BEATLES VS. STONES TRIBUTE

SHOW SETTLES AN OLD SCORE

Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash perform at Coach House January 12

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (10/25/12) - The question about which band is better – Beatles or Rolling Stones – has been a spirited debate for half of a century. These two legendary bands will engage in an on-stage, throw down - a musical 'shoot out" if you will - on Saturday, January 12 at 8 pm at the Coach House courtesy of tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash.  Tickets are $15/$18 and may be purchased online at www.thecoachhouse.com or by phoning 949.496.8930. The show is appropriate for all ages. Doors open at 6 pm. The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano 92675. 

 

No doubt the 60s are long gone – but next year, the mods and the rockers are it again. 

Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Shoot Out will pit Rolling Stones tribute band Jumping Jack Flash against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance!

From Mick Jagger’s (Sir Joesph Infante) infamous gyrations to Keith Richards’ (Young Hutchison) sweet Tele licks, Brian Jones Vox Teardrop, and the band’s original wardrobe, Jumping Jack Flash brings all the authenticity of an old Stones show smack into 2013.

 

 

“Some of the ‘Keith-isms’ that the big fans just love are the blacked-out-tooth, electrical tape around the snakeskin boots, and the disjointed walk he was famous for,” said Hutchison. “We’ve done everything to present the music per the original album versions, cause that’s what fans have been singing along to for the last 50 years and that’s the way they want to hear it. We’re not even the Stones, but people just go wild!”

Show producers Tom Maher and Andy Nagle auditioned over 200 Beatles hopefuls at a casting call in 2008, many of whom played in their own Beatles tribute bands.

 

“Most of them came in Beatles gear, Beatles wigs – they were all in character,” Nagle said. “All the Pauls were running around trying to out-Paul each other, the Johns were brooding, the Ringos were off by themselves. It was a room full of guys that all loved Beatles music, it was surreal.”

 

For their part, the members of touring Beatles tribute band Abbey Road bring the mop top haircuts, harmonies, and boyish charm of everybody’s favorite Liverpudlians to the stage. They also play modern reissues of the exact same instruments and amps used by the Fab Four.

Axel Clarke (“Ringo Starr”), a high school and college teacher by day, prepares for his time behind the drumkit by studying old video footage, listening to band interviews, and mimicking Starr’s very specific performance style.

“Ringo's style and physical approach to the drumset were unique,” said Clarke. “He sat very high with his drums low, used big sweeping arm movements, punched at his cymbals more than striking them, bounced his torso in time and kicked his head to the side on big accents — and smiled like a goon at all times. That's Ringo 101 for you!”

Clarke and his bandmates also spend time mining the original Beatles recordings for specific nuances, and unintentional flubs that ended up on the final cut. 

“There are subtle mistakes all over the Beatles’ recordings. In “All My Lovin,” Ringo forgets the form of the song and goes into the chorus beat by mistake. He plays that beat for one bar, realizes his error, and switches back to the verse beat. Most people might not notice things like that, but it adds a level of authenticity and would feel weird if it wasn’t there.”

 

Kicking off the show in signature A Hard Day’s Night-era black suits, the band runs through several costume changes, including mustaches and wigs (a la Sgt. Pepper’s) and full-on Abbey Road attire, before the night is up.

 

“John and George wore their wives’ fur coats and Ringo wore his wife’s red raincoat on the rooftop of Apple Corp. for their last show,” said Nagle. “My George is 6’4”, I thought I’m never gonna find a fur coat that fits! But even the kids expect it because it’s part of The Beatles: Rock Band, so we went out and bought them for the guys.”

Onstage, the bands alternate mini sets and trade improvised barbs and banter between songs to act out the famous rivalry.

Since 2011, Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash have traded improvised barbs and banter to sold out audiences all across the western United States, including LA’s The Canyon Club, Harrah’s Tahoe, Harrah's Rincon and Pala Casino. 

Whether you’re a mod or a rocker, a John or a Paul supporter – Beatles vs. Stones is your ticket back in time to “Yesterday”!

CALENDAR

The question about which band is better – Beatles or Rolling Stones – has been a spirited debate for half of a century. These two legendary bands will engage in an on-stage, throw down - a musical 'shoot out" if you will - on Saturday, January 12 at 8 pm at the Coach House courtesy of tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash.  Tickets are $15/$18 and may be purchased online at www.thecoachhouse.com or by phoning 949.496.8930. The show is appropriate for all ages. Doors open at 6 pm. The Coach House is located at 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano 92675. 

And here is some additional information about Abbey Road:

The Abbey Road band members portray the Beatles in an award-winning, nationally touring musical biography of the "Fab Four" called In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles. The musical gives the audience a glimpse inside the world of the Beatles from the band’s point of view, as well as hear some of the greatest songs ever written. The producers wrote the script to give the audience a chance to “be there” at pivotal moments in the extraordinary career of the Beatles: Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club, The Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium, and the final live performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corp offices.

 

In My Life is more than just a Beatles tribute concert. The play begins at the Cavern Club with the first meeting of Epstein and the soon to be “Fab Four.” Eventually, Epstein convinces the boys that matching suits and synchronized bows at the end of a performance will be better for their image than jeans and black leather jackets. This encounter results in February 1964, when America watched the Beatles for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show, playing “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Progressing through their various musical stages, the audience re-experiences the psychedelic era of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the creation of the haunting “Yesterday” and the raucous rock and roll of “Revolution.”

 

The Los Angeles Times said "the show delivers," and the Orange County Register hailed "if you see only see one tribute show, see this one...smart and loads of fun." The Long Beach Press Telegram called Abbey Road a "highly faithful tribute" and the Idaho Statesman said "if you like the Beatles, this is the ticket for you." The band headlines Knott's Berry Farm this summer and headlined Beatles Festival 2010 in Santa Monica last summer.

 

Additional info about Jumping Jack Flash:

Jumping Jack Flash honors the privilege of re-creating a Rolling Stones live performance by delivering what audiences come to see — the theatrics and power of the “Greatest Rock-n-Roll Band In The World” in its’ prime, with you in the front row!  Performing song selections from all periods of The Stones’ legendary career, you can depend on hearing the band perform the hits that you still sing along to in your car (however badly).

 

The greatest care has been given to the smallest details, to insure that song performance, wardrobe, instrumentation, etc., are spot on re-creations of the real thing. No that's not really Mick-n-Keef in your local theater, but it is bloody close!

And some information about the Beatles vs. Stones manager, Tom Maher:

The Beatles vs. Stones show is managed by Maher, who was part of the management team for such world class acts Guns N' Roses, Slash, Blind Melon, Zakk Wylde, Danzig, Leon Russell, John Jorgenson and My Little Funhouse.  Maher is currently in management for Motorhead, Anthrax, Puddle of Mud, Sepultara, Zebrahead,  My Vitriol, as well as up and comers Orange, the UK's Obsessive Compulsive, and Finland's Icon Crash.