The 50th anniversary of the Beatles album Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band meant only one thing in Sheffield: it was time for the Revolver Project to get the band back together. After a rousing performance of the album at the Folk Forest earlier this year, the project decided to hit the O2 for a one-off headline show of their own, faced with the challenging feat of doing Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt Peppers in full with an expanded group of 30 musicians.
And what a show it was, with an extraordinary attention to detail; from the recorders in ‘The Fool On the Hill’ to the harp on ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, the project had left no stone unturned on both albums. The importance of vocals were not ignored either, with the Fab Fours magnificent part-harmonies delivered exquisitely by the lead vocalists and rhythm section. Special mention must go to the string section and tablaist, who waited patiently for their moment and stepped up during ‘Within You Without You’, a real highlight of the evening which brought huge cheers from the crowd. The night came to a close with a exhilarating rendition of ‘A Day in the Life’, complete with musical ‘orgasm’, which really showed the necessity for a 30-piece band, before ‘Hey Jude’ sent off the audience smiling ear to ear. Sheffield legend and lead vocalist Steve Edwards gave a animated speech on the importance of music in the Steel City – and we were all left wishing for the White Album in 2018!
Words: Leo Burrell
Photos: Calvin Merry Photography
