Vox Beatles, a British tribute band, will bring the legends alive in front of your eyes in Mumbai next week. mid-day catches up with founding member Mike Mountford to talk about how the band pays tribute to the style of The Beatles, bowl cuts and all
Beatles tribute band, The Vox Beatles, have been performing across the globe since 2010 and will be in Mumbai this year
There are bands, and then there are tribute bands. For the die-hard fan, a tribute band performance, where the performers emulate not just the music but also the appearance of the original artistes, is a music lover’s delight.
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If you are in Mumbai next week, you have the opportunity of seeing the iconic Beatles come alive in front of you, thanks to Mike Mountford, rhythm guitarist and vocalist for The Vox Beatles tribute band, and his fellow band members John Mountford, James Hender and Kristian Wilkins. The tribute band has been performing the iconic songs of The Beatles on stage for 13 years: an act which has allowed them to travel the world. This year, they perform in Mumbai for the first time.
“I’ve been a Beatles fan since I was five years old,” says Mike. “I remember my sister had bought a ticket to see the Beatles in our hometown of Brighton. I was too young to go, but my sister bought all of their CDs, and that was what turned me into a mad Beatles fan, even at that age.”
Lifelong Beatles fan, Mike Moundford, plays John Lennon in the band’s performances
Years later, Mike discovered his affinity for playing the guitar and went on to play in various bands. However, the music of The Beatles, which had been his first inspiration, never left his mind. “I always knew, even when I was in other bands, that [playing songs by The Beatles] was something I wanted to do. Finally, in 2010, I put out some advertisements, and found two guys to form a tribute band with. I also got my brother, John, to play the drums in our band, which he does to this day.”
The band has found considerable success in the years since, performing around 50 gigs a year at private events around the UK. The band has been able to travel to several countries for their work. “Prior to this band, I had never even been on a jet,” Mike says, adding, “Now, we’ve played in Kuwait, America, Dubai, France and many more countries.”
The Vox Beatles has also gone through several changes, however, with the Mountford brothers being the only constants. “The lads we play with currently joined the band later on, but John has always played Ringo, while I play John Lennon,” Mountford tells us. “We’ve done our best to recreate their onstage style, even using the same instruments they did.”
Showing us one of his guitars, he explains, “This one is called a Rickenbacker 325. John Lennon used this model from 1960 onwards, and I play it on stage. Anybody who is serious about [being a tribute performer] has to have the right instruments. You need to pay attention to their mannerisms as well. For instance, Lennon held his guitar up high so I do the same. He used to be sarcastic with the audience, so I do that as well.”
And to take the audience through a journey of the original Beatles through the eras, Vox Beatles go through costume changes throughout the set.
“For instance,” Mike says, “we wear the classic black-and-white look with the tie, but then we also change into the Sgt. Pepper uniforms,” he says. Inspired by British military uniforms, the Sgt. Pepper outfits were psychedelic, colourful costumes that the Beatles came up with at the height of their fame in 1967.
“Of course, nobody looks exactly like The Beatles, but we wear the right outfits. We even wear the right wigs, sometimes changing our outfits and wigs during the show. The short wig, for the early days, and then the slightly longer wigs in the later part. Sometimes, I have long hair down to the shoulder, like Lennon had in the later days,” he says, before laughing and adding, “I hope they have proper ventilation at the venues in India. It can get really hot in those wigs.”
While being a tribute performer is an unconventional profession, Mountford tells us he does this full-time, and can’t wait for the band’s performances in Mumbai and Goa. “My only regret is that I didn’t start The Vox Beatles sooner,” he says.
WHAT: The Vox Beatles live performance
WHEN: August 11
WHERE: Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity
PRICE: Rs 499 onwards
TO BOOK: www.bookmyshow.com
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