The Fab Four brought the spirit of The Beatles back to life Thursday, September 25th with a fantastic concert at the Berglund Performing Arts Theater in Roanoke. My 11-year-old daughter, Bella, was actually the main reason my family went.
She discovered Gavin Pring online and excitedly told me, “We have to see this show coming to Roanoke!”
While I’d had the honor of interviewing Gavin, a Liverpool native who usually plays George Harrison, for my podcast, he wasn’t on stage that night. Instead, Robbie Berg filled in as George—and he did so brilliantly. One of the highlights of the evening came near the end when the band invited everyone to come down to the front for the final three songs. Being in a wheelchair, I stayed in my spot, but I urged my wife and Bella—both lifelong Beatles fans—to get close to the action. Bella was thrilled afterward, bragging about getting two fist bumps from Robbie and one from Adam Hastings, whose resemblance to John Lennon was downright uncanny.
Hailing from Newcastle, England, Adam truly embodied Lennon—right down to the voice, mannerisms, and wit. My personal favorite of the group, however, was Neil Candelora, who portrayed Paul McCartney. Neil had an incredibly soulful rasp to his voice, a quality McCartney himself still has at age 83. With his youthful good looks and magnetic personality, Neil commanded the stage and kept the audience captivated from start to finish. Erik Fidel rounded out the group as Ringo Starr, showing not only remarkable drumming skill but also undeniable showmanship. Having seen the real Ringo perform “With a Little Help From My Friends” just three months ago, I was amazed by how closely Erik captured both the sound and spirit of the original. Each member of The Fab Four was extraordinary, perfectly channeling their Beatles counterpart in personality, appearance, sound, and humor. This particular show included The Beatles’ entire Help! album, which meant some very special performances of songs that aren’t always heard live.
For me, it was a treat to experience songs I don’t hear every day. Candelora led a beautiful rendition of “Another Girl,” while Hastings performed “You’re Going to Lose That Girl” with true Lennon flair. Our personal favorite of the night was Robbie Berg’s heartfelt take on “I Need You” as George Harrison. Of course, Erik Fidel brought down the house with Ringo’s signature Buck Owens cover, “Act Naturally.” No Beatles retrospective would be complete without a nod to the legendary Ed Sullivan Show appearance of February 9, 1964. The Fab Four recreated that historic moment with performances of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” These numbers were introduced by comedian George Trullinger, who played Ed Sullivan with perfect comedic timing.
“We’ve got a young crowd tonight,” he quipped to laughter. “No, really—we played a show in Miami Beach last night. Believe me, this is a young crowd.”
Ironically, when he first walked onstage, I thought he looked more like Richard Nixon. Sure enough, Trullinger made a joke about often being mistaken for the former president before flashing Nixon’s iconic double peace signs and delivering the famous line:
“I am not a crook… at least by today’s standards.”
After a 45-minute electrifying first set, The Fab Four returned to deliver a selection of songs from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. One of the evening’s most poignant moments came when Adam Hastings took the stage alone to perform the John Lennon classic “Imagine.”
“I think it’s appropriate to acknowledge the man who became my biggest hero,” Hastings said sincerely. “Someone who simply wanted us all to love one another was taken from us in such a senseless way. I think it’s important that we continue to respect and admire him for what he stood for.”
His moving performance brought the audience to their feet. Then came Robbie Berg’s spotlight moment with a stunning rendition of George Harrison’s “Something,” delivered with both reverence and power. The evening reached its crescendo with rousing performances of “Revolution,” “Get Back,” and of course, the unforgettable closer, “Hey Jude,” which had the entire theater singing along. Included in the night’s setlist were Help! standouts like “Ticket to Ride,” “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” and “The Night Before,” as well as earlier hits like “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The haunting “A Day in the Life” and the horn-driven “Got to Get You Into My Life” were also special highlights. All told, The Fab Four performed more than two dozen songs over 105 minutes—an evening that seemed to fly by in an instant. One of the things that makes The Fab Four so special is their humor. Between songs, they bantered with the audience, delivering quick-witted lines that kept everyone smiling.
“I know Ed said you could take pictures before the show started,” Hastings joked. “I have to tell you, that’s not true because cell phones haven’t been invented yet.”
“Now, we’d like to do a cover of my favorite Justin Bieber song,” he added a beat later. “Oh, wait, he hasn’t been invented yet either.”
“If there were more gatherings like this in the world,” my wife said, perfectly summing up the evening as we headed home. “The world would be a much better place.”
I couldn’t agree more. I’m deeply grateful to Jeanne Dininni for giving my family and me this incredible opportunity, and to Gavin Pring for the privilege of interviewing him. It’s an experience we will treasure for the rest of our lives.
