Europe-based band set to enthrall 'The Beatles' lovers

The Beatles may have split in the early 70s but fifty years on, the music of the ‘Fab Four’ still lives on through the many tribute bands across the world. One such is ‘Help! A Beatles Tribute’, the Europe-based band that performs in Bengaluru this weekend.

“This is our first tour of India and we are very excited,” band leader Ernie Mendillo told Showtime. ‘Help’ has performed over 700 shows in some 20 countries since its founding in 2012.

The Beatles were undoubtedly one of the important rock bands of the twentieth century that had a tremendous influence on pop music culture. An entire generation had grown up with The Beatles.

After a decade or so of ruling the music world and becoming “more popular than Jesus” as John Lennon once quipped, the band members went their separate ways, leaving fans inconsolable.

Thankfully, they had left behind a lot of music for fans to enjoy. And then the next closest thing to The Beatles, Tribute bands took birth and mushroomed everywhere.

Mendillo, an American but living in Slovenia for the last two decades, was instrumental in forming ‘Help’. The quartet includes Ziga Stanonik, Anze Semrov and Allen Kovse.

It was about 11 years ago that Mendillo was performing in a band and was asked if they could perform an all-Beatles show for a charity event sponsored by the British Embassy.

“Initially, it was supposed to be a one-off show; we put in so much work and got such a great response, we decided to continue and see where it would take us,” said Mendillo. “And here we are ten years later heading to India.”

Once they decided to continue with the band, they knew they had to perform throughout Europe. The band was christened ‘Help’ after one of The Beatles’ biggest hits.

“But it’s also a word that is recognized everywhere and easy to pronounce,” explained Mendillo.

The band’s opening gigs were in Goa on November 16 and 17 followed by Bengaluru (November 18 and 19) and Chennai (November 20).

40 Beatles songs

Each show, with 40 Beatles songs, is well over two hours with short intermissions for a costume change. Their clothing and instruments are exact replications of what The Beatles wore and played. The focus is on performing the songs exactly as The Beatles recorded it.

There are scores of The Beatles tribute bands that perform regularly in many countries. How different is ‘Help’ from the others? “Our priority is to recreate the excitement of The Beatles in concert. I think there are many Beatles’ tribute bands that present the show as a theatre performance,” points out Mendillo.

“We want people to feel as though they are transported back in time to an actual Beatles concert.”

Indeed, young grandfathers and grandmothers who grew up in the swinging 60s to teenagers of this century, they can all look forward to the magic of the Fab Four complete with all their hits. From ‘Please please me, ‘Hey jude’, ‘Eight days a week’ and ‘I want to hold your hand’ to ‘Yellow submarine’, ‘Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da’ and of course ‘Help’, there is definitely lots to look forward to.