Review of Backbeat (1994) by Rob S — 27 May 2007

Ah The Beatles. Is there anything left to say? Really? Well Backbeat follows one of the lesser followed strands, Stuart Sutcliffe's time in the band, which was mostly spend in Hamburg.

While to anyone who knows the story, this one does take a few liberties with artistic licence (Stu didn't die in his house with 'Love Me Do' in his hands - it was in an art class. John didn't come up with A Hard Days Night, Paul sang Long Tall Sally not John etc) the basics of a heartbreaking story are all presant and correct. Sutcliffe was a promising artist but after much cajooling from his art-school buddy John Lennon took up the bass for his band the Sutcliffe-monkiered "Silver Beetles", later The Beatles. Along with McCartney, Harrison and Pete Best the group headed to Hamburg, where Stu fell in love with Astrid Kirsterr, one of the cool Exy's who photographed the band. After thier second trip to Hamburg Stuart stayed with Astrid to stay painting in Hamburg, walking away from the biggest band of all time. He died in 1962, a year before Beatlemania really hit full force. The performances are good here - though none really share a likeness with the person thier playing, save maybe Paul - but he's right handed here. Still the story is a great one, and it is well told here, if you can get past the inevitable niggles, and enjoy the music, not The Beatles, but the Rock and Roll they're covering. And don't be surprised when you well up when a song is dedicated to "absent friends" at the end.