Concert Review: Across The Universe The Beatles 66-70 Camp and Furnace Liverpool

There is no shortage of Beatles tribute acts across the UK and beyond, with groups such as The Bootleg Beatles, The Cavern Beatles, The Fab Four, and Rain continuing to draw audiences worldwide. Yet what distinguishes Across The Universe is their focus on the band’s studio years, 1966–1970, performed with the full force of a live band and orchestra. Just as notably, they forgo costumes, wigs, and scripted ‘Beatle banter,’presenting instead a purist tribute to the music itself. Their performances aim to capture the essence of the original recordings with a precision rarely matched elsewhere.

This evening marked Across The Universe’s first performance in Liverpool, the city that gave birth to The Beatles.

The concert opened with the 1967 double A-side ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ‘Penny Lane,’ a pair of songs that serve as an ideal introduction to the era the group celebrates. What followed was effectively a tour through the band’s greatest hits: ‘Lady Madonna,’ ‘Let It Be,’ ‘Dear Prudence,’ ‘A Day in the Life,’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,’ ‘Oh! Darling,’ ‘All You Need Is Love,’ ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ ‘The Long and Winding Road,’and many more. There are simply no deep-cuts when it comes to The Beatles’ songbook.

It is worth remembering that The Beatles themselves never performed this material live, having retired from touring after their final concert in August 1966. In this sense, full credit is due to Across The Universe and their 20-piece orchestra for reimagining how these intricate studio creations might have sounded on stage.

The ensemble consisted of:

• Paul Adams — bass

• David Calder — drums

• Fraser Cooper — keyboard

• Paul Crawford — vocals/guitar/percussion

• Paul Devlin — keyboard/percussion/brass

• John Hallam — guitar

Graeme Quinn — vocals/guitar

• Anthony Smith — guitar/percussion

Lead vocal duties were shared impressively between Graeme Quinn and Paul Crawford, both of whom captured the spirit of Lennon and McCartney without resorting to imitation.

Ultimately, Across The Universe demonstrated that a tribute does not require mimicry to succeed. Their faithfulness to the music, performed with skill and attention to detail, offered the audience an experience that was as authentic as it was exhilarating. It was a performance that both honoured The Beatles’ legacy and stood firmly on its own merits.

Across the Universe tour continues and tickets are available here;

https://linktr.ee/acrosstheuniverse6670?fbclid=PAZnRzaAM1O_dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp4zH5YUJ3S9DtvCWcgqCaURFDm6IvCY5F8wOq0PEjuI8dTWQj_bMoxqr7LoX_aem_rM_tVZ4wxS29_0ReTm8UcA

 

Reviewer – Adrian Cork On – 28.09.2025