IN A crowded field - that of Beatles tribute bands - the Cavern Beatles have done pretty well. Well enough to survive for over 15 years. One of its founders Rick Alan has been working longer than that. I last met him close on 25 years ago.
At that stage Alan was in a Liverpool band Mojo Filter that was often spoken of as the Next Big Thing. It had a huge female following and was expected to make the record charts as soon as they had a record out.
Well, they did strike a recording deal but for some unexplained reason the record they made All of the Time was never released.
The band is obviously still fondly remembered as Adam saw a copy of that for sale on Ebay at £18.75. He did not bother to purchase it.
Alas, the band came to a natural end and its members moved on to other things. For Adam that meant a series of bands including for a short while appearing with a comedy band known as The Crackpots. "I was the straight man," he explains.
By 1989 he was thinking of creating a Beatles tribute group - Mojo Filter had often been compared to the famous foursome - and in 1990 it finally came to fruition. He played the George role while Derek Stratton, another survivor of the early line-up, played Paul.
"We played cabaret dates in those days but it has now been extended to a two-hour theatre show," Alan explains..
There have been other Johns and Ringos but the current members Eddie McLaine (John) and Roy Hitchin (Ringo) have been with them for the last four years. It has also meant all members are now Liverpool-born.
The band constantly tours, this weekend with dates including York, Chesterfield, Windsor and Pershore ("it's in Warwickshire and I had not heard of it before, either").
There have also been overseas visits including the USA, Canada, the Middle East and China.
