Beatles tribute band to grace concert
It would be fair to say that after more than two decades on stage, the legendary sound of the Beatles courses through Thames-based musician Tim Armstrong.
Armstrong and his Beatles Tribute band will be playing in Matamata on February 21 as part of Rotary Matamata’s second Concert by the Lake event on a specially-built pontoon, along with Tauranga Blues and Jazz band Kokomo, Kiwi songstress Jamie McDell and local guitar talent Bryan Rawiri.
So after 25 years of gigging with the Abbey Road New Zealand Beatles show, why does Armstrong think the Beatles music remains as popular today as it was in the 1970s?
‘‘They (the Beatles) really were in the right place at the right time and a lot of their popularity was because they played simple stuff but then they moved through the phases and changed their style.
‘‘There was a phase when the Beatles were not as popular but when John Lennon died, the tribute shows began and in a way the music started to become popular again.
‘‘In many ways the music is more popular than ever now,’’ Armstrong says.
‘‘Now it is hard to imagine the world without the Beatles.’’
The Abbey Road show has toured the country, playing at the Air Force Museum in Christchurch amongst the planes, for the World Rowing Championships and the Netball Fast 5s in Auckland.
In 2014 and 2015, Armstrong played alongside the legendary saxophonist Howie Casey (from Wings fame) and spent time in Germany, on stage with Casey in many of the former haunts of the Beatles.
‘‘It was great to hear some of the stories associated with the Beatles there as well,’’ he says. ‘‘I’ve been a fan of the music myself since I was 11 and saw A Hard Day’s Night – in those days just owning a guitar was a big deal but it opened up a completely different world to me.’’
And that opening remains Armstrong’s passion, and his job, more than 40 years on.
Tickets for Concert by the Lake can be purchased from Colourplus, Paper Plus and Mitre 10 in town and cost $45 each. The show is on Sunday February 21 from 1pm to 6pm.