Burnley Mechanics
02-07-26
Being a Beatles fan is like wandering around the Italian city of Milan – as every girl in that city is pretty gorgeous, every song the Beatles gave the world is bound to be a banger.
Being a Beatles fan, last night was a wonder, as Across the Universe roll’d into East Lancashire at the exact same time I’d gone to my hometown to watch the World Cup with my dad. Somehow I manag’d to prise him away from the footy – it was only Austria-Spain – & we found ourselves immers’d in the wonderful audiovisual barrage that Across the Universe were presenting.
The idea was simple. In 1966 the Beatles gave up playing live, as they simply could not hear themselves over the hysterical, cataclysmical & cacophonous adoration of the crowd. From then on, the Beatles would only be ‘performing’ in the studio, & what a ride they took us on. Revolver, Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, Abbey Road, Let It Be. Reyt albums, reyt tunes.
But never play’d live, except for that mad gig on the Abbey Road studio roof.
Therefore, last night was amazing, a full band, a string section, a slick-outfitted Paul & John, & a couple of Georges. They were all Scottish too, which was an interesting twist, but Beatlemania is an international affliction & as long as the troubadour troupe was soul-immur’d in the music – which they clearly were – it matter’d not a jot. It was all about ‘the best music in the world’ & the way they deliver’d it at times, including all the mad psychedelic instrumentals, pass’d even the recordings.
As a proper proud bass player, who sometimes listens to Peppers only for McCartney’s basslines, massive respect for the Across the Universe bassist – that was all bang on, bruv, well done! Outwith the bass, the show is also an aesthetic delight: lots of photos of the boys, alongside 60s-esque animations & fonts. Of the cornucopia of composite delights in the first half, Taxman was stunning both musically & backdroppingly – & watching the stunning solo actually being play’d live is, I guess, the true raison d’etre of what all Across the Universe are about.
Song after song was dragging the tears form my eyes, so emotional was it to experience those songs I knew so well being perform’d with exquisite, nail’d on, & entertaining precision. ‘“Brilliant” said my dad after Long & Winding Road – which in layman’s terms is absolutely astounding seeing as he’s such a hard grudgemonkey to please.
After 70 minutes of euphorical harmony, the interval ripp’d us all back into reality. At this point my dad reverted to being my dad, was therefore needing his vape & withdrawing from the footy big time. So we call’d it an evening; he popp’d on his mobility scooter chuffing on his vape, & I strode out into the sunshine singing Dear Prudence all the way to the Burnley Miners – the moment & the weather melding in ostentatious synchronicity.
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you
“I’ve just seen this Beatles show at the Mechanics,” said my clearly buzzing dad to his mates, once nestl’d in the Miners, “it were brilliant!” There’s that word again, twice in one night, & I can only concur…
Damo
themumble.uk 