands waved from side to side throughout the theatre. The band then left the stage leaving the audience wanting more, to which they duly obliged with an encore and returned, picked up their guitars to treat us a to fantastic rendition of  ‘Yellow submarine’. The show ended perfectly with ‘Twist and Shout’, bringing the whole theatre to their feet.Beatlemania brought us an outstanding, truly memorable, performance, showcasing their musicianship and ability to entertain.Reviewed on: 7th February 2015