Like... The Beatles

Like... The Beatles are a Beatles tribute act based in South Essex, England. Formed in early 2008, their aim is to is to recreate the sights and sounds of the Fab Four - from their earliest days in The Cavern, to their last recording session at Abbey Road.

History
The origins of Like... The Beatles hark back to the mid 1990s, when brothers Steve and Nick took up the guitar. Avid Beatles fans already, they taught themselves how to play by learning Beatles classics including Strawberry Fields Forever, Rocky Raccoon and Cry Baby Cry.

Nick went on to join a variety of guitar bands, while Steve spent a time playing guitar for pints of beer in the Channel Islands, before coming back home to Essex and enjoying a successful career in amateur dramatics. Throughout this period, both brothers' love of the Beatles and their music stayed constant.

Like... The Beatles formed in the early months of 2008 when, Steve and Nick were asked to perform together for a family party. The opportunity to cover a series of Beatles classics was immediately grasped, and they quickly recruited their brother-in-law, Nick, already a drummer in Nick's band, to portray Ringo. Yes, there are too many 'Nicks' in this band.

It was agreed that Steve would be best suited to portray John and Nick to portray Paul, leaving only George unaccounted for. With a shared love of The Beatles and all being performers in their own right, the band soon started to gel and decided to continue working together after the family party. After performing that first gig, the boys started advertising for someone to fill the role of George.

The band became a Fab Four when Gary joined the band to play George. Another Beatles fan, Gary quickly established himself as the band's lead guitarist and helped to bring those famous Beatle harmonies to life.

The next priority was to get the band's equipment right, which by Summer of 2008, the boys had managed to do, acquiring guitars and amplifiers that made the band sound as close to the real thing as possible. The next step was to expand the band's wardrobe from the Cavern look, to include other periods in Beatle history. By the Autumn of 2008, the band could boast three distinct Beatle looks - The Cavern, Shea Stadium and Abbey Road.

Members
Like... The Beatles are:

Gear

Like... The Beatles currently employ a wide range of original and replica instruments during their performances, including:

* Hofner Icon Series 500/1
* Gretsch 5122dc
* Epiphone SG
* Epiphone Casino
* Gibson J-160E

John and George use genuine Vox AC30 amplifiers to give an accurate 60s sound.

Performances
A typical performance by Like... The Beatles consists of two 45-minute sets, during which the band play a variety of songs from the entire musical spectrum of the Fab Four. This includes songs which The Beatles themselves never performed live, as well as the usual big hits.

The band will also offer a change of costume between sets, usually starting with the famous Shea Stadium jackets and then switching to the outfits worn on the iconic cover of the Abbey Road album.

Like... The Beatles played at several private functions in their first year, culminating with a well-received debut public performance at a packed Club Riga in Southend-on-Sea. They are taking a short break over the Christmas and new year period as 'George' and his fianceé are expecting a new arrival, but already have several performances scheduled for 2009.

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See Also

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