BackBeat 60 presents 'The Beat Goes On!'

The Beat Goes On is not just a bargain priced, toe tapping and hand clapping night of great 1960s music, it is a cleverly crafted journey through the songs and stories of the beloved musicians who created the back beat, anthems and hits for the Baby Boomer generation. Spanning 2.5 hours (and I am reliably informed they have another hour of fabulous musical material for the ‘60s), this show’s story begins around the early 1960’s. British music was inspired by everything American, think Elvis, Roy Orbison and the fabulous Brill building singers and girl bands like The Crickets, a very young Liverpool group is deciding to use an insect name for their group. Beatlemania is about to be born. The Shadows dominate British music, becoming the band that the Beatles cover while they develop their own unique sound, protest songs are about to be invented and the non-conformist ‘60s style using nonsense words (think Shalala and Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh yeah, do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do) is about to begin. ‘The Young Ones’ were still young, Roy Orbison was just about to be ‘Crying Over You’ and Cliff Richard was about to be inspired by Guy Mitchell and was ‘Singing the Blues’.

Back Beat 60 understand the 1960’s from firsthand experience and it is this real connection that came through each of the 35 songs featured in this one night only Fringe concert. The group is fittingly modelled on the legendary Shadows, having Danny Stevens, a self-confessed ‘rocker’ who is sublime on lead guitar and harmony, Geoff Perkins on rhythm guitar and harmony and who is a flamboyant showman, Mick Ridge who plays powerful bass, Craig Rodda, an unsung hero who is a brilliant drummer and Maurice Mills who is their suave, silver fox lead vocalist. Their mission says Stevens is to ‘Celebrate and keep the ‘60s alive and relevant to old and new audiences’, and this show does that in spades. I loved their occasional use of a drop down screen, that allowed me to see the names of the artists and songs that I was enjoying. It added to the sense of time and place for me and would have been a boon for those who struggle to recall those ear worm songs’ actual names and were a great introduction to songs that were unfamiliar.

The program was fast paced - there is never a dull moment with the band, even in the short interval, spending time chatting with the very enthusiastic audience. The show opened with a fabulous Shadows instrumental that was pacey and pitch and note perfect. Yes, their arrangements are unique to the band, but are entirely faithful to the era and artists who created them. Stevens, who co-narrates the story with Perkins, is mesmerising throughout on lead guitar. Perkins, also a talented guitar player is a witty and cheeky showman who read the audience and worked the room well. The four musos could be The Shadows and it is not by accident. Rodda, a passionate drummer chatted later revealing that the group has a very disciplined weekly rehearsal schedule used to create, refine and polish their work.

The stage at The Warehouse Atrium was makeshift. It is a curious venue that rather resembles a 1920’s Speakeasy with a rear entrance (fortunately the only condition of entry was a very modest ticket price) but the stage put pressure on vocalist Mills who was not able to see or hear his fellow band members easily. Possibly, as a consequence, the group was vocally at its best when they were harmonising, rather than during featured solos. Mills looks the part and belted out the fast paced rocking numbers comfortably. His ballads, in particular, showed some ‘fluidity with keys’ that had me wincing several times. Having said that, the band was undaunted. It must also be a vocal challenge to sing for such a long show and The Beatles, Hollies and Cliff Richard songs in the second half of the show featured many demanding up beat ballads that are musically and vocally a real ‘work out’.

The audience loved the show, singing and clapping along with abandon. Several, possibly ‘Go-go girls’ back from the era, braved the small spaces between the cabaret style tables, grooving, dancing and strutting their synchronised moves. Stevens explained that people usually enjoy dancing at their shows, and usually can. I can understand why; I was itching to. If, like me, you are a ‘60s music fan who missed this show, Back Beat 60 is part of the community based Arts program, Out of the Square and will be presenting seven shows across South Australia in April.

Be there or be square!

Jude Hines