Wirral’s own Paul McCartney tribute act Neil Tudor forms the Macca Band

Mar 3 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

MEET the Macca Band! Over the last five years, Wirral’s own Neil Tudor has made a name for himself as one of Europe’s top Paul McCartney tribute acts.

From playing Macca in a Spanish TV comedy sketch lampooning the X Factor to being picked by the man himself to double for him in a video, Neil’s done it all.

Now he’s taken his performance a step further by forming a band to recreate the sound of Sir Paul’s recent gigs.

It took Neil a year to find the right mix for the band and the final line-up is made up of experienced Wirral-based musicians Colin Gort, Steve Hunter, Mike Baird and Steve Lawson.

Former fireman Neil, from Birkenhead, said: “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Sometimes I perform in a duo with a Lennon guy from Nottingham but being a solo act does exclude you from certain things.

“I was asked why I didn’t have a band but it’s hard to get people who are good enough to do it and reliable.”

After intensive rehearsals, Neil says it “came together pretty quickly” and the Macca Band now has 32 songs perfected and ready to play.

Neil said: “The set is a mixture of Beatles classics, selected songs from the Wings back catalogue and a few choice solo McCartney songs.

“In the spirit of “doing it properly”, myself and other band members switch between instruments so I, like Paul, will swap from the iconic Hofner Violin bass guitar to acoustic, mandolin and keyboards too.

“A lot of time has been spent in rehearsal to ensure that the close harmony vocal sound that Paul and his band achieve has been recreated as it should be.

“Hopefully people will come and support us.”

Alongside his band duties, Neil is still performing solo and acting as a Macca lookalike.

His latest big booking was a trip to Croatia to film a beer advert with lookalikes for Elton John and Bono.

See the Macca Band this Friday (March 5) at Stanley’s Cask, Liscard, starting at 9pm.

They will also be playing a set at Revolver in Birkenhead on Saturday, March 20 from 9pm.

For more information about Neil and the band visit www.mccartneylookaliketribute.com