What comes to mind when you hear the words “tribute band?” Your dad and a couple of his buddies playing Lynyrd Skynyrd songs out of a two-car garage? Corny Tuesday night bar bands trying to emulate greatness? Somebody with a terrible Kiss wig and make-up dancing around on a stage?
Tonight at 7:30 at the Bama Theatre, your idea of a tribute band may be completely changed. The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute, a Beatles tribute band that the LA Times called “the best Beatles show in the world,” according to their website, is coming to Tuscaloosa.
Ron McNeil, a founder of the band and one of the John Lennon impersonators for the group, called the performance a “theatrical concert” rather than just a concert.
It will include renditions of popular Beatles songs, along with costume changes and dialogue illustrating the history of the Beatles from their American opening on the Ed Sullivan show to their break-up years later.
David Allgood, the manger of the Bama Theatre, said the show spans the legendary band’s history.
“They depict the different periods throughout the Beatles career,” he said.
McNeil said some of the songs to be performed include “Twist and Shout,” “Revolution,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Help” and “literally every other Beatles hit you can think of.”
“A lot of people think they don’t know the songs, but once we start singing it they recognize it,” McNeil said.
University students should come to the show for that reason, he said.
“That seems to be when people are getting into the Beatles is in college,” McNeil said. “They are experiencing music and different types of things. If you think you’ll not recognize tunes, you may actually recognize almost every single song. I think you’d have a good time. The music is still relevant.”
McNeil said while he usually plays John Lennon he will not be doing so for this show. His colleague, Tyson Kelly, will be performing that role.
“At the Bama Theatre, we’re very excited because one of the newer guys, Tyson Kelly, is performing John Lennon, and he is really, really good,” McNeil said. “He’s our number one John Lennon in the group.”
McNeil said he fell into performing John Lennon at the creation of their group.
“Paul was always my favorite growing up,” McNeil said. “But when I met Ardy, who plays Paul McCartney, he sounded so much like him and looked like him so I decided that I would be John. John kind of has a big pointy nose and I kind of have a big pointy nose. I think my voice is in line with John as well, and when he passed away I got into his music more, especially his solo music.”
The idea for the beginning of the band began back in the 1980s with McNeil’s own tribute band experience.
“Before ‘tribute act’ was a bad word there was a show on Broadway called ‘Beatles Mania,’” McNeil said. “My father took me in the 80s, and I thought it was really neat. That’s kind of how the idea started.”
McNeil said his love of the Beatles and his musical talent combined to generate the tribute band idea.
“All of us in the band were all separately learning Beatles songs,” McNeil said. “It’s pretty known stuff. We met each other here in Los Angeles and decided we had a good thing going and we started getting a following.”
Eventually the Fab Four moved to Las Vegas and started a show there. Since then they have performed around the world, including places like Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany and more.
McNeil said the Fab Four is actually the only four-piece Beatles tribute group in the world that performs everything on the stage. There is no use of back-up CDs or keyboards.
Tickets to the performance cost $33 for floor seats and $25 for balcony seats. It will be a 90-minute show with no opening act.
McNeil said the Fab Four loves playing in the South because the people are so nice and there are Beatles fans everywhere.
“It’s a show for the whole family; bring your parents, grandparents and anybody else to the show. All ages will enjoy it. Have a good time, let loose and just dance,” McNeil said.
