Beatles tribute band The Bootleg Beatles astonishingly delivered a blast from the past set during their 44th-anniversary tour in the Philippines last October 26.
The cover band revisited the original Beatles’ iconic eras in the ‘60s up to the ‘70s at The Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City, performing their all-time hits in front of different generations.
“No fans scream louder than the Filipino fans,” Gordon Elsmore, who performs as Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr, said.
The Bootleg Beatles even showed off the original’s signature mop-top haircuts and psychedelic suits, proving that they are indeed the spitting image of the English rock band—from looks to talent.
Over 1,700 concertgoers got up from their seats and danced when the band began performing the 1968 folk hit “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”
WATCH: Filipino concertgoers sang along and danced to 1968 hit “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” during The Bootleg Beatles’ 44th anniversary tour. 📷 Interaksyon / @cali_newss pic.twitter.com/weKV1yCh0D
— Interaksyon (@interaksyon) October 28, 2024
“We should be watching you!” Steve White, who performs as Beatles’ lead vocalist and bassist Paul McCartney, told the fans whose sing-along filled the venue on Saturday night.
Towards the end of the concert, the band even playfully pulled a prank on their fans by introducing “Let it Be” as their final performance of the night.
After finishing the song, bidding farewell to the crowd and walking off stage, they immediately skipped back toward the center stage and grabbed their instruments to officially cap off the concert with the ever-fan-favorite “Hey Jude.”
In a press conference on October 25, the cover band advised aspiring musicians to immerse themselves in The Beatles’ songs.
“Fill your collection with Beatles music. Let that shape your creativity as a musician,” they said.
The Bootleg Beatles was formed in 1980, a decade after the original Beatles disbanded. Its current members are Paul Canning (John Lennon), White, Stephen Hill (George Harrison) and Elsmore.
They last visited Manila in October 2022.
The Manila leg of the 2024 anniversary concert was produced by Concert Republic.
The band’s next stop will be a three-night concert on October 31, November 2 and 3 in Vietnam.