Alex Waldie is the young and cool Hofner bass player, with the 21st century Beat Group - Hamburg Beat. The band specialise in playing the raw, rock ‘n’ roll sound, first heard in the early 60’s Hamburg Beat clubs, such as 'The Kaiserkeller', 'The Indra', The Top Ten' and 'The Star Club'. 

In 2012 the guys decided to launch their dream project called 'Hamburg Beat'. They were joined on stage by Mark's son Alex, who was only 15 when he first performed with the band. The left handed Alex, had only ever wanted to play a Hofner bass and as soon as he could, he purchased a left handed Hofner Ignition bass, which he has absolutely loved playing ever since.

Everywhere Hamburg Beat play people are struck not only by Alex's highly accomplished bass playing, but also by his 'mean and moody' stage persona. Many people have remarked that Alex “looks like Stu and plays like Macca”. His Hofner bass not only completes the look, but also gives him the exact warm and punchy bass sound of the era.  

Hamburg Beat are not a typical Beatle Tribute band and do not play any Beatle hits. neither do they 'act' as The Beatles. It's the sound of the music that they focus on and Alex's Hofner basses are key to getting the right sound. There are also no compromises in the band's set list, with the group focused solely on faithfully reproducing the raucous rock n roll energy of the early 60’s Hamburg Beat Club scene. Now regularly performing across the UK and overseas, Hamburg Beat play to enthusiastic audiences, wowed by the band’s authentic interpretation of a night at The Star Club, back in 1962. Alex and his leather clad Hamburg Beat bandmates ‘Mach Schau’ by playing beat club classics including ‘Besame Mucho’, ‘Lend Me Your Comb’, ‘Hallelujah I Love Her So’, ‘Your Feet’s Too Big’, ‘Red Hot’ and ‘Falling In Love Again’ etc. 

In 2013 and when he was only sixteen years old, Alex and the band headlined at the International Beatlesday Festival in Mons, Belgium playing to 2,000 people and also closed the show at the Beatlesfestivalen in Norway. Since then, the band have performed at festivals in Finland and the Netherlands, with more overseas performances planned in coming months. Using his trusty Hofner Ignition bass, Alex also appeared for the first time at The Cavern Club, Liverpool aged only sixteen and made his debut at International Beatleweek in 2014, playing twelve shows over six days. He returned to International Beatleweek with Hamburg Beat in 2015 and the band are now playing regularly on Saturdays at The Cavern Club, covering for the Cavern's resident bands. 

Alex now plays the guitar of his dreams, the Hofner 500/1 V61 Cavern bass (left handed of course!). This bass has both the exact look and sound he's been hooked on since he first heard 'The Star Club Tapes'. Alex is proud to be associated with Hofner.

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