The Bootleg Beatles

Central Theatre, Chatham

Watching The Bootleg Beatles is a gloriously unnerving experience. There on stage is a spooky spitting image of John Lennon sounding uncannily like him.

While Adam Hastings is the real deal in all respects, Steve White (Paul), Andre Barreau (George) and Hugo Degenhardt (Ringo) are more like waxwork versions of the Fab Four.

But boy do they all dazzle and delight when it comes to recreating the magnificent music that will continue to delight future generations.

Chatham’s chock-a-block Central Theatre became one big party from start to finish as the Swinging Sixties came alive once again. We all knew the words and didn’t need much urging to jump out of our seats and clap along.

There are plenty of other Beatles tribute acts, but the Bootlegs are in the top one! They dress like them, move like them, have perfected the same mannerisms and play identical instruments.

Apart from a brief encounter with Lennon in Bermuda shortly before he was murdered, I never had the privilege of seeing the originals, either collectively or singularly, but this group is easily the next best thing.

Backed by a lively strings and brass orchestra, we were taken on a magical mystery tour from the mop tops of the 1960s, through the love and peace psychedelic phase of Sergeant Pepper and finally Abbey Road studios, where they last played live.

Hastings was right on the money with Lennonesque quips, delighting in bantering with a mother in the audience who had brought her three-year-old daughter Dakota to the show.

He pointed out that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was about drugs (although despite forming the initials LSD The Beatles insisted it wasn’t) and, therefore, probably inappropriate for one so young, but added: “So, this is for your mum.”

Later in a perfect Scouse accent he drawled: “We will now take a break – about six years, I think.”

As George hit the first notes of A Hard Day’s Night we could easily have been watching the real thing. The next two-and-a-half hours were crammed with hit after hit from the bulging, creative back catalogue.

By the finale our hands were smarting from clapping, our throats were dry from singing along to the likes of All You Need Is Love, Hey Jude, My Life, Help, Twist and Shout, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da et al and our legs were aching from bopping along.

The Bootlegs are in their 24 year and Barreau has been with the band from the start. His solo spot performing George’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps was a joy to behold.

We loved them, yeah yeah yeah.