Yesterday was likely a once in a lifetime chance to see Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Peter Kelly walking across the street barefoot, a candy cigarette dangling from his right hand.
Not to mention a long-haired Premier Darrell Dexter, looking like he’s ready to rock out on some drums.
It was all in good fun, say the politicians, who took on the role of Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to re-enact the iconic Abbey Road album cover, to promote another once in a lifetime experience: this Saturday’s McCartney concert on the Halifax Common.
Few details were spared for the photo shoot at the corner of Bauer and Cornwallis streets in Halifax, from the freshly painted white stripes on the crosswalk to the strategically placed Volkswagen Beetle.
“Everybody, left foot forward, except for Paul McCartney!” HRM staffer Andrew Whittemore directed the four wannabe British musicians including Peter, er, Paul, who was supposed to be out of step with his bandmates.
“This is so cool!” declared Halifax Downtown Coun. Dawn Sloane, who joined a small crowd of onlookers ogling over the so-called superstars, as Wings and Beatles tunes blared in the background.
Dexter told reporters he didn’t realize becoming a Ringo Starr impersonator would be one of his new duties as premier. “When you get into these jobs, you never know where it’s going to take you from day-to-day.
“There was this idea that if you played the album backwards it would say ‘Paul is dead,’ and that’s why he was in his bare feet,” Dexter recalled. “Ringo was supposed to be the undertaker.”
Mike Carroll and Peter MacDonald from Beatles tribute band Abbey Road played George Harrison and John Lennon for the re-enactment.
Dexter said he never imagined he’d have the chance to see McCartney play live, let alone in Halifax.
Kelly, who waved his bubblegum cigarette, said that besides the exterior change of wigs and clothes for yesterday’s photo fun, the Beatles also internally “transformed who many of us are today.”
