Beatles Tribute Band: The Mersey Beatles - Reviews of Liverpool's official tribute band

'There are a lot of Beatles tribute bands from all over the world, and I've seen them all, but The Mersey Beatles are the best I've heard.'

John Lennon's sister, Julia Baird, to Beatles fans at Telford's Warehouse live music venue, Chester 29/01/08

"In 1964, The Beatles performed at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. In 2011, their magic was recreated by the Mersey Beatles in a two-hour spectacular, involving four costume changes, that thrilled the audience and left us all demanding more."

Donna Jackson in her review of The Mersey Beatles show at Blackpool Winter Gardens on 15th August, 2011- you can read the full review here

'When they play in The Cavern, they perfectly recreate the atmosphere that the original Beatles produced. I could close my eyes and it would be like listening to The Beatles again.'

Joe Flannery, The Beatles’ booking manager

'The Mersey Beatles do all the same kind of banter and crowd involvement, but it’s not rehearsed or fake, that’s just how they are. If The Beatles were still going today, they’d be exactly like The Mersey Beatles.'

Steve Panter (‘Stevie P’), Cavern Club Entertainments Manager

'The performance was brilliant. The next best thing to the original Beatles.'

Julia Stannard, Producer of a German documentory about the Fab Four
including The Mersey Beatles at The Cavern, October 2009

'Mark Bloor as "John" is almost eerily similar to the original.'

'The Liverpool band are not only strikingly similar to the originals in look and dialect but they create a similar atmosphere. They make a great show in their costumes and contemporary guitars. The whole covers genre often balances on the boundary of real and painfully funny but these boys are in a different professional class.'

'I was as equally overwhelmed as when this Liverpool band was here in 2007. But since then I have visited Liverpool and breathed the right atmosphere and fallen into all of Liverpool's Beatles tourist traps. Now I understand even more what The Mersey Beatles stand for. They are The Cavern Club's house band and more worthy ambassadors I can not imagine. They showed the same joy of playing and a winning attitude.'

Excerpts from reviews of the SweadBeat tour, September 2009

'The most outstanding Beatles act I've seen....an immaculate performance.'

Stan Boardman, Liverpool comedian

'Steven Howard sang with that familiar high pitched lilt of "McCartney", Dave Howard performed a beautiful version of George Harrison's classic ballad Something, and even drummer Brian Ambrose's rendition of With A Little Help From My Friends possessed that "Starr" charm.

'But it was the sense of nostalgia that the band was capable of evoking that really endeared it to the audience with encores Hey Jude and Twist and Shout almost putting a tear in the eye.'

N.Rama Lohan, Sunway Hotel, Malaysia, November 2006

'Do The Mersey Beatles sound better than the real thing, live?

'All I know is I shivered some when they started the intro last night - a night full of memories at a sold out event.

'In the early Beatles songs which opened the concert the band is brilliant. The instruments sounded exactly as they should and the voices were in perfect harmony.

'Even the chat between 'John' and 'Paul' was perfect.

'All the riffs, every movement every guitar solo and every harmony was perfection.

'Today The Mersey Beatles could call themselves The 'Perfect' Beatles!

'They connected with the audience as we were invited on a fascinating two hour journey through a piece of pop history by a band which is something more than other tribute bands.

'After a short break they started off again in 1967 - here the music changes mood. The Mersey Beatles handled this so well and it all made for an unforgettable night.

'So we had heard it all before and do we really want to hear it again and again and again? If it's by The Mersey Beatles then the answer is Yeah Yeah Yeah!'

Rodger Karlson, Sundsvall News, Sweden, March 2006

'The Mersey Beatles are the Cavern's house band, recreating the excitement of the original group in an authentic setting.

'They do not pretend to be lookalikes but they do sound like the band. And rightly so. They are one of the few tribute bands made up entirely of Liverpudlians.

'Unlike many tribute bands, the line-up has remained constant and they even have a "fifth Beatle", Tony Cook, who in the show slinks on at the back of the stage to play keyboards. He supplies all that orchestral backing that played such a significant role in The Beatles recordings, and Cook works on the arrangements.

'Meeting the band backstage at The Cavern proved that, like the early Beatles, they are all likeable lads.'

Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post, July 2007

The Mersey Beatles play with the same guitars and amplifiers as the Beatles used so the audience can hear how they actually sounded. And as it turned out, it sounded incredibly perfect.'

'The Mersey Beatles showed that they mastered the whole song catalogue of The Beatles, and played with a fantastic sound.'

Joakim Sparv, Bargslagsbladet, Sweden, March 2006

The sound of Liverpool could be heard across the centre of Pisa as 4,000 fans gave a rapturous welcome to The Mersey Beatles.

Before the evening was out, many Italians had promised to visit Liverpool, if only to see the Mersey Beatles play their fortnightly show at the Cavern Club.

Former Birkenhead man Frank Sheridan, who has lived in Pisa for 20 years, said: 'If anybody can attract more people to Liverpool, those guys can. They were brilliant.'

Liverpool Daily Post, July 2005

'This excellent tribute show...performed each hit remarkably like the original Beatles...'

'The harmonies and on-stage presence were excellent...'

'Hey Jude 'had the audience cheering for more...'

Morecambe Visitor, February 2005

'genuine camaraderie, talent and Scouse charm...'

'they have what it takes to set them apart from other Beatles acts...'

Southport Visiter, February 2005

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