The Beatles tribute band, Hey Juderevealed to CNN Brazil what are the main challenges for the Liverpool quartet to live on stages. Invited to play at the Cavern Club in São Paulo, the band that is now officially recognized as the “Cavern Club band in Brazil” carries a story that crosses oceans.
The relationship with the original venue, in Liverpool, began in the 2000s. Since then, there have been more than 20 performances by Brazilians at the legendary address where the Beatles began their career.
The dedication involves costumes identical to the originals, researched from historical photos, and a real hunt for instruments and amplifiers identical to those used by the British quartet. It took more than 13 years to search for original pieces — a challenge that, even with the internet, remains difficult and expensive. But it’s not enough to have the right equipment: you have to play like them.
“We have to leave our personality aside to be able to face the character”, mentions Cesar Kiles, who plays. In the conversation, he also adds that Renato, the member who plays Ringo Starr on Hey Jude, already had a professional career and his own style of playing before joining the tribute band and had to adapt his way of playing, since the famous drummer is left-handed.
“This changes completely, the beginning of the turns and the way it ends with him being left-handed is totally different. It’s the opposite of right-handed”, explains Thiago Gentil, who, in turn, brings John Lennon to life on stage.
During the conversation, the group members also reinforce that the idea is to differentiate themselves from the common label of “cover band”. The proposal, according to them, was always different: to put on a show faithful to the details of the Beatles’ shows, far beyond just playing the songs.
The repertoire also reflects this care. In a series of performances divided into three nights and three different phases of the Beatles’ career in , the band delved especially into the group’s psychedelic period. To do this, they needed to study and rehearse songs rarely performed live by other bands, many of them from the album “Revolver”, which they consider underrated.
According to the musicians, the first phase of the Beatles is the most enjoyable to play as it is the best known to the public. The second phase is the most challenging and, for them, the most musically interesting. In the full show, however, it is necessary to balance the choices and also prioritize the classics that everyone wants to hear.
The public response, especially at a themed venue like the Cavern Club, has been one of the highlights of the experience. “Everyone sings together”, they emphasize. For the band, playing in a space dedicated to the memory of the Beatles, with fans who know each song, turns each performance into a collective celebration of rock history.
