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Caverners coming back to Orangeville next month

September 14, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Back by popular demand is the Beatle Tribute band, the Caverners, who’ll be playing at Theatre Orangeville, October 4, 5 and 6, with four performances, as the theatre season’s kick-off opener.

“It’s such lovely night out,” declared Sandy Vine, the Paul character with the Caverners, frequently acclaimed as being the best Beatle Tribute band in the business. “We typically try to put in a few surprises. What’s nice about our shows is, we don’t have a preset format – we’re a little more spontaneous. Sometimes, one of us will say something really funny that cracks us up and then, the whole audience is laughing.  You can’t preplan that sort of thing.”

It is the Beatles’ music, the popularity of which never dies, that matters, while the characters are fun.

“We always find that people will come up after the show and tell us they saw the Beatles live and they say, ‘There was so much screaming that I couldn’t hear the singing – now I know what I missed.’”

The group has been constantly busy since their last concert set, here two years ago.

Said Mr Vine, “We have had our share of festivals and shows and we’ve been recently working with companies doing theatre shows in support of Children’s Wish Foundation as fund raisers.

“There are the outdoor family-oriented shows. The crowds are great, really solid. [After all these years] the festivals have hired us every year for years and the crowds come on the days the festivals say we’re on – the Beatles Day. People know about it and come.”

Now 23 years into their run, what keeps them at it is, “It’s great fun. The crowds love it and you can’t beat the music. We get called to do international events – the Beatles were loved everywhere.”

In with Sandy Vine for this long haul are Rick Labrie as George Harrison, Michael Wainwright as John Lennon and Doug Boudreau as Ringo Starr. They have honed their Liverpudlian accents to a fine art, frequently being asked, even by Liverpudlians  themselves, which borough they are from. They are the longest-running Beatle Tribute band in Canada.

Over the last few years, they have been also going down to the USA to perform. “There is a lot competition down there,” Mr. Vine commented. “There are more Beatle bands than there are Elvis impersonators now. But people come up to us later and say, ‘You people are fabulous!’  We have a fan base in Western New York – they even come up to Canada to see us.”

Although each of the fab four Caverners gives this band priority in their lives, they are all full-time musicians, working with other groups and, also, together two or three, with other musicians. It helps with planning that their Beatles shows are booked well in advance.

“Theatres have to sell tickets,” Mr Vine observed.

There is a Beatles Festival in London, Ontario, to which they are, not surprisingly, invited.

Mr. Vine told us with pleasure, “In the front of the venue, dancing on the floor were fairly young girls. It’s so refreshing to see young people enjoying the music. It just keeps gaining new generations.”

He took a moment to tell us about a project they are working on elsewhere, doing a concert with a choir of challenged individuals in the Niagara region. For the show, the choir will sing; the Caverners will do some songs and then, they will perform together. They are all very excited about this show. The choir saw their Beatles show and are thrilled to be performing with them.

The upcoming concert in Orangeville is extra pleasurable for them, as the band is here for three days and four performances. It makes a wonderful change from all the hard work of one night only gigs.

“We’re seeing all ages,” Sandy Vine told us, “everyone comes. Grandparents bring the kids, parents come. Everyone loves the Liverpool humour – it is so tongue in cheek. We hope everyone will come with their families – come on your own! You’re going to have a great time with some of the best music for the last 60 years.”

The Caverners Beatles Tribute show is playing at Theatre Orangeville from October 4 to 6. For tickets, go to the Box Office at 87 Broadway (the Town Hall) or the Information Centre at Buena Vista and Hwy 10; by telephone at 519-942-3423 or online at www.theatreorangeville.ca

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