FIRST, let’s straighten out the misunderstandings.
The name of the band that’s playing the Mercury Lounge tonight is thenewno2 and it’s pronounced the-new-number-2, a reference to the classic TV series “The Prisoner.”
The second misconception is the whole Beatles thing.
There’s no riding on anyone’s coattails here. While the band’s leader, Dhani Harrison, is the son of the late great Beatles guitarist George, he’s his own man with his own musical vision. You hear the difference between father and son on the upcoming CD/digital release “You Are Here.”
So what’s with the name?
“In the TV show [the villains] were faceless entities,” says Harrison, speaking to The Post from LA. “We wanted that same obscurity for the band because my family name precedes us everywhere.”
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Harrison, 30, is friendly with “the other kids” – Zak Starkey (Ringo’s son) who currently drums for The Who, as well as singer/songwriters Julian and Sean Lennon.
And while Harrison would like his work to be judged on its own merits, he’s proud of Dad.
“I love his style of music,” he says. “I often find myself listening to the music he would listen to around the house. I’ll put on some Hoagy Carmichael or classical Indian music or Robert Johnson. That variety affected his work, and it affects mine.”
As the son of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Harrison advises all famous offspring that the way to avoid being judged is to “work 10 times harder than everyone else.
“With a famous parent it’s easier to get a foot in the door, but without the work you won’t go further than that,” he says.
Harrison, who went to college at Brown, recalls, “It was even that way at university. Before I proved myself, my teachers saw me as a guy getting a free ride in life because I was George Harrison’s son.”
In a way, it’s understandable. When you look at the son’s face and hear his voice, you can’t help but be reminded of the father. Because of that, Harrison tried to distance himself from his family as a teen.
“When your parents are cool hippies, the only way to rebel is to get straight A’s, do sports and enroll in a military school. That’s what I did.”
Still, there wasn’t much strife in the Harrison household.
“My dad didn’t have many pals around, and I was his only child, so I was often in the studio with him. We were best friends.”
Because of their close working association, it was a natural for Harrison to complete his father’s last record, “Brainwashed,” with the aid of George’s former Traveling Wilburys partner Jeff Lynne, who acted as producer.
Harrison says his style is harder, more psychedelic rock than his father’s soulful melodies. Still, what he borrowed from Dad is more tangible than style or technique. “I’ve taken all of his instruments. On [“You Are Here”] you hear all of the guitars he left behind. If I didn’t want to make music with these great instruments, I’d just be a jerk. I think it’s my duty.”