MONDAY, MAY 06, 2024
Beatlemania surrounding the English rock band, the Beatles, took over the world in the 1960s. Since then, radios, TV channels and various films have been featuring their music which keeps those songs evergreen and the lyrics on the tip of the tongue of music lovers. Keeping their music alive, ‘Help! A Beatles Tribute’, an European-based tribute band have been paying homage to The Beatles for over a decade, performing across 20 countries in Europe and Asia. However, this tour will be their first India tour. The band members include Ernie Mendillo, Ziga Stanonik, Alen Kovse and Anze Semrov.
Managed by Neil Ribeiro International Events Concepts and Lumberjack Music Festivals for the India tour, the band will be performing at Grand Hyatt, Bambolim on November 16, Holiday Inn, Mobor on November 17, Catholic Club - Bengaluru on November 18, The Bangalore Club - Bengaluru on November 19 and Sir MV Rao Concert Hall - Chennai on November 20. With a packed schedule, the band members are all excited for their concerts.
Speaking about the band, Ernie Mendillo says, “I grew up in America, but have been living in Slovenia for over 20 years. I’m from New Jersey, and I’ve been playing professionally since my early twenties and was in a successful band called The Brandos. The rest of the band members are all from Slovenia. I met Ziga Stanonik shortly after I arrived there. He actually did one tour with The Brandos and has done a lot of work in Slovenia over the years. We started Help! A Beatles Tribute, ten years ago. Anze Semrov joined the band three years ago and Alen Kovse is our newest member. Both have performed in local bands before joining HELP! A Beatles Tribute.”
Ernie had an overwhelming experience of meeting his idol, Paul McCartney in 2015. “I met him right before he went on stage. We took this photo a little chit chat and off he went. The whole thing lasted less than ten minutes with the crowds who were there to meet him. But of course, I’ll never forget it!” says Ernie.
The two and a half hours duration show with a short intermission for a costume change will include over 40 songs in the concert with the band playing a song from every album The Beatles released. The music will encompass their entire career. “Most of the show consists of songs that must be played every night, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Help!’, ‘Hey Jude’, ‘All You Need Is Love...’ They had so many number one hits worldwide. We always try to put in a few other songs from their albums as well. The die-hard fans really enjoy that,” explains Ernie.
The Beatles broke up in 1970 but their music had such an effect on the music world that it is love and musical versatility has moved from generation to generation. “I think it’s safe to say we all were introduced to the music from our parents. Of course, The Beatles have always been played on the radio even after they broke up. Songs have also appeared in various films over the years. They have become a part of our culture. I can personally remember hearing their music as a young boy growing up in America. My father bought their albums for me and my brothers. You couldn’t escape their music. It just sounded so fresh and exciting. I think it still does and that’s why people are still enjoying their music.
Neil Ribeiro from Porvorim manages Neil Ribeiro International Events Concepts that is representing the band in India, UAE and Africa. “It’s truly beyond our wildest dreams to reach an audience in India. I just spoke to an organizer that called to congratulate us. About ten years ago, he gave us one of our first opportunities to perform. I told him I could never have imagined we’d be doing something like this one day. Neil is very “hands on” as we say and has been absolutely great to deal with,” adds Ernie.
Though the band will be in Goa for just a few days, they plan to experience everything they can beyond the concerts, “This band has given us such a great opportunity to see the world. As musicians we often experience much more than a tourist would. It may be a cliche, but music really does bring people together. The only negative side of it is that we never seem to have enough time in one place. We’re lucky we’ll be in Goa for a few days, so it should be fun,” concludes Ernie.
