from The Advertiser, Adelaide, 6 November 2000

Fab memories

All You Need Is ... Beatles

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and guests conducted by David Measham

Festival Theatre, Saturday

By Stephen Whittington

How many holes does it take to fill the Festival Theatre? One very

large one, which the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and a superb line-up of Australian rock artists filled with the evergreen music of the Beatles.

They’ve been going out of style in the wake of successive waves of

punk, techno, and hip hop, which have changed popular music almost beyond recognition, but they’re still guaranteed to raise a smile among listeners of a certain age.

Orchestral rock concerts are frequently tacky affairs which do a

disservice to the music and are demeaning to the orchestra.

Likewise, Beatles tributes by clone bands rarely rise above the level

of farce. But this concert avoided the pitfalls and was something f an

artistic triumph, as well as a genuine crowd-pleaser. I can’t remember

an ASO concert where everyone was obviously having a good time. When people start dancing in the aisles at an orchestral concert, something is definitely going on.

Part of the reason is classical music has already left its imprint on

the Beatles through George Martin’s arrangements. So there is a genuine reason for the orchestra to be there.

Equally vital to the success of this concert were the lead vocalists,

possibly the three most talented male rock singers in Australia – Glenn Shorrock (The Twilights, Little River Band), Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool, Mondo Rock), and Doc Neeson (The Angels).

Add to them one of the best harmony singers you’re ever likely to hear, Paddy McCartney, who turned out to be a fine soloist as well, and you have a dream team.

Musically they chose the path of musical integrity, not trying to be

clones, but performing the songs as themselves while remaining true to the spirit of the originals.

It’s near impossible to pick highlights out of a program like this. The

idea of playing right through Side Two of Abbey Road as a suite of

almost symphonic proportions was inspired.

Instead of churning out non-stop its, it provided an opportunity to

experience the still astonishing range of the Beatles music through

songs which, although vital parts of the Beatles canon, are less

familiar.

A true piece of nostalgia for local listeners was the reunion of The

Twilights, still in good shape after 30 years, as the backing band.

At the end of the concert, with their Beatles repertoire exhausted, the band took centre-stage with three of their own hits, bringing the

audience to their feet.

One day I hope someone will publish a sociological study of why

Adelaide’s northern suburbs were, for a time, the cradle of Australia’s rock music talent.