The Wonder From Down-Under
The Beatals @ Rhyl Pavilion Theatre - September 2002

"Bet you don't do Tomorrow Never Knows!" So Paul McCartney was heard to tease a Beatles tribute band backstage at the recent Concert for New York, October 2001. He had every right to be so confident. There has recently been a huge growth in the number of Beatles tribute acts, but the majority of bands follow a depressingly familiar set-list that does little to reflect the famed eclecticism of the Fab Four. 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is widely regarded to be the Holy Grail amongst cover bands - that other magnum opus, 'A Day In The Life', having already been nailed by the Bootleg Beatles, among others. But 'Tomorrow Never Knows' remains out of reach for almost all tribute acts. The song is a glorious swirling mass of technicoloured psychedelia and unsettling claustrophobia - a masterful blend that the Beatles themselves did not have the nerve to reproduce live, let alone anyone else. So when a tribute band not only attempts to do 'Tomorrow Never Knows' live, but to everyone's surprise, actually pulls it off with aplomb, you have no alternative to sit up and take notice.

The Australian Beatals mastered such a feat at their performance last week at the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre. With a massive following in their home country and a growing army of British fans, this was the Australian Beatals's second visit to our shores, following a triumphant debut performance at Liverpool's Beatle Week last year. Audience members comprised not just of curious locals but dedicated fans who had travelled remarkably long distances from around the UK to catch the show, in its improbable premiere location of North Wales. Since the show has played the most prestigious venues of Australia, a performance in Rhyl represents an impressive coup for the Pavilion's directors.

The show is a thrilling roller-coaster ride through the history of the Beatles. With spine-chillingly accurate versions of over forty Beatle hits, the Australian Beatals portray the rise and fall of the world's greatest pop group from the indomitable mop-topped years of 'Twist and Shout', to the elegiac swansong of 'Let It Be'. Imaginative multi-media presentations in between the band's costume changes narrate the story of the Beatles's development for the surprisingly large number of those in the audience too young to remember the sixties. All of which makes for not just a fun-filled nostalgia fest, but an exhilarating way in which to discover afresh the timeless appeal of the Beatles songbook.

Reproducing the original recorded material as closely as possible is obviously a prime concern for the band. Gasps of delight were audible amongst the fans when 'George' in all his psychedelic finery, played a medley on sitar with impressive virtuosity before the rest of the band joined in to deliver a flawless version of 'Norwegian Wood'. The sensational final set, which included rousing renditions of 'Get Back' and 'Birthday', had a jubilant audience on their feet and dancing in the aisles. All of which demanded an impressive encore.

The Australian Beatals certainly delivered. Returning to thunderous applause, they introduced a surprise guest - a didgeridoo player - to participate in their ambitious encore number of 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. The unworldly ambience that the didgeridoo lent to the performance perfectly suited the song's mystical aura. The raucous audience were temporarily quietened and spellbound, before again exploding with admiration at the song's close. All of which left one wondering what Paul McCartney would have to say about that.

Angela Crack