Beatles Dream Tour overload

MANILA, Philippines - For a dyed-in-the-wool Beatlemaniac like me, there is no such thing as a Beatles overload because I could never get enough. In fact, I’d say I’m happily overwhelmed because I did my pilgrimage to the holy land of rock ‘n roll, Liverpool, again. This time around, I stayed for two days to immerse myself into deeper Beatle culture. My travel buddy Joey de Leon suggested we take the taxi tour, which is the norm for Beatle fans and Beatlemaniacs who go on the pilgrimage. The taxi drivers are well-versed on Beatle info that they go beyond what the normal books tell.

Eighty-five percent of the tourism business in Liverpool is Beatles connected. There is Beatles everywhere you go, from street names to souvenir shops to cafés, restaurants and hotels. Oh yes, hotels named after Beatles songs and events. We stayed at the Hard Days Night Hotel, which is steps away from the Cavern Pub, Lennon Café, the Fab Four Mall, Rubber Soul Oyster Bar and other establishments that are connected to the Beatles in just one street called Matthew Street. The Hard Days Night Hotel is plastered with Beatles portraits, artwork, statues and memorabilia. Every room has a Beatle motif. Our room had a John Lennon and George Harrison painting on the wall. Beatles music softly plays at the lobby and public areas 24 hours a day.

We visited the famed Cavern Pub where the Beatles performed in the early ’60s and were pleasantly surprised to see that they’ve preserved it well to give the ’60s feel. There are two Cavern clubs now — the original and the new one right across. Our very own REO brothers performed there for the second time on Halloween night. I asked around how much the Beatles made from royalties paid by these establishments to use the names, pictures and likenesses and got amazed that they didn’t charge any royalties or rights. It was their gift to Liverpool but such establishments are not allowed to branch out or expand beyond Liverpool.

Our taxi driver-cum-tour guide took us to the famed Beatles sights like the houses where the Fab 4 lived or grew up. In between landmarks, he told us the stories behind some of the songs like Do You Want To Know A Secret? which Lennon refused to sing because it referred to his relationship with manager Brian Epstein who was a closet gay. We visited Penny Lane and our driver pointed out that most of the song references like fire station and the barbershop. We then had a quick stop at Strawberry fields with its imposing strawberry-colored gate for photo-ops and onward to a graveyard beside a church where Paul McCartney had hung around to write songs. Although McCartney claimed that the name Eleanor Rigby is fictitious. We found grave markers for Eleanor Rigby and Father McKenzie which could have inspired him subconsciously. The tour highlight was the cemetery where Lennon’s ashes were buried together with his deceased family members. The gravestone was so simple you’d think it was for a poor family grave. It was done purposely to hide it from potential thieves who might want to steal Lennon’s remains. Our taxi tour ended at the Albert dock where we bought some souvenirs at the Beatles Story exhibit.

Over coffee, I met up with friend Roag Best Aspinall, Pete Best’s (Beatles original drummer) younger half-brother and son of Apple Records chairman and Beatles long-time manager Neil Aspinall and reminisced about their Philippine tour and made plans for another Philippine Beatlefest in June 2015.