by Lydia Whitfield, South Wales Echo

PETER Ferris has played George Harrison in tribute band, Love the Beatles, since 1992.

With the BBC launching their search for the ultimate tribute act in The One and Only, Lydia Whitfield found South Wales’ own top tributes to pop mega stars

PETER Ferris has played George Harrison in tribute band, Love the Beatles, since 1992.

The Penarth-based actor, who is a performing arts teacher, got the bug for performing Beatles songs when he starred in the stage play Imagine with Mark McGann as Lennon at The Liverpool Playhouse.

After that he joined another show, Sgt Pepper’s Magical Mystery Trip, where a tribute band performed all of Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road live.

“We played a gig in 2001 in front of 110,000 people, headlining The Independence Day Show in Lubbock, Texas, which is Buddy Holly’s birthplace,” said Peter. “Paul Moroney is our John and is probably the best Lennon ever. He was once recommended by Bob Dylan, though that’s something he keeps quiet.”

Peter moved to Penarth after years in London, where he taught Martine McCutcheon and Claire Sweeney at the Italia Conti stage school. He is running Ferris Entertainment Performing Arts Saturday Classes at Penarth Conservative Club, with MTV dance teacher Douglas Yolland and West End singing teacher Anthony Cable.

Peter, 40, has composed music for Live and Kicking and ITV’s UEFA Champions League tracks and says: “I’ve always been very influenced by Lennon. Love the Beatles are also advising on The Beatles exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool.”

Peter’s resemblance to guitarist Harrison, isn’t Love The Beatles’ strongest point, though Peter says on stage he more than plays the part.

He says: “Coming from an acting background, I get most of the mannerisms. We’ve studied The Beatles for 15 years so it becomes an obsession. Paul, who performs as John Lennon, is Cockney but put him in a recording studio and he sounds like Lennon.

“This tribute band has been a wonderful experience for me. People say tribute acts are a bit tongue in cheek, but look at Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk The Line – everyone wanted him to get the Oscar. He spent six months being Johnny Cash and we’ve spent 15 years being The Beatles.

“Lennon used to say, being a Beatle was like being in a hurricane, with the madness going on around you, and being a tribute is the same. Trying to be a Beatle is the greatest of fun. If a tribute act does it badly, the audience will massacre them, but when they do it brilliantly, it’s phenomenal.”

- For more information on Peter Ferris or Love the Beatles, see www.ferrisentertainment.com