I recently had the chance to speak to Chris Frazer who acts the role of John Lennon in the Fabulous Beatle Boys band.
It is interesting to note that the ‘Frazer’ is Scottish in origin and has links to the French word’Frais’ for strawberry. Of course ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ is a song written by The Beatles, or more precisely John Lennon. Strawberry Fields was the name of the field of the Salvation Army home that Lennon lived near and a place he spent many happy days playing. When The Fabulous Boys band formed each member gravitated toward the Beatle they felt a kinship with and for Chris that was John Lennon, notwithstanding the ‘strawberry’ connection, Chris says he has always admired John for his approach to singing and his lyrical ability.’Not an easy job, writing those songs with that amount of perfection’. Chris also loves John’s cheeky character and has studied every nuance, in fact he jokes the boys have studied The Beatles to the extent he says they have the equivalent of’ 3 back to back university degrees’ on Beatle-ology!
For what has become an almost annual trip to tour Tassie, Chris tells me that’it’s a thrill’ and he enjoys ‘a bit of time over the ditch’. Chrisloves the Hobart coast and its unique old world feel and the, ‘very beautiful, British look’ of Tasmania. Performing in the Theatre Royal, Chris calls ‘An absolute thrill’ and the boys being fans of Australian boutique beerslook forward to tasting the Tassie local beers with perhaps a visit to Cascade Brewery as well as chilling out, walking around the city and enjoying a good coffee.
Chris says it is a privilege to be playing John Lennon, especially in this, the 50th anniversary of the bands one and only tour of Australia. During this tour of Australia and New Zealand the guys will wear the same outfits that The Beatles wore on their tour of Australia, working from the same set list and playing the same guitar brands that The Beatles did with their ‘flat, wound strings’ not ’round wound’ and so give their music the sound of vintage rock and roll and the quality that would have been akin to that achieved at Abbey Road. They boys also wear the same shoes and imported glasses from Liverpool that The Beatles did.
There are no wigs, albeit for Ringo, as the band member who plays him has naturally curly hair! But to authenticate John’s look, Chris assumes John’s ‘stance’ with splayed legs and feet, straight back and holding his head the same way as Lennon did with his lips emulating the same delivery of syllables as John would have done.
With successful tours a far afield as South Africa and Swaziland among other places the boys are in high demand and constantly evolving. In fact they may visit Hobart twice in one week with a gig on a cruise ship set to sail into the harbour around the time of their Theatre Royal visit.
You can see The Fabulous Beatle Boys ‘The Beatles 50th Anniversary tour’ starring the Fabulous Beatle Boys’ at The Theatre Royal on Saturday 18th of October at 8pm.
Paula Xiberras
