Paul McCartney tribute act Neil Tudor on returning home to Birkenhead and being mistaken for the real thing in America

Jul 27 2011 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

MACCA man Neil Tudor is coming home next week for a rare performance in Wirral.

The 50-year-old from Birkenhead has made a name for himself as one of Europe’s top Paul McCartney tribute acts.

And the former fireman’s uncanny likeness to Sir Paul in both looks and sound means he is increasingly in demand across the Atlantic.

This year alone Neil has jetted to Napa Valley, California, for a gig marking Macca’s birthday and played with the Reunion Beatles on a tour of northern California.

Closer to home, he was also on the bill for the third Moville Beatlefest in Ireland.

He’s back in Wirral for an appearance at Revolver in Birkenhead on Saturday, July 30 with his group the Macca Band.

Neil, who was once picked by the former Beatle to double for him in the video for single Dance Tonight, said: “People have asked me if I’m doing anything here, but all the things that have come up seem to be abroad.

“The tour I did in April was off the back of an e-mail from a DJ and promoter from San Francisco who got in touch after seeing my website.

“He had an idea to have a show based around what it would have been like if the Beatles had got together again in 1996.

“He got four lookalikes, so he had me, George Harrison was from Bolton and the other two guys were from America.

“It went down really well. and they’re trying to get us back together.”

Neil says he was mistaken for the real thing by Beatles fans in America.

He laughed: “I was having lunch and someone thought I was Paul.

“She said ‘I can’t believe it, I’m shaking!’ She asked me if I was over from Liverpool so I just said yes and that sealed it for her. She was convinced!

“Physically I seem to be becoming more like him.

“Looking back at the early pictures, people said there was a resemblance but looking back I was rubbish!

“I think I’ve morphed into him over the years.”

Neil says he wants to take the Macca Band to the next level and line up more appearances at the biggest venues at home and abroad.

They recently played at the 700-capacity Robin 2 concert hall in the West Midlands.

And he’s hoping his and Paul’s paths may cross again.

He said: “I’ve had a couple of close calls recently. When he came to Liverpool recently I had a call from a production company about a possible job on the same day, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.

“I don’t think it will ever happen, but I’d love to know what he thought of me playing.

“I know he’s aware of me from when I was in the Dance Tonight video.

“You never know, maybe when he’s with his fiancée he gets bored and says ‘I’m going to go on the internet and see what that Neil Tudor’s up to!’”

Find out more about Neil at www.mccartneylookaliketribute.com