Originally, the two concerts in the Ziggo Dome were supposed to be farewellconcerts of this super group (which The Analogues rightly are, given thefootsteps that the members have set separately in Nederpop). Since 2014, theyhave played Beatles albums in full that the Fab Four themselves never playedlive in the 1960s. The Beatles’ studio experiments were not yet possible toperform live at the time. 50 years later, The Analogues made that liveexperience possible with the albums ‘Sgt. Pepper’, ‘Magical Mystery Tour’,’The White Album’ and ‘Abbey Road’ can be reproduced in detail with exactlythe same instruments. It turned out to be so successful that, in addition totheaters, the Ziggo Dome could also be filled four times, and performancesabroad were also organised.
Between 2014 and 2020, they followed exactly the 50th anniversary of TheBeatles’ albums. Since these had split up in 1970, 50 years later, TheAnalogues would also have a point. Until the corona pandemic came and theirentire theater tour and these two Ziggo Dome shows had to be moved.Surprisingly, during the pandemic, The Analogues had the same idea as PaulMcCartney; it inspired them to make an album of self-written songs entitled’Introducing The Analogues Sideshow’. A side project separate from theirBeatles project. Because during these postponed shows in the Ziggo Dome, themusic of The Beatles would of course be central again.
Unlike the previous times at their concerts in the Ziggo Dome, this eveningthere was a support act. A very clever choice was made for a Beatles coverband that plays the material from before 1965, while The Analogues do the workof the studio years after that. The Beatbox hails from Italy and was dressedup as their great examples. Something The Analogues never do on purpose. Earlyclassics such as ‘She Loves You’, ‘Please Please Me’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘RollOver Beethoven’ and ‘Twist & Shout’ (just like The Beatles used to be playedlast) came along at a brisk pace. . Played soon, but to hear those classicswith a light Italian accent is a bit remarkable. As well as that the ‘GeorgeHarrison’ of this formation actually looked more like Ringo Starr.
Striking about the concert of the main act was that they started with a songthat you would expect as an encore: ‘All You Need Is Love’. It all seemed tobe picking up steam for a while. Jac Bico’s guitar solo went a bit wrong andthe sound didn’t seem to be properly tuned yet. That would eventually pick up.For a moment it looked like they started with blocks of all the full albumsthey’ve played in recent years. First up is a block of ‘Magical Mystery Tour’.Just before the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ block, four random songs were played, the mostsurprising of which were ‘Day Tripper’ and ‘In My Life’. Since theannouncement stated that the period 1966-1970 would be played, and both songswere from 1965. Musically there was nothing to criticize, because especially’In My Life’ caused goosebumps when Diederik Nomden played George Martin’spiano solo.
It wouldn’t be the only surprise. Despite playing a cross section of allprevious theatrical programs of the band with accompanying graphics in thebackground. But that’s how the illustrated video at ‘Piggies’ was adapted bymaking a statement with Putin’s head at the end. Previously, ‘Back In TheUSSR’ was already featured, while Paul McCartney no longer plays that songlive since the war in Ukraine.
But where at McCartney’s concerts the ‘Abbey Road’ medley of ‘GoldenSlumbers’, ‘Carry That Weight’ and ‘The End’ is really the final chord, fourencores are added to The Analogues. Founder and drummer Fred Gehringemphasized at the time that ‘Hello, Goodbye’ had been chosen as the title songas a farewell, but that they decided to continue with it due to the coronapandemic, and that they now see ‘Hello, Goodbye’ as a restart. “As long as youkeep coming, we’ll keep going,” he said. Given the full Ziggo Dome (and theevening after as well), that audience will be there for a long time to come.
It was to their credit that they really focus on the Beatles material thisevening, and that nothing came up to promote their own album, although thatwould probably also attract enough audience. Since they will continue anyway,it might be an idea to also do some club shows with their own material? Thename is now established, and it could easily be used as a ‘sideshow’ next totheir Beatles shows.