NEWS DESK
Meet The (Bootleg) Beatles
The long and winding road: The Bootleg Beatles will play Frankston as part of an Australian tour.
Neil Walker neil@mpnews.com.au THERE can never be a reunion of The Beatles but the closest modern fans of the most influential band of the 1960s and beyond, after they split, can see the next best thing in Frankston early next month. The Bootleg Beatles, widely regarded by fans and music critics as the best Beatles tribute band in the world, will play the Frankston Arts Centre on Sunday 4 September and ‘Paul McCartney’, also known as Steve White, is looking forward to the show. The 47-year-old joined The Bootleg Beatles about five years ago replacing original Paul who retired after two decades on the road. Right-handed White learned to play bass left handed, such is the band’s dedication to giving Beatles fans a gig-going experience as close to the real thing as possible. “I practiced for ages and ages and eventually made the switch. The first gig I did playing left
handed was awful, I was absolutely terrible. After I came off stage I said I’m never doing that again ‌ but someone came up to me and said ‘it’s great to see a left-handed Paul’ and they thought it was great.â€? White says he played in another 1960s covers band before being approached to join the bootleg Fab Four alongside ‘John Lennon’ (Adam Hastings), ‘George Harrison’ (Stephen Hill) and ‘Ringo Starr’ (Gordon Elsmore) but basically “played the John Lennon part, despite looking a lot like Paul, since he is originally a rhythm guitarist. “Every show we turned up to, as soon as they saw me they said ‘oh, you’ve got to be Paul’ so eventually over time me and the bass player decided to swap over.â€? Music fans who turn up see The Bootleg Beatles in Frankston can look forward to a full Beatles
show featuring songs, band costumes and stage projections from every stage of the iconic band’s career and will hear some songs the originals themselves didn’t perform since they effectively stopped being a touring band in 1966 shortly before releasing the classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album filled with layers of sonic trickery produced in the studio. “Obviously, there’s a staple of hits we have to do since the majority of people are, I guess, casual fans,� White said. “I could name 100 favourite Beatles song. I do tend to favour Ticket to Ride because I feel that was the start of when the music started to become more self-indulgent and was kind of on the cusp of when things were shifting from the happy go lucky pop song to more contemporary music. It was so different to anything that came before it.
“And Twist and Shout lifts the roof and also Hey Jude is one of those that’s a massive anthem.â€? White hasn’t meet Paul McCartney but he says the original incarnation of The Bootleg Beatles, who also supported UK Britpop rock ‘n’ roll stars Oasis on tour in their 1990s glory days, did catch up with McCartney and George Harrison on a few occasions. “George asked ‘Who is the Bootleg Brian Epstein? Because he’s got all the money’,â€? White said. “McCartney told The Bootleg Beatles who were also playing the Queen’s Jubilee concert ‘not to play Hey Jude because I’m playing it’.â€? It’s a full-time gig playing gigs around the globe as the bootleg Fab Four but White feels lucky to follow in the footsteps of The Beatles since he has been a huge fan of the band since the age of 8 when he remembers “playing their albums back to back over and over again and really, really loving itâ€?. He said Beatles fans in the Frankston area can come together for an evening of shared Beatlemania next month. “Come along one and all, old and young, and let’s have a big party together.â€? ď Žď€ The Bootleg Beatles play the Frankston Arts Centre on Sunday 4 September, 8pm. Tickets for the 2 hour 15 minute show, including interval, are $65.50, $55.50 (FAC members and concession), $45 (under 16s), $55 each (groups of 10+). See artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au or call FAC on 9784 1060.
Lifesavers closing in on building target Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au PORTSEA Life Saving Club members are “absolutely thrilled� with a $1 million grant from Mornington Peninsula Shire towards their proposed new clubhouse. The money brings them closer to a planned $7.36 million rebuild of the 50-year-old club house and sub-structure works on the popular back beach. Club president Stuart Rayner said the money to be paid over three years “moves us closer to our funding requirement� alongside a state government contribution of $1.5 million and the club’s own fundraising of $3 million. Members will set out to raise another $1 million over the next six months. “We’ll be hitting the road and explaining our cause to the locals who know of the good work we do and have seen our gradual demise,� Mr Rayner said. “We hope to be able to start works in February, which would see us delivering lifesaving and training services from a new clubhouse in time for the 2018 season.� Established in 1949 by a group of concerned surfers and home to 2000 members, Portsea is reportedly the third biggest lifesaving club in Victo-
ria behind Ocean Grove and Anglesea. Although set high above the surf, Mr Rayner said king tides lapped at the base of the dunes. “We’ve seen the damage the water can do at Collaroy,� he said, referred to the destruction of buildings during
recent storms along the NSW coast. Shire chief operating officer Alison Leighton said the club had sought $1.5 million for rebuilding works after drawing up preliminary plans and providing a quantity surveyor’s estimate of costs.
The structure is said to be in poor condition and the “most degraded� lifesaving HQ in the state – yet its volunteers have saved more than 5300 lives and “undertaken immeasurable preventative actions�, she said. The grant, which equates to 16 per
cent of construction costs, stacks up against the 26 per cent paid for works at Dromana Bay and 30 per cent paid for Mt Martha lifesaving clubs’ redevelopment costs. The Portsea club faces extra costs of $1 million for beach access, dune stabilisation, and foundation works in its highly exposed location. An array of six and 12-metre-deep piles will be sunk into the sand to protect the building during storms. Nepean Ward Cr Tim Rodgers said the “vast contribution� made by the club over 65 years was a major factor in the council’s support. “There are sound reasons for the shire to support critical community facilities like the Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club. These clubs make a significant contribution to community safety, well-being and tourism. “They promote a culture of volunteerism where members give their time, improve water safety skills and fitness and provide opportunities to socialise with like-minded people. “Through its work, this club has had a great track record of empowering youth, providing them with valuable life skills and developing future leaders.� Frankston City Council provided $1.4 million to Seaford and $910,000 to Frankston lifesaving clubs’ redevelopment works in 2003-04.
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK PAGE 10
Mornington News 23 August 2016