Tribute Band Spotlight - Glass Onion

This is the first in a series we hope will continue.  We are encouraging tribute bands to send their gigs to us to include on our What's On Calendar.  In exchange, we will introduce the bands to help them connect with their local fans.

Introducing Glass Onion 
Mark Bayliss of Glass Onion introduces the band

Our group formed at the end of  2014, so we don't have a website yet, but we have been overwhelmed by the support and interest that we have received since we started focusing exclusively on the music of the Beatles.

Individually, we were playing in different musical situations (each of us Beatle fans - but not playing the music we truly loved). But thanks to the wonders of the internet, there is a great UK website (joinmyband.co.uk) that enabled us to get together and we decided that we would play only Beatle songs locally and see what interest we got. Wow ! Unbelievable ! We got so much interest that we decided to put on some shows and they sold out with weeks to spare ! The audience participation and enthusiasm was incredible !

We are not attempting to be lookalikes, but rather believe that our passion for the music and evidence of our enjoyment when we play shines through to the audience who crave for more and more !

Currently, we have 3 shows planned in the immediate future:

20th April - Jardins, Braintree, Essex

23rd April - Village Hall, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex

30th April - Memorial Hall Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire

We are currently planning to attend some music festivals this summer and also more shows in the Autumn.

Myself, I play bass and sing, with Martin Seaman on rhythm guitar and vocals, with David McLean on lead guitar and vocals, and Paul Davis on drums. Last year, Martin and I went to see Paul McCartney at the 02 in London and he was magnificent ! I think the one thing that stood out for me was the level of emotion displayed by the audience (of many ages) that prove that our love for him and the memory of the band go really deep within us and make us cry with tears of joy !

With such a catalogue of truly majestic songs, there are so many to choose from, but we try to cover a range of A and B sides as well as album tracks that showcase the writing talents of Lennon and McCartney and also (the hugely underrated talent in my opinion) Harrison. We also cover the full period as best we can from 1962 to 1970. Our show includes two 45 minute sets and also a midpoint sit-down acoustic session where we deliver some great tracks 'unplugged'. 

So what sets us apart from all of the other 'tributes' ? - well nothing really. I respect anybody that wants to play the Beatles, but our music contains all the heart and soul of true lifelong fans, with a desire to deliver a similar humour and stage craft that existed when the band were at their peak.

I have attached a poster for one of our next shows just to show you how we advertise.

We don't expect to be taking over the planet....but for each smiling face, tapping foot, and clapping hand that I see, make it all worthwhile it even if it is in a local village hall....

Long live the music of the Beatles, we will do our small part to keep it fresh in the minds of the old and hopefully introduce it to some of the young....