Playing “Twist and Shout” with a former Beatle: Rock ‘n’ roll fantasies can come true — at camp

There’s a 2007 “South Park” episode that, at the time, seemed to be a harbinger of bad tidings to come. In the show, the boys are obsessed with the “Guitar Hero” video game, so much so that when Stan’s father Randy breaks out an actual electric guitar and plays Kansas’ “Carry on My Wayward Son,” they give him the cold shoulder, preferring their game controllers over a bona fide instrument.

Fast-forward a few decades — say, to 2023. “South Park”‘s cynical prophecy didn’t come true. Instrumental performance has enjoyed a remarkable comeback. It turns out that Millennials and Gen Z prefer authentic experiences over the hollow simulacrum of push-button plastic guitars. At a certain level, we have School of Rock and multitudinous other music academies to thank for this resurgence. And somewhere in there, too, is the long-running Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp.

Founded in 1997 by David Fishof, the interactive musical experience has succeeded in inspiring and elevating the rock ‘n’ roll chops of thousands upon thousands of attendees. The idea, of course, finds its roots in baseball fantasy camps. But Fishof’s programs aren’t mere nostalgia trips designed for middle-aged men to run the bases with their bygone heroes. While Fishof’s camps welcome students — er, campers — of all skill levels, the four-day event involves hours of rehearsal, live performance and studio recording. In short, the campers engage in the lived experience of a working rock ‘n’ roll star.

And judging from the campers at the July 2023 iteration of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, it’s not for the faint of heart. Held at New York City’s Smash Studios, the camp featured plenty of star power in the likes of Pete Best, the Beatles‘ original drummer; Rolling Stones bassist Daryl Jones and Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith’s bassist and the songwriter behind “Sweet Emotion.” Not surprisingly, the campers relish the opportunity to jam with the guest stars. To a person, they were grinning ear to ear when given the chance to sit in with Best on such numbers as “Love Me Do” and “Twist and Shout.”

But the real stars are the camp counselors. This time around, the counselors included such stalwarts as the Firm’s Tony Franklin, Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Bumblefoot, and Black Sabbath’s Vinny Appice, among a host of others. At the beginning of the camp, attendees are divided into a series of bandmates who will rehearse together in advance of the weekend-ending showcase at Midtown’s Cutting Room. A veteran of 22 camps, Franklin never tires of observing his campers as they grow as players. “It’s always inspiring,” he told me, “to watch people building community, playing with folks they’ve never even met before.”

As the camp’s musical director, Britt Lightning, the bassist for the band Vixen, shares Franklin’s passion for the difference that the experience makes in the campers’ musical lives. “To see the difference between day one and day four is astounding,” she said. “People put away their phones, forget about their jobs, and concentrate on their music. Some people have never played anywhere outside of their bedroom, and now they’re rehearsing on stage with others and playing onstage for the first time. It’s quite a transformation.”

In addition to the chance to concentrate on improving their musical chops, the campers savored the opportunity to learn from the industry’s finest practitioners. Camper Doug Wolfberg counts his work in the studio with celebrated producer Jack Douglas as “the greatest musical day in my life, and I’ve been playing for 45 years.” Wolfberg and his fellow campers dubbed their band For Pete’s Sake in honor of the event’s guest of honor. When they took their turn sitting in with Best, Wolfberg took up the harmonica during For Pete’s Sake’s performance of “Love Me Do” with the erstwhile Beatles drummer. As their counselor, Franklin marveled at the band’s improvement during their rehearsal of the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil,” for which Wolfberg played a sizzling electric guitar solo.

When the campers weren’t rehearsing, they took a break for an intimate conversation with Best. Best was interviewed by Billy Amendola, who has co-hosted the camp with Fishof for more than 25 years. One of the bright lights of the New York City music community and a gifted drummer in his own right, Amendola approaches each camp with the generosity and patience of a great teacher.  

As Amendola gently prodded him with questions, Best kept attendees spellbound with stories about the Beatles’ early days. He recalled learning to play the drums on the kitchen table using forks and knives as his drumsticks—much to the chagrin of his mother Mona, who is the unsung heroine of the Merseybeat sound, having founded the influential Casbah Coffee Club.

Best made a special point of noting how the Beatles’ Hamburg residencies shifted the band’s fortunes. “We were very mediocre, a lightweight band,” said Best. But “after playing 50 hours a week, we were phenomenal. Hamburg made the difference.” Best’s memories of John Lennon were especially poignant. At one point, he visibly choked up when discussing his lost bandmate. “John was a comic buffoon, on one side, and tender-hearted and loving, on the other,” Pete remarked. “He had it all.” And for four unforgettable days at Smash Studios, so too did Fishof and Amendola’s campers, who generated a lifetime’s worth of inspiration and memories.