The Japanese Beatles Rating: THE Japanese Beatles are one up on the Fab Four - the originals never played the Edinburgh Festival. But if the Beatles could see the ecstatic response their oriental counterparts are getting, they would wish they had. From the moment the Japanese foursome come on stage, wearing Shea Stadium jackets and huge grins, they exude good humour and genuine enjoyment. None of them bears any physical resemblance to the Beatles but they earn their stripes as a tribute band. That "John" has a Stalinesque hair-do ceases to matter after the opening bars of Please Please Me. "Paul" is right-handed and Dizzy Miss Lizzy, when sung in a Japanese accent, becomes Dizzy Miss Wizzy - but you should be singing along too loudly to notice such trivia. Most of the early standards are given an airing, but the band go one step further and pull off a couple of songs that the originals never performed live. Their Yellow Submarine alone is worth the entrance fee. The band is not always note perfect but the harmonies are spot on, and they had the audience dancing in the aisles. The Japanese Eric Clapton joins in on the second set. This time, they appear in Cavern Club leathers to belt out early rock �n�Eroll numbers. This is a fab, fun show and the Japanese Beatles deserve to take the Western world by storm. "John" says they are bigger than Buddha. Fiona McCade Until 23 August Monday, 21st August 2000 The Scotsman