Which was the better band: the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

REDONDO BEACH - The British Invasion brought us the two most popular rock groups of all time, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as well as the liveliest debate in rock history - which band is the greatest?Tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash will seek to put the debate to rest in a musical "shoot out" Jan. 20 at Brixton South Bay, located at the base of the Redondo Beach pier. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15. With their tight harmonies, note for note renditions of Beatles hits, custom-tailored costumes, vintage instruments and Liverpudlian dialect, Abbey Road has honed their show to become one of the most musically and visually satisfying Beatle tribute acts in the world. Three costume changes cover the full range of the Beatle experience and beyond, with authentic early black Beatle suits, Sgt. Pepper's regalia and Abbey Road attire. Now imagine walking into your favorite 500-seat music venue and stumbling upon the Rolling Stones. They're all there; Mick is prancing and gyrating, Keith is ripping licks, posing and prowling the stage with his trusty beat-up Telecaster. Charlie and Bill are laying down the back-beat, and Brian Jones returns from the great beyond to round out the original line-up. "Rock and roll is about rebellion," said Young Hutchison, who plays Keith Richards in Jumping Jack Flash. "There is a sexuality and danger to the Stones and that's why I think the Rolling Stones are, well, the greatest rock and roll band in the world." "If the Beatles had not hit it big in the early 60s, the Stones would still be a local cover band in England," said Abbey Road manager Tom Maher. "Also, the Beatles were unquestionably the better song writers." "The Beatles wrote 'Let It Be' but the Stones countered with 'Let It Bleed,'" laughed Hutchison. Brixton South Bay is at 100 W. Torrance Blvd.

********** Published: December 29, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 37