The Fab Four: All You Need is Love... and Beatles music

• The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute is at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Friday at 8 p.m.
• Tickets to the show are $25-$53
• Get tickets at mpaconline.org, and from the MPAC box office. Call 334-481-5100.

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.”

― John Lennon

You could say Adam Hastings had some really big “shew”s to fill in this ultimate Beatles tribute band.

After all, he's stepped into not just the role of Beatles icon John Lennon, but also the Fab Four’s original Lennon - Ron McNeil. 

“Coming to join this band has been great,” said Hastings, who previously toured with the UK's Bootleg Beatles. “I know a lot of the fans were sad to see Ron retire. He was so brilliant and was a founding member of the Fab Four. But I’ve had such a nice welcome from all the guys in the band. They’ve all become my best friends now.”

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The Los Angeles-based band The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute with Ed Sullivan is coming to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Friday at 8 p.m. 

“That’s a gig I’ve had earmarked for a while,” Hastings said. “My last experience with Alabama, we went to Muscle Shoals. I kind of fell in love with Alabama being there. There’s something about the people. They’re so down to earth, friendly and welcoming. It’s such a beautiful place to be.” 

Getting a live Beatles tribute show just right is important. It’s not just the music that’s iconic. The Fab Four has to capture the essence of the originals - Lennon, Paul McCartney (Ardy Sarraf), George Harrison (Gavin Pring) and Ringo Starr (Joe Bologna). The world-traveling Fab Four was founded in 1997, and they continue to do all their music live. (They're closing in on performing three times as long as the actual Beatles did.)

“We’re all trying our best to be as close as we can to their music and play it as well,” Hastings said. “And be accurate portraying the personas of John, Paul, George and Ringo, so that all of the Beatles fans watching feel like they’re getting a little fix of what they love about the Beatles that night.” 

So who was Lennon as a person and performer? That’s a question that’s tough for even Hastings to answer. 

“In my opinion, for a guy on stage, it’s this mix of being quite weirdly introverted and seemingly shy, but having this other side of being an immense entertainer and a showoff,” Hastings said. “That’s what appeals to me. I think that might be what appeals to a lot of other people about John in particular.” 

As for the rest, Hastings described Harrison as the student of the group.  “He’s almost the cool one,” he said. “Paul’s like the fun and the bubbles. The ultimate showman.” And then there’s Starr, who Harrison said was everyone’s best mate. 

There’s an amazing fifth member of this group as well - George Trullinger, who plays TV host Ed Sullivan. 

“He comes with us on the road almost everywhere,” Hastings said. “I think he’s the show’s secret weapon. The people buy tickets to the show knowing they’re going to see four Beatles. Hopefully we do that justice for them and they have a good time. What they don’t necessarily know is that they’re going to get is this extra amazing performer on stage. He’s the secret weapon in helping to get the crowd excited about the Beatles coming on.”   

In their eight years together, starting in 1962, The Beatles had at least 116 songs. That’s far too many for the Fab Four to cover in a single concert. It made for some hard choices on what to play, and what not to. 

“You could never not play ‘Hey Jude.’ It would have to be really special circumstances to leave that song out,” Hastings said. “In that respect, some songs choose themselves.”

The Fab Four covers The Beatles at the height of their global fame, from the early Sullivan and Shea Stadium days to the eras of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road. Occasionally they’ll also throw in some deep album cuts for the diehard fans. 

“We can’t play every song, because then we’d be up there all week,” Hastings said. “But we try to hit the main points of each part of their career.” 

Hastings remembers the first Beatles song he ever heard. He had just walked in from school and his dad had “A Hard Day’s Night” on the record player.  “He was teaching my sister to play the bass line,” Hastings said. 

While he can’t speak to what Lennon’s favorite song might have have been to perform, Hastings’ personal favorite is “Twist and Shout.” 

“The fans get up and start dancing,” Hastings said. “We kind of get in the act with them more then. It’s a big moment in the show.” 

Tickets to the show are $25-$53, and are available at mpaconline.org, and from the MPAC box office. Call 334-481-5100. 

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.