TEN Scottish bands will play as many Beatles songs as they can in eight hours this weekend to raise vital funds for motor neurone disease research.
A Beatles Marathon has been organised in Edinburgh by Stuart McGachan who was inspired to host the event as a fundraiser in Scotland’s capital after his Beatles-mad dad Patrick was diagnosed with MND two years ago.
Tragically, Patrick died last week aged 72 after a sudden decline in his condition.
The event at the Assembly Roxy will replicate a popular event in McGachan’s adopted hometown of Columbus in Ohio, where he moved in 2016 from Edinburgh.
A similar show has been put on there for the last 13 years, with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr having introduced it more recently with a video message.
It is hoped that the bands from a mixture of Edinburgh and Fife will get through well over 100 songs by the fab four and raise thousands of pounds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, set up by the late rugby legend Doddie Weir who died last year from the condition.
McGachan said his dad [below] had Beatles vinyls all over his office wall and even though he can’t be at the event, it brought him great comfort to know it was going to happen.
McGachan, who works as a manager of a music school in Columbus, told The National: “My dad loved getting people together and making the effort and I feel like that’s been passed to me.
“He was always one for getting people together with music, even if it was just someone bringing out a guitar at Christmas.
“If it wasn’t for a combination of my work in Columbus and my dad’s can-do attitude with getting people together this event wouldn’t have happened.
“He was pleased it was happening whenever I gave him updates about the event and it’s amazing people have volunteered their time to play. It’s incredibly humbling.
“He was a big collector of Beatles music. In his office he had the vinyls framed across the wall.
“I feel like this gig is special because it doesn’t matter what your age is, you will enjoy it. Even though he’s not going to be there, there was certainly a lot of comfort in knowing it was happening for him and everybody else who is connected with MND.”
Across the Atlantic ordinarily just one big band gets together to perform around 200 Beatles songs but in Edinburgh the baton will be passed a bit more which McGachan thinks will give it a community feel.
McGachan [pictured above with his dad] said: “The event was a bit of a lightbulb moment I had. My dad got his diagnosis two years ago and as he was a big Beatles fan, I combined that with [what I’d seen] in my adopted hometown of Columbus where they’ve done a marathon for the last 13 years.
“The idea was for him to come across and see it at one point but it never panned out that way.
“I’ve been going to the Beatles marathon in Columbus for the last seven years and it’s grown arms and legs.
“We’ll have it a bit easier with 10 bands playing but that way I think there will be a more community feel about it.”
The artists due to play are Unrising Sun, The Average White Album Band, Mountain People, Sebastian Dangerfield, Monticule, The Charles Hawtrey Band, Heads Up, Kings of Marigold, Lollapaloosers and Dave Mack.
To buy tickets for the event on Saturday click here.
