Four of Australia’s premier male vocalists are joining forces throughout July to revive the legacy of one of the greatest albums of all time – the White Album – for two special Melbourne shows.
The Living End’s Chris Cheney, Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson, You Am I’s Tim Rogers, and Josh Pyke are reuniting for the first time since their sold out 2009 and 2014 tours to bring you a non-stop rendition of The Beatles’ masterpiece on the 50th anniversary of its release. They’ve left no room for ‘what-if’s; the quartet are backed by a 17-piece rock orchestra, and Cheney confirms that “[the show] is not tame. The band really belts it out.”
The Beatles’ self-titled ninth studio album – which became known as the White Album thanks to its plain white cover – was released on November 22, 1968, and spent 16 weeks at number one in Australia. The album includes a myriad of certified bangers, such as ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, and ‘Blackbird’. Jann Wenner, founder and publisher of cult music mag Rolling Stone, described the album as “the history and synthesis of Western music.”
The reality that the album was never performed live by The Beatles themselves is a harsh one to face. Jamieson admits that “it was an incredibly nerve-racking experience…but we made it work. We’re excited to be doing it again.”
The past tours were such a success that a video of Cheney performing ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ has racked up over 15 thousand views, and garnered such high acclaim as a comment from Youtube user Em Rowland, who stated that “George would be proud.”
The Aussies are quick to stress, however, that this isn’t a tribute – it’s a celebration, and hence they aren’t aiming to imitate John, Paul, George and Ringo. Rogers clarifies, “We’re not a tribute act and we have no desire to do that. So we want to reinterpret it but not be disrespectful. But then also thinking that rock ‘n’ roll is about being disrespectful.”
