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tour with his wife, Stacey, who until a couple of years ago had never
held
a
guitar.
“The first night, David asked me what I could play on the guitar, and
I said, ‘Nothing!’” Stacey recalled in an e-mail. “Then he asked if I could
sing. ‘No way,’ I laughed. So he handed me a tambourine and I was happy
to play along in the back.” A few months later, she was atop the stage of
the Cavern Club leading a band through a rendition of the Beatles’ “I’m
Down.” David gives a lot of credit to Jesse’s influence. “Just to set the
record straight, I may be able to coach, but Jesse will bring out the best in
everybody,” he said.
The Ride – Jesse, David,
Jon Payne
, and Don and
Stacey Fergusson
–
arrived in London on a Thursday, toured Beatles haunts there on Friday,
including clubs the Beatles hung out at, the site of the Apple Records
building where they played the
Let It Be
concert on the roof, the alley
where the Rolling Stones’
December’s Children
album cover was shot (now
a backdrop to a photo of The Ride), and viewed the Linda McCartney
photo exhibit created by Paul and Stella. On Saturday at 10 am, they
arrived at Abbey Road Studio 2.
The group grounded itself and laid down a recording of an original
song, “One Ride,” and, because they’d done their homework, there was
enough time left to record a second song, an “unmixed” acoustic version
of Australian Jimmy Barnes’s “Hell of a Time.
”
Just before leaving Abbey
Road some time after midnight, they celebrated with a nightcap, despite
the knowledge that they had to leave the hotel at 6 am the next morning
in time for the plane, train, and automobile that would take them to
Liverpool in time for a Sunday afternoon gig at the Cavern Club.
Memories By the Mersey
Dropping bags at the now-open Hard Day’s Night Hotel before noon,
they took their gear down Matthew Street to play an ear-splitting rocking
set to an enthusiastic crowd in the early afternoon. That night, they were
treated to a two-hour concert by Paul McCartney at Anfield stadium. The
next day, they played the Cavern Pub across the street from the Cavern
Club, with a stage backdrop of Ringo’s Ludwig drums, Paul’s Hofner bass,
and John’s Gretch guitar. Later that night, Cavern Club owner
Bill Heckle
invited the group to a private concert in the backroom, featuring former
Wings guitarist,
Denny Laine
.
Rory Best took them on a private tour of the Casbah. Next, came the
Magical Mystery Tour, taking in sights like Strawberry Field, Penny Lane,
and the childhood homes of the Beatles.
On Vikki and Ian’s Famous Pub Crawl in the basement of Jacaranda,
on the makeshift stage the Beatles once used, they encountered a group of
Brazilians on
their
last night of a similar tour, singing and playing Beatles
songs with acoustic guitars (though some of them could hardly speak
English). “The Ride” joined in, with Stacey bringing the house down with
her rendition of
I’m Down
. To cheers and shouts of “more,” she complied
with a rocking acoustic version of
All Shook Up
, and guitarist Jon Payne
sang
You Can’t Do That
, all accompanied by David on acoustic guitar and
Jesse on tambourine (Don was in charge of the camera – and Guinness).
Stacey had never sung before January, Don had only a year of bass
guitar under his belt; they knew none of the songs of their set before
launching into this venture with David and Jesse, and neither Stacey nor
Don had ever played a live gig before one at SOhO (in Santa Barbara) just
before leaving.
“We have so much gratitude for David and Jesse for providing this well-
organized and amazing experience,” Don continues, “and we’re so thankful
we stepped up to take this on – steep learning curve and all. This wasn’t
just a project; we became a
band!
Anyone interested in pursuing this kind of dream is invited to call
David Hekhouse at 805-455-2113 or visit www.mainstagedreamtours.
com.
“The Ride” in Liverpool
Jesse home again at Cavern