Archive
The Caverners – 21 years worth of Beatle tributes
September 14, 2015 · 0 Comments
We are delighted to inform you that the Beatle tribute group, the Caverners are coming to Theatre Orangeville as the early “ad-on” that the theatre presents for a warm-up to the new season.
We had the chance to chat to Sandy Vine, the group’s manager and the “Paul McCartney” character in the band.
“My older brothers had the Capitol record Beatlemania,” he said about his introduction to the famous band. “I wore that record out, I played it so much. In fact,” he added, “we sing all the songs from that record.”
All the members of this band are full-time musicians, with their main focus on the Beatles tribute shows. Their dedication has paid off for, with 21 years as one band, with all the same members, Mr. Vine believes they are the longest-running Beatle Tribute band in Can- ada.
Playing with him are Rick Labrie as George Harrison, Michael Wainwright as John Lennon and Doug Boudreau as Ringo Starr. We can imagine they are a winning combination, having stayed together all these years.
“We are all Canadians,” said Mr. Vine. “We tour mainly in Canada, with some trips to the States, but there are a lot of Beatles groups there, it’s very competitive, although recently, we have been pursuing the idea of going south now.”
With all the touring they do, so many one- night gigs, Mr. Vine was happy to comment, “It’s really nice to play in one place [namely Orangeville] for four nights. One night gigs, we have to get up and drive – manage the traffic to arrive on time to the next city –set up – play – it tells us what it must have been like for them [the Beatles].”
It is the lasting power of the Beatles music that Mr. Vine admires and believes is the reason for their continued success. He goes so far as to compare this music to Mozart’s. He has good reason: “They’re akin to Mozart for lasting power. Mozart is still being played and will be in 100 years. I think the Beatles will still be played in 100 years, too.”
Talking about the music of today being part of the reason for the clinging to popular music that is 60 years old, he remarked, “All music is subjective. It’s like dipping a foot in a hot bath, experiencing a new music form – one toe at a time.”
He went on to comment, “I think music from that era before the 1990’s was played by musicians. A lot of what’s played now in America’s Got Talent and America Idol – all the idol shows – so many musicians expect it all instantly without having the staying power.”
At the tribute concert they perform, they are seeing people from every generation.
“We’re seeing all ages. Everyone comes – parents, grandparents with their kids. Every- one will love the Liverpool humour – it is very tongue-in-cheek.”
As actors for these performances, the four members of the Caverners use the Liverpudlian accent.
He says they have so perfected this that they are actually asked by natives of Liverpool “what borough they come from.”
The comments people make after their shows are a great source of pleasure for them. Speaking of the original Beatles shows, with all the noise of screaming and so forth, Mr. Vine remarked, “We get a lot of people who come to us to say, ‘I saw the Beatles when I was younger and now I know what I missed.’ ”
Additionally, “We get people from Liverpool who knew the Beatles and who com- ment on close our accents are – one of our members was born in Warrington, near Liverpool.”
During the shows, they don’t have a set script. “We have some jokes we like to use but it’s live theatre where anything can happen,” Mr Vine said. “We’re proud to say we perform everything live from the stage. All our members are multi-instrumentalists, who can swap from guitar to piano.”
The concert is presented in three stages: the Mop Top era, Sergeant Pepper and Abbey Road, costumes on the chaps to suit – a tour in time from the early days to the last recording, with all the chat and the cheek running though the show.
Mr. Vine is a father of two sons well into their teens, and we spoke a bit about their perception of their musician/Beatle father.
“We do music festivals with 50,000, 60,000 people,” he remarked. “My sons are used to seeing that – it is their normal.”
He offered another preview to the upcoming show by saying, “We like to challenge the audience – go ahead and dance in the alleyways – as long as you don’t block anyone’s view of the stage.”
He encouraged everyone to come. “Come with your family, come with people you love – you’re going to have a great time listen- ing to some of the best music for the last 60 years. This music is trans-generation.”
The Caverners are performing at the Opera House from next Thursday, September 17, to Sunday the 20th. For information and tick- ets, call the box office on 519-942-3423 or visit www.theatreorangeville.ca
Readers Comments (0)
Headline News
Headwaters Health Care Centre to hold Teddy Bear Clinic
By Zachary Roman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Families, children and community members are invited to an upcoming educational event at the Headwaters Health Care Centre. ...
Suspected drug overdoses increase in Dufferin-Caledon
By JAMES MATTHEWS There’s weight in numbers. And there’s a particular heaviness in the numbers that indicate a stark reality, the realization of which seems ...
Dufferin County holding events for Emancipation and TRC Day
By Paula Brown Dufferin County residents have been invited to commemorate Emancipation Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at two upcoming events. ...
Orangeville Food Bank faces sharp rise in usage
By JAMES MATTHEWS The doors at the Orangeville Food Bank are endlessly revolving. Heather Hayes, the food bank’s executive director, said the numbers provided in ...
Orangeville cuts cheque to cover Alder pool reno shortfall
By JAMES MATTHEWS Orangeville council signed a cheque for almost $1-million to finish the work at the Alder Street Recreation Centre swimming pool. So far, ...