Dead-on renditions of Fab Four classics in full regalia and Liverpudlian wit – it’s gotta be The Bootleg Beatles. Their traditional pre-Christmas tour hits Cardiff on Wed 7 Dec, and ahead of it, Amy Wild spoke to Paul McCartney… OK, Steve White.

Steve White has taken on the role of Paul McCartney in the world’s leading Beatles tribute band, The Bootleg Beatles, since 2012. Before him, there have been two other Pauls in this group, which began in 1980. The Bootleg Beatles are surely one of the longest-serving tribute bands: although the cast may not stay the same, the impact definitely does.

White, as a relative newcomer in the lineup, credits their success to the original Bootleg Beatles personnel. A major turning point came for them in the late 1990s: “They were lucky enough to support Oasis, who, of course, were the biggest band in the UK. It really put the Bootleg Beatles on the map, and from there, the band has gone to incredible heights.”

White thinks of what he does as “a privilege to be a part of something that was initially deemed as silly. Obviously, the Beatles fade more and more from people’s memories, but bands like ours keep the dream alive.”

Interestingly, he’s keen to emphasise that the Bootleg Beatles in no way consider themselves replacements for the real thing. “We always say if you want to listen to that music, then buy the Beatles [albums] – it doesn’t get much better than that! We are just a live advertisement.”

In past shows, The Bootleg Beatles have performed with the 70-piece Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. “It’s incredible – an absolute honour and privilege to play such shows,” says White of these opportunities. “We are in talks at the moment about an up-and-coming idea that maybe we can collaborate on; nothing is finalised yet, but there is something in the pipeline, and fingers crossed it works out!”

And then there’s the burning question for anyone who, like White, has dedicated their life to this musical behemoth: what’s your favourite Beatles era? “I like the early stuff for the energy. They’re very exciting in the early days – great melodies, and they really get a crowd going. But the later stuff is great, because the production was just amazing with multiple layers of instruments. It’s fascinating to be able to replicate live onstage.”

The performer’s perspective adds a whole new dimension to the question, too. “The earlier songs are deemed easier, but that is only sometimes the case. The later period songs can be more tricky because they have got more input from lots of musicians.”

So how exactly is a Bootleg Beatles live show assembled? “We try to do the Beatles career in chronological order so that we are telling a story with costumes, the instruments, and the material that we play.” White and cohorts – Tyson Kelly as John Lennon, Stephen Hill channeling George Harrison and Gordon Elsmore in the Ringo role – trace the Fab Four’s journey, including every tiny detail from their authentic stage wear and instruments to their time-honored Beatle banter.

“You get a big cross-section of fans that come to the show. You will get diehard fans of the Beatles, but you will also get the more casual fans that only know the biggest hits. So we start with a core set list of mainstream songs, and then we fill in the blanks with B-sides and album tracks which will appease the more diehard fans.” For the current tour, White says, “We’ve developed a new show. There are a lot of songs that our fans haven’t seen us do before.”

Excepting 2020 and 2021, a pre-Christmas Bootleg Beatles UK tour is pretty much a certainty on the calendar, with St David’s Hall in Cardiff one of their annual haunts; certainly, the show has become a seasonal regime for most of their fans. “A lot of people say it’s not Christmas until they’ve seen the Bootleg Beatles!”

As for that Cardiff date, White beams, “It’s always great to play in Cardiff. It’s a great atmosphere, and of course, the Welsh are great at singing along with us. We can’t wait to get down there.”

The Bootleg Beatles, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wed 7 Dec.

Tickets: £32.50-£41.50. Info: here

The band also have two Welsh dates booked for 2023: Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Tue 21 Mar (tickets: £32.50-£40.50. Info: here) and Grand Theatre, Swansea, Sat 7 Oct (tickets: £32.50-£40.50. Info: here)

words AMY WILD