A Taylor-made Grand tribute to George

While his songwriting will always be overshadowed by the incredible achievements of bandmates Lennon and McCartney, George has a place in cultural history all his own – and fitting tribute is paid to it in a show which called at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre as part of an extensive national tour.

Something About George – The George Harrison Story sees West End performer and musician Daniel Taylor telling the fascinating story of George and performing his biggest hits as he fronts an accomplished band of five also including Joe Smithson (musical director, guitar and vocals), Callum Macmillan (percussion/drums), Tom Kinton (bass guitar and vocals) and James Breckon (keyboard and vocals).

The show’s storyline actually starts as the Beatles break-up as Taylor and colleagues take a detailed look at George’s solo career, starting off in the most distinctive fashion with a triple album which sold millions and the No1 single My Sweet Lord.

Something About George celebrates a life that was anything but quiet, and the story covers his ground-breaking charity work, the break-up of his first marriage, his meeting second wife Olivia and his work in rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, also made up of Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty

On the way, accompanied by appropriate film backdrops, his Beatles classics such as Something and My Guitar Gently Weeps get an airing along with memorable versions of his greatest solo and Wilburys works, including a notably rousing rendition of Wah Wah and a glorious encore which had the audience on its feet.

Liverpool-born Taylor, an award-winning actor, producer, and director who was previously at The Grand acting in Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey and is the partner of Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas, is also a skilled musician and raconteur with a deep affection for Harrison’s work and it shows.

Something About George is not a tribute show as we know it – it’s one musician authentically telling the story and honouring the music of another and makes for a great evening’s theatre.