THE BOOTLEG BEATLES RETURN TO SCOTLAND FOR SOLD-OUT SHOW AT ICONIC GLASGOW BARROWLANDS

★★★★★ (5/5)

THE BOOTLEG BEATLES PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S BARROWLANDS
PHOTOCREDIT: ROSS WARDROP

The Bootleg Beatles performed to a sold-out crowd at Glasgow’s iconic Barrowlands on Saturday, delivering a polished tribute to The Beatles. As one of the most established cover acts, having formed in 1980, the band has long been regarded as a leading tribute to the music of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. With over 4,000 performances worldwide, their experience was evident throughout the night.

Support came from local musician Jamie Rafferty, who opened the evening with a mix of original songs and popular covers. His set included crowd-pleasers like ‘Sit Down’ ‘American Pie’, expressing his aspiration to perform at the Barrowlands, and receiving a warm response from the filing venue.

Then, The Bootleg Beatles took the stage, with the current lineup featuring Paul Canning (John Lennon), Steve White (Paul McCartney), Stephen Hill (George Harrison), and Gordon Ellsmore (Ringo Starr). White, the longest-serving current member - since 2012, anchored the group with his accurate portrayal of McCartney - being so similar to the Liverpudlian, even playing the bass left-handed. Their set spanned a vast amount of The Beatles’ discography, starting in 1963 and going onto the band’s conclusion in 1970.

They opened with a high-energy performance of ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, setting the tone for the night. The audience was treated to impressive renditions of iconic tracks including ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Yesterday’, and ‘Come Together’. Each song was met with enthusiastic participation from the crowd, who joined in on nearly every word.

Towards the end of the set, the band led the audience in a rendition of the traditional Scottish song ‘Loch Lomond’, a fitting nod to the gig’s location. The show concluded with two more iconic Beatles tracks, ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Rock and Roll Music’, which saw the crowd fully engaged in a final sing-along as a perfect night celebrating the Fab Four’s legacy concluded.