By Luke Voogt
Few musicians will create the fanaticism which surrounded The Beatles, but tribute artist Chris Frazer has had a small taste.
Frazer spoke to the Indy fresh off performing to more than10,000 fans with The Beatle Boys at Sydney’s Domain on Sunday.
“Everyone was up singing and dancing – it was amazing,” the band’s ‘John Lennon’ said.
“We’ve got generations passing down their love and admiration from The Beatles’ prolific periods.”
Frazer’s obsession with The Beatles began singing Octopus’s Garden at pre-school in the Hunter Valley in the 70s.
“They’ve always been there,” the 41-year-old said.
Frazer began acting onstage at age 11 and first picked up the guitar at 18.
“I was looking for an outlet to express myself and the poetry I was writing,” he said.
He combined those skills 10 years ago to play Lennon, before joining The Beatle Boys three years later and experiencing his own form of Beatlemania.
“I would always obsess about standing in The Beatles’ shoes and doing what they did,” he said.
“I had an opportunity, and I wholeheartedly threw myself into that experience.”
The boys do more than sing the songs – they mimic the lads from Liverpool down to their accents.
“It’s a total experience for me,” Frazer said. “We’re all very much similar to the Beatles that we portray.
“It’s often the case after a show when we meet with our audience that people will come up to me and ask from where I’m from.”
“It’s funny because our Paul McCartney is actually from Liverpool – but Liverpool in western Sydney.”
That man, John Kater, has played the role in various bands for more than 20 years, including seven with The Beatle Boys.
“Originally, I wanted to play John, but I’m left-handed and no one would let me in,” the 46-year-old said.
Like Frazer, Kater’s obsession with the Beatles began at a young age. At four, he could name all of the band members and sing all of their songs.
His “pretend life” would see him play across continents, for the Sultan of Brunei and on national television.
But he still enjoyed going to Geelong each year to play in its “intimate” theatre.
“Last time we played there, we loved that little theatre and we hope everyone can come rock out with us,” he said.
The Beatle Boys play their show The Rock N Roll Years at Geelong Performing Arts Centre on 28 October.
