The Beatles were just one of those simply legendary bands (and even that sounds like an understatement). Throughout their ten year career, they completely changed how music was not only written but recorded and played in a live setting. Their discography is riddled with everything from pop-friendly radio songs to experimental tracks filled with tape played backwards and looped in psychedelic patterns. A typical show of the Beatles would not be complete without screaming fans, of course. And in the present day, where somehow 60 years has passed since The Beatles formed, I have found the next best thing to seeing the Beatles live: a tribute band who goes by the name of Liverpool Legends.
I saw Liverpool Legends at their home venue Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson this last Tuesday and Wednesday. I had previously seen their show about three years ago at their old venue, so it was the perfect time to catch up!
When I had last seen the show, the band had focused on the earlier days of the Beatles - 1962 to about 1966, where Beatlemania was about to burst and their touring days were dwindling. This last week’s shows exhibited the Fab Four’s entire career in two hours.
The set started with the Beatlemania days, when the Beatles first came to America and the British Invasion was born. This is a great point to start the show, as American audiences were first introduced to the Beatles through the Ed Sullivan show. Of course, Liverpool Legends played some of the same songs from that epic moment that changed the world of music forever, opening with “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. There were a good number of classic Beatles songs featured in the first part - including “All My Loving”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, and “A Hard Day’s Night”. Crowd participation was strongly encouraged, as ‘John Lennon’ asked the crowd if anyone has seen the black and white film A Hard Day’s Night and if they remember what the girls do when the first chord is struck – which is to scream at the top of one’s lungs! There was a moment of freefalling magic for me when I did just that. No hesitation, no worry as to what other people may think; just living in the presence of good music that carries a certain emotion one cannot ever dream of replacing.
Liverpool Legends closed out the first part with “Yesterday”, giving ‘Paul’ the spotlight in a breathtaking live version of the classic song. There was a lovely moment where the crowd was encouraged to sing the chorus by themselves without ‘Paul’ leading. I would argue that there is no other band in history who could connect different generations so strongly as the Beatles, and it was certainly attested to as I glanced around the audience.
The next songs in the set shifted to a couple years before the Beatles were introduced to American audiences; the Cavern days, when they were just starting out. Liverpool Legends played a couple of the cover songs that the Fab Four played in those days - Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” and “Roll Over Beethoven”. It was a nice surprise to hear those songs live, as they are not the usual songs one may think of when they think of the Beatles; yet, to pay respect to the early days of the band, it makes a lot of sense to acknowledge the music of the bands the Beatles were inspired by.
Next in the set, there was another time jump, this time to when the Beatles played Shea Stadium. The set was filled with some more Beatles’ classics - “In My Life” and “Day Tripper”. “Yellow Submarine”, featuring ‘Ringo’, was a highlight of the set, as the graphics reflected the ones found in the animated film and bubbles rose into the crowd. The energy continued to climb as “Twist and Shout” closed out the first part of the show before intermission.
When Liverpool Legends walked onto stage next, their wardrobe reflected the psychedelic shift found in the Beatles’ later years: the iconic bright colors of the Sgt. Pepper uniforms that one could see from a mile away. The first half of the set was devoted to songs either on the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album or songs recorded around the same time, like “Penny Lane”. I absolutely loved this part of the set, as in Beatles history, the band had stopped touring by this point. Still, their music grew more complex and, potentially, would have been difficult to duplicate in a live setting in the time when the songs were written. Luckily for eager fans who seek it, Liverpool Legends allow for the twisting, intricate, psychedelic side of the band to be exhibited in a live setting. It is truly the closest thing that I have experienced to seeing the Beatles themselves live.
Liverpool Legends closed out their concert with focus on Abbey Road and a couple tracks from The Beatles AKA The White Album. Listening to the music, it creates an aura of reflection; it is absolutely stunning to think that they began the show with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and ended with a sing-a-long “Hey Jude”. It was partly a fast-forward exhibition of the history of the Beatles, and one was left with admiration as to just how much the band achieved in such a short amount of time. It was also partly a wonderful time listening to just how much Liverpool Legends have achieved the same sound as the Beatles that one can lose themselves in the illusion and feel that they are seeing the Beatles themselves perform right before them!
Ultimately, not only do Liverpool Legends sound the part, but they look the part, too. For each different era of the band, Liverpool Legends reflected the wardrobe: grey suits for the Ed Sullivan show, white shirts and matching black pants and vests for the Cavern days, beige jackets for Shea Stadium; Sgt. Pepper uniforms, and ending with the Abbey Road cover outfits. Musically, it was a state of absolute Beatle bliss; theatrically, it was entertaining, too, as the musicians acted out banter not only between themselves but with the audience, too.
While, due to my age, I cannot truly compare Liverpool Legends to what it must have been like to see the Beatles themselves live, I would advocate that the band creates a wonderful companion and tribute. Their show has the appeal of a musical history lesson and acknowledgement to one of the world’s most famous bands. But even outside of the Beatle appeal, the band themselves are very talented, having the ability to play a variety of songs and keeping up the banter. In simplest terms, it was a good time; overall, it is a musical photograph exhibiting the excitement of Beatlemania.
Liverpool Legends, to me, is ultimately another reason why Beatlemania will never die. If you need convincing, go see one of their shows, and you will find that the magic of the Beatles’ music is something that will persist and never, ever, expire with the passing of time.