Relying on public transport to carry us round the country the rail extension a few years ago that saw the line extended from Drumgelloch, through West Lothian, linking eventually to Edinburgh was perfect. West Lothian towns such as Bathgate and Livingston may not be high up on everyone’s list of must visit places but both have featured on the Them Beatles tour itinerary. Suddenly venues that would previously have been far too difficult for us to reach were within easy range. This trip to Livingston, for example, took just 50 minutes by train.
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| Alison with the train tickets |
The Howden Park Theatre wasn’t located, as we had perhaps
thought it would be, in the centre of the town but in Howden Park, a wooded
area some distance from any other visible amenity. It’s a lovely setting even
in the pouring rain. It’s a setting too with a bit of history to it which
always interests me. An 18th century coach house and stables stand
next to the theatre which was first opened in 1972. In June 1940 a bomb fell on
the coach house and tables and the two fatalities that followed were the first
civilians to be killed on Scottish soil during the Second World War. Fascinating
for me; irrelevant to everyone else.
The present theatre was re-opened in the spring of 2009
after an extensive refurbishment and it is easy to see why it was given that
accolade ‘Building of the Year’ in 2010 by the Edinburgh Architectural
Association.
Once you’ve passed through reception you find yourself in an
attractive bar area with a small bistro further along.
And so we faced a dilemma. After a few hectic weekends we
had vowed that this particular weekend would be alcohol free. There was still
over an hour to the start of the show when we arrived and you can see from the
photo below how true we stayed to our ‘no alcohol’ vow. Well it would have been
wrong not to avail ourselves of the facilities.
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| Them Beatles and Wine |
A little after 7:30pm it was show time. The theatre itself (pictured below)was, in keeping with the rest of the building, first class. It wasn’t a
complete sell out but the audience were clearly in the mood for a good time
right from the opening number. One woman in particular, sitting almost directly
in front of us, was clearly in the mood for a party and looking across the
audience there was scarcely an individual who wasn’t singing along or indulging
in ‘chair dancing’; something that I’m fairly adept at doing myself.
While the show itself was essentially the same as Rutherglen
a few days earlier, at least in terms of the set list, there were a few tweaks
here and there. Besides it’s one thing to re-create the music of The Beatles it’s
another matter entirely to re-create the spirit of The Beatles and being able
to do just that is, in this humble writer’s opinion, one of the main strengths
of Them Beatles. There is a real chemistry on stage and there seemed, at least
to me, to be a bit more banter between the band than there had been at
Rutherglen; John in particular appearing to be an especially cheeky mood.
He was helped in that respect by one usher who was maybe
just a little zealous in his desire to prevent any flash photography. As one photographic
miscreant was lectured on his crime John declared that he was “sorry for
breaking your theatre”.
I hope that you, dear reader, appreciate the efforts of your
intrepid blogger who, in a desire to provide a photographic record of the
evening, risked eviction from the theatre to capture, covertly, an image of
John playing the keyboard with his elbow during ‘I’m Down’ as the first half
drew to a close.
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| A covertly taken picture |
With the audience buzzing the interval is usually a good
time to have a chat with people. While I sipped on a nice glass of red, Alison
got chatting to someone in the toilet who remembered seeing The Beatles in
Glasgow and how she managed to get a cuddle from John Lennon. She was similarly
taken though with the Them Beatles John. Alison reported that she had a real
twinkle in her eye when she said that “that John is a smashing lad isn’t he?”
The second half of the show was, if anything, even better
than the first. ‘A Day in the Life’ was, as always, a real personal highlight
but rather than attempt to do justice the overall performance on the night a
comment posted on the band’s Facebook page sums up the evening, and the band,
perfectly;
“Went to the Howden Centre expecting to see just another humdrum mediocre
tribute band, what a shock! Superb lads a fantastic show.”
There was a shock for one individual in the audience just
before the final encore when they were called up onto the stage to receive a
presentation from the band. It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture and one
that the person in question is unlikely to forget.
And that’s it for this blog until next month when we take a
trip down to the seaside and Ayr. Meantime you can catch Them Beatles in action
at The Admiral Bar in Glasgow with the proceeds are going to Cancer Research,
Maggie's Centre and Friends of The Beatson. Tickets can be purchased via the
link below:
Tom Evans
First
Half
Act
One – Lunchtime @ The Cavern
I Saw Her Standing There
Some Other Guy
Ain’t She Sweet
Money
Love Me Do
Act
Two – Ready Steady Go
Please Please Me
All My Loving
Do You Want to Know a Secret
I Want to Hold Your Hand
This Boy
Honey Don’t
Till There Was You
She Loves You
Act
Three – Shea Stadium
Twist and Shout
She’s a Woman
Help!
A Hard Days Night
Ticket to Ride
If I Needed Someone
The Word
I’m Down
Bonus
Tomorrow Never Knows
Second
Half
Act
Four – Psychedelic
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
I Get by with a Little Help From My
Friends
Flying
Strawberry Fields
Fixing a Hole
Hello, Goodbye
A Day in a Life
Act
Five – Apple
Helter Skelter
Revolution
Something
Back in the USSR
Octopus Garden
Here Comes the Sun
Ballad of John and Yoko
Let it Be
Encore
– Apple Rooftop
Don’t Let me Down
I’ve Got a Feeling
Get Back
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